is it better to stay around the area of neuschwanstein castle for 5-day accomodation or in munich?

we are a group of 3men/5girls who have different itineraries except for the first whole day in the castle.

what's transport like between munich and castle vicinity.

Unless you want to spend a lot of time seeing the various castles such as Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and also visit nearby villages such as Oberammergau I would recommend that you base yourselves in Munich.
Are you driving? If not, the rail connections to Neuschwanstein are not difficult. You can take a train to nearby Fuessen either direct (without any changes) or by changing once in Buchloe. The trip takes about two hours by train one way. You might also consider renting a car for the one day and see several of the castles. Once you've done them, well..you've done them. Munich offers a greater variety of sightseeing experiences as well as a greater variety of hotels, etc., more nightlife and so forth. A car would give you a bit more flexibility but you would not need it to get around in Munich itself.
I am sure others will tell you to go to Garmisch which is another option but Fuessen is really the closest town. Hope this helps a bit. Have a great trip.

No reason not to allocate three nights to Munich, and the two others to the area around Neuschwanstein. While Fussen is cited often as "The" place to stay, there is equal merit top Reutte Austria, and neighboring towns - - actually closer to Liinderhof, if I am not mistaken.

Best wishes,

Rex

Rex made a good suggestion about splitting the nights between Munich and the castles area.
There are a number of towns that have hotels and bed and breakfasts in the area. In fact, there are a number of lodging choices at the foot of the hill to Neuschwanstein. Last year we stayed in Oberammergau and two years ago we stayed in Schwangau. This spring we stayed at Ettal. Ettal Abbey shouldn't be missed nor should Linderhof. There are also two interesting churches in addition to Wieskirche. One is an old monastery church at Rottenbuch and another at Steingaden.
If you will be dependent upon public transportation, you need to be aware that there is limited bus service in the area.

June of last year, we stayed 3 nights in Munich and 2 nights in Hohenschwangau, the village where the castles are located. We had used trains on the first part of our trip (Frankfurt-Bamberg-Munich), and then rented a car when we left Munich. It worked well for us.

We're glad we rented a car as there are many worthwhile sights in the area that are difficult to get to without one. We were able to stop at a couple of nice towns and Linderhof, and have lunch along the Plansee (in Austria) on the way to Hohenschwangau. We still had time to see Hohenschwangau castle after arriving that evening.

We stayed at Pension Albrecht in Hohenschwangau--64 euros double, modern private bath, breakfast, free parking, walking distance to the castle ticket center, view of Neuschwanstein overhead.

I had heard that Linderhof is under renovation this year and covered in scaffolding. Any idea how long this will take? I am taking friends to Germany this year and will be staying at Chiemsee so am thinking maybe to do the castle there instead of Linderhof.

KarenK- it is indeed covered (completely) and will be until next year. I'm not sure of the dates but check out their web-site... I think it is www.linderhof.de. You can still experience the rest of the grounds quite nicely and just pick up a postcard for a view of the schloss!

Maybe we will skip Linderhof. Sounds dreadful. I saw it once partially covered by a tarp. I'm going from bad to worse. There are enough other places to visit, so I think Herrechiemsee may be it for this year.

I was just in that area last month and we stayed in Reutte. We absolutely loved this small town! We had a car so it was easy to get to the castles but may be difficult without a car.

If I were you, I would split my time up -- 3 days in Munchen and 2 days at Neuschwanstein in Fussen. The town of Fussen is accessible via train from Munchen. It is small, quaint and charming. Other than its famous castle which you can see in an afternoon, Fussen doesn't really have a lot to offer. Munchen is by far (IMO) a more exciting place in terms of things to do and see and you will most likely want to spend more days there than in Fussen.

thanks everyone, my friends and i are now able to decide with your comments in mind.

I love both Munich and Fussen. I recommend spending time in Munich and it makes a great base. We stayed in Fussen at Hotel Mueller and had a view from our bed and window of Neuschwanstein castle. Not only is it beautiful during the day, it is lit at night. Some rooms have views of Hohenswainstein (sp)so be specific when asking for castle view.

Could any of your recommend any interesting places to see around these castles? We will be having a car and will be spending a night in this area. Recommend any good, reasonably-priced Gasthaus, Pension, Hotel?

There are a lost of good daytrips in the area (Wieskirche, Linderhof, Plansee, etc.), and there are many nice pensions (including those already mentioned in this thread). Do a search on names like "Neuschwanstein" and "Hohenscwangau" and you'll find lots of threads with recommendations.

a few days in Munich and then Neuschwanstein is a good idea. We did this last November and had a great time.
The hotels right by the castles are very nice and worth the price, especially off season.

WanderingTexan--do you mean the Hotel Mueller in Hohenschwangau?

Will Schloss Linderhof still be worth seeing even though it is being renovated?

Provence97 - As I stated earlier in this thread, I think one can still enjoy Linderhof despite its being covered by scaffolding.... The artificial grotto and the fountains and the rest of the grounds are very open and very enjoyable. There are plenty of post cards where you can see the schloss. If I wasn't sure that I would be back again I would certainly stop to see it and not feel as if I had missed something.