jgg

I read on an old post that if you order online tickets for Neuschwawnstein/Hohenschwangau that you have to pick them up atleast 1 hour before the start of the tour. I looked on their website and didn't notice anything about that. We want to do the first tour at 9am, but don't necessarily want to arrive at 8am. Is what I read true?

We will be staying in Fussen the night before,. How much time should I allow to drive to the ticket center (we will have our own car), pick up our tickets, take the shuttle to the entrance and be on time for the start of the tour?

pja1

Hi,
I just thought I'd respond to the drive from Fuessen to Neuschwanstein being about 10 minutes or so.
While we never reserved tickets online, I'd allow about an hour. You didn't state what month you'll be there. It does make a difference. We went in October and it was relatively easy at 9am. Just before the buses started showing up.

Paul

RosieinOz

Hi jgg
We were in Neschwanstein in May last year and stayed in Fussen as you are doing. We had absolutely no trouble getting tickets and the tours run every 10-20 minutes or so you just join the queue when the time on your ticket says.
We took the horse and carriage ride up and it was so beautiful...and the walk back down is great too. Have fun it's a most amazing place ...truly a fairytale setting!!
Rosie

jgg

Thanks. We will be there in late June.

Cowboy1968

At the bottom of the website for ordering tickets online, you will find the in the last paragraph the following information:

<i>Ticket collection

Reserved tickets can be collected from the Hohenschwangau Ticket-Center only on the day of your planned visit, no later than one hour before your confirmed time of entrance.

Your written confirmation needs to be presented.</i>

It is a 20-30 min uphill walk to the castle, so even if there was no limit for picking up the tickets, you would have to be some time earlier at the central parking lots at the bottom of the hill.

F&uuml;ssen-Neuschwanstein is appr. 10min by car. The walk from the parking lots to the ticket center is appr. 5min, and then that 20-30 min uphill walk (or taking the carriage/bus).

It is hard to predict whether online reservations are really necessary. You will be staying in the area, and have the advantage of an early arrival. On the other hand, both May and October are quieter than June thru September. Maybe you will get some information here from people who traveled when you plan to go.

jgg

Cowboy - thank you once again for helping me out. One has to get to the final ordering screen to get that info. Thanks so much!

If anyone has an opinion on whether or not we would need to order in advance online in late June please let me know. There will be 6 of us.

jgg

ttt

november_moon

We went in July and ordered our tickets ahead of time. We were glad we did since the line to buy tickets was pretty long. We got there just before 9 for our 10:00 tour. We didn't have a wait at all - just picked up our tickets and walked up the hill. And of course for those standing in line, once they bought their tickets, I have no idea how long they had to wait for their tour time.

I would reserve the tickets ahead of time since if you don't want to wait in a line, you would have to get their early anyway.

katzen

We visted Neuschwanstein in August '06 and reserved our tickets before we left for our trip. We also stayed in Fussen. The car ride from Fussen to Neuschwanstein too no more than 10 minutes. Also,we were able to get our tickets much quicker than the people waiting in line to buy tickets. All we had to do was walk up to the window (different than where the long line was), hand the confirmation sheet to the person and we were given our tickets. Have fun!!

Clea

I guess it just depends. I have been to this castle three times, Jun, July and Sep, never waited long than 5-10 mins in line and took the shuttle up. I did not get advance tickets since I was not sure what time we would arrive driving from the Linderhof castle.

Clea

PRLCH

We went in July last year and pre-booked for the first tour of the day. The tour was full, but I don't know how many had pre-booked and how many just turned up. I wouldn't take the chance if you have your heart set on the tour, else you may find you either miss out or wait much longer for a later tour.

farrermog

Is it actually worthwhile paying for entry/ doing the tour? I ask this because in my younger days I walked to Neuschwanstein from Fussen, decided not to go inside because the entry fee was a bit stiff and was later told that I didn't miss much anyway (relatively speaking I assume!).

Sue_xx_yy

jgg, we went in mid June (the 16th) and booked a 2 p.m slot in advance. We arrived from our previous destination earlier than expected, i.e. around noon if memory serves - and asked if there was space on an earlier tour, e.g. at 1:00 or so. I can't remember the exact time we got, but the point is, we were able to move up our time. So, it is safer to book a spot, especially for 6 people, in June - and perhaps make it slightly later than the earliest you could make. If there is space, you can move up.

farremog, it is true that the castle interior isn't a 3 star sight, but I found the photographs of the 'Grand Tour' vintage tourists who had visited the sight very charming (you'll find them just beyond the kitchen area in a part of the castle that is open to ticketholders but is not covered by the tour.) Consider also that it might rain, in which case, an interior locale might make a nice break.

RufusTFirefly

The interior of Neuschwanstein is one of our favorites. Much of it was never finished, but what was finished is very different from any other castle we've ever visited--and we've visited a lot of them. You appreciate the interior more if you do some advance reading on what was going through Ludwig's fevered brain at the time--the entire Germanic creation mythology, the Wagner connection, etc.--and the social changes sweeping Europe at the end of the 19th Century. Changes partly do to the ongoing excesses of royalty--like Ludwig's castle/palace building sprees.

jgg

Thank you all for your info. We have decided to definitely book tickets ahead. We will probably go for a 9:30 or 10am slot and use Sue's suggestion of trying to get an earlier tour if we are there early.

Thanks all!

RufusTFirefly

&quot;do&quot; to? Holy-moly! Too (two, to) much wine last night I guess.

farrermog

Sue &amp; Rufus - thanks for the inside perspectives. The fairytale exterior and setting was enough for me at the time, but I now see that seeing the inside would have reinforced my appreciation of Ludwig's folly.

november_moon

If you tour Hohenschwangau as well - where Ludwig grew up - it will add to your understanding of his fairytale fantasies. We also got more back story on Ludwig and the rest of the family during that tour.

meath1

We stayed in Fussen last April, it is 10 minutes or less to the ticket center and at that time there were no lines. But from the set up the impression we got was that it could be quite packed in high season. But that is also the impression that you get from their website when ordering tickets. It is expensive and they make it look like a deal by packaging the 2 castles together. They are both interesting, however, my sons who are very into history said that they would have skipped Neuschwanstein and just toured Hohenschwangau. We like to travel and have managed to have a nice trips every year with 3 children on a very limited budget. Things which might be very nice to some people and really make their vacation memorable, we have passed on. One thing we passed on at Neuschwawnstein/Hohenschwangau was the horse drawn carriage ride up to the castle. However, it is a long uphill walk so if you have young children, elderly people with you, or are really not fit, you might want to opt for the carriage ride up.

Irish_girl

I will add a follow-on question...when I went to pre-buy our tickets today for the end of July, I noticed that if you buy the ticket to see both castles it says &quot;First you will visit Hohenschwangau Castle where the parents of King Ludwig II lived, afterwards you will visit Neuschwanstein Castle. &quot; We are planning to stay nearby so we can get one of the earlier tours (before 10am), but I've read that Neuschwanstein is busier and thus it is better to do it first if you want to beat the crowds. Does this mean I would need to buy the tickets separately? Is it really worth doing that to ensure we get to Neuschwanstein early?