We are a family of four (children ages 2 and 7) and we will spend 4 days in the area at the end of October. We prefer to pick one hotel to settle down in for the 4 days - we plan to see the castles, the Zugspitze, Wieskirche, Garmisch, maybe Mittenwald....We will have our own car. Does anyone have any recommendation on what would be the best town to select as a home base? Thanks for the help!

You can just about get to all those places from the Garmish area.

Oberamergau is a nice village very close to Garmish with wonderful paintings on houses and shops. Might be worth a couple of hours and lunch.

I faced the same decision last year, planning 4 days in the area (but no children). In the end we found such a good deal on an apartment in Garmisch for a week (the same as 4 days in decent hotel), we decided to take it and then worried it would be too long in the small town of Garmisch. We loved it!!! There was so much to do in the immediate area, we were astounded and we got into the whole King Ludwig thing, visiting his castles, seeing the musical, and exploring "his" area.
We only had a car for three of the days, but the car will be a plus for you. Sounds like you already know what you want to see -- all good things, and Garmisch is perfect for doing that.
Also don't miss the walk along the gorge in Garmisch.

Garmisch is where you want to be. We have done this area numerous times and Garmisch is central to where you are going to explore. And ditto on the gorge walk. Fun to do.

seti,

A nice alternative to Garmisch is its twin, Partenkirchen. It's relatively low-key, less commercial, and acts as a terrific base for exploring the many wonders of Southern Bavaria.

I stayed last summer at the lively and nicely situated Gasthof Fraundorfer (www.gasthof-fraundorfer.de).

Best of luck.

Re above post. I was not clear on my response. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is almost one town. Both are good places to stay.

seticrandall - Considering the size of your family and your children's ages I would like to recommend a few first class farms in the area around the Royal Castles. Your planned day trips can be done easily from any of these locations and I'm sure you and your children would enjoy the atmosphere that a farm offers versus hotel accommodations. I would especially like to recommend a very nice apartment on a farm where I stayed just last month. I was fortunate enough to spend two days in the vicinity of the Wieskirche and it was as I had always thought it might be (very calming, very beautiful, and very peaceful). As you walk out of the front door of the church there is a fenceline that encloses a farm that has been there for at least 150 years (in one form or another). In previous visits to the church I remember talking to some of the horses and cows as they grazed along that fenceline, telling them how lucky they were and thinking that this would be a wonderful place to live. It is...

Anyone who has ever seen the inside of the Wieskirche near Steingaden knows how incredibly beautiful and ornate it is. Anyone who has ever walked the footpaths around the outside of the church knows how peaceful and beautiful the surrounding meadows and mountains are. It's easy to understand why Dominikus Zimmermann (one of the builders of the church) choose to build a house next door and live the rest of his life there.

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/scholde...irche2003.html

Another excellent children friendly farm is located near Hopferau which is closer to Füssen and the castles. In fact you see Neuschwanstein far in the distance from the balcony of the Popplerhof.

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/popplerhofnearfuessen.html

Another first class farm within easy walking distance of the Royal Castles is the Beim Landhannes located in the small village of Horn at Schwangau.

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/landhannes.html

If a farm is not your preference then perhaps you would enjoy a stay at the Haus Weiher which is located in the little village of Hohenschwangau which sits at the bottom of the hill from Neuschwanstein. Frau Oswald has a room which would easily accommodate your family with a balcony from which you can see the castle. Ben

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/pensionweiher.html