Affordable Self Guided Day trips From Munich

Here are some suggestions for day trips from Munich.

My favorite is to take the S8 southwestbound to the end of the line at Herrsching. Walk a couple hundred meters to the lakefront and board one of the stately paddlewheel ships which cross the Ammersee to my favorite untouristed Bavarian village, Dießen am Ammersee. Dießen is a popular destination for German weekenders, but it's not on the international tourist grid at all. Walk through Dießen up to the baroque-rococo Marienmünster Abbey (1730). Return to Herrsching by ship and take a taxi or bus, or walk three miles up a forested trail, to Kloster Andechs, where Benedictine monks have been brewing great beer since the 15th Century. Photos of Andechs, Herrsching and Dießen here.

Or take S1 about 20 minutes from Hauptbahnhof to Oberschleißheim, and visit the magnificent, colorful Schleißheim Palaces, summer home of the Bavarian royal family. Aviation history buffs will enjoy Flugwerft Schleißheim (aviation branch of the Deutsches Museum), a short walk from the Schleißheim Palaces.

Tourists have yet to discover Ingolstadt, a charming, friendly town about halfway between Munich and Nürnberg. There are many historic buildings in the old center, including the former Anatomy Building of the University of Ingolstadt, now the German Museum of Medical History. Gardens in the courtyard are made up of medicinal herbs and plants. The building was the setting for Mary Shelley's original 1818 novel Frankenstein. Tours are available of the Audi factory, just outside the old center. Ingolstadt self-guided walking tour available here.

Nürnberg is a good day trip by train from Munich, also. There is much to see and do there, but if you plan your visit carefully you can accomplish a lot in a day trip.

Munich is in Germany although not that far from Austria.

Have you looked at the Rick Steves guide book on Munich. He has several suggestions. One is the Nyphenburg Palace which I went to on a Rick Steves tour. It is huge, beautiful and has extensive gardens. You can do that in a day or less and take public transportation. Easy to get to. You can also go to the BMW Museum , I have not been but you can take public transporation to that too. You can also go to the English Garden which is Munich's largest city park and rent a bike. You can also go to King Ludwig's Castle at Neuschwanstein. I went this year and loved it!!! Rick Steves book will tell you what tours they have so you can see this castle which is huge, beautiful and amazing. Everything should cost much less than $75.00 but the Neuschanstein I am not sure what a tour will cost. No more than $75.00 for the day tour there. Do check into and book early for any tour companies. Have a great time. Munich is a really nice city. You can also go to Nunberg which is an our away on a fast train. I have not been it is in his book. I hope this helps. His book is really needed for all the details but at least you know there are two castles and biking in the park which is what you said you were looking for. And there is the Dachau concentration camp you can do in a day and see. I have not gone but went to a concentration camp in Austria this year. It was sad, meanful and you see first hand which makes you understand the war movies better. Have a great time.

We went to Salzburg Austria castle by the bus at a fraction of the cost of the train on FlixBus
https://www.flixbus.com/

Hey check this biking in bavaria site for ideas on long distances from Munich.
http://www.bavaria.by/cycling-mountain-biking-routes-bavaria-germany

Thank you for all the great suggestions. Everyone should check out the link about cycling options in Barvaria as it also includes some great ideas about hiking and gardens in that area as well.

Thank you so much Jeff. Its really helpful.

You could go to Neuschwanstein, a Bayern ticket is 29 Euro round trip for up to four people, a Neuschwanstein ticket is 12 Euro. So you are sitting at 53 Euro not counting the bus trip to and from the castles, which will be under 5 euros round trip.

You could pack a lunch and you are all set. The bus stop is right next to the train station. There are signs with a little castle on it to direct you. Or you just follow the line of people. I would recommend reserving a ticket in advance. Carry a sandwich for lunch or when you return to Fussen, you could eat there before getting on the train. There are two grocery stores near the train station, just keep heading in the direction the train was traveling in and one is in the bottom of a building in the center of the road(imagine a large pill shaped roundabout). The prices at the foot of the castle were ridiculous.

Both castles are 23, Königsticket (King's ticket) for both Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle on the same day. Hohenschwangau is where the king was born. It is interesting.

Or I would recommend: Kombiticket "Königsschlösser"
(combination ticket King Ludwig II's palaces): 24 euros

The combination ticket is valid for six months; you can visit each of the palaces Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee once.

With this ticket you could visit Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee on two separate days. Both are different castles. Chiemsee is set in an island in a lake. You would use a second Bayern ticket for Herrenchiemsee. The official web site is: http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/tourist/admiss.htm

Bob's bikes does a castle tour, I am not sure how much it is or how much cycling is involved.

If you want to see an authentic thousand year-old castle, go to Burghausen, on the Salzach. It will take about 2 hours by regional trains from the Hbf with a change in Mühldorf. The castle is located on a spit of high land overlooking the Salzach river, and touts itself as the longest castle in Europe. You can get to it from anywere in Munich for 25€ (first person, 31€ for two) using a Bayern-Ticket. The Bayern-Ticket will cover your transportation to the Hbf, München Ost, or Markt Schwaben, then by regional train to Burghausen Bhf, the by bus to the castle entrance. There is also the Südostbayern-Ticket for 18€ (single, 6€ additional travelers up to five total), but it won't cover transportation in Munich to a regional train or the bus in Burghausen, and the Südostbayern-Ticket plus S-Bahn (21€ + 5€), which will cover the S-Bahn in Munich to München Ost or Markt Schwaben to catch a regional train but not other transport in Munich (U-Bahn, tram, or bus) or the bus in Burghausen.

Nördlingen is a less touristy version of Rothenburg, with an almost complete wall but no Christmas Shoppe or C & P Museum. You can get to it with regional train via Donauwörth and a Bayern-Ticket. It would be better suited for an overnight trip so you could take a short side trip to Harburg and the intact castle there.