Munich and Vienna

You should probably make advance reservations for Neuschwanstein. Make the reservation for 2 pm or after. You can use a Bayern Ticket, leave after 9 am. Cost is 25 EUR for the first person plus 6 EUR for each additional person up to 5 traveling together. That will cover the train to Fuessen and the bus up to Neuschwanstein and return to Munich. You should be at the ticket office at least 1 hour before your reservation time. It takes time to walk up the hill to the castle. Current schedule, leave at 9:52 and arrive at 12:20.

Great. Thank you so much. Will do.

Last year we did not make any reservations for any sight in Vienna. We tried to go early to get tickets and avoid long lines. Tours for the opera house are timed so go early for a better selection of entry times.
There is a bus that will take you from the ticket area close to the entrance to Neuschwanstein but you still have to walk a little.

You can almost always get tickets to the Vienna opera the day of the show. But they may be standing room only, and (trust me) that's not only hard on the feet it's awkward, as you'll be jammed in with people who are either standing, or behind those who paid for a seat. I recommend you look at the offerings and buy the best seat you can ahead of time. Do go, the inside is one of the worlds greatest Art Deco buildings.

Vienna Opera House does not open for performances until September 6. There is a season opening night on September 2 that is sold out to subscribers, I imagine. I suspect you just want a building tour.

I find the Opera House tour to be very disappointing. There are much better things to do with your time. If you insist, tickets do not need to be purchased in advance. Same goes for Schonbrunn.

An option to the Wien Opera House is the Spanish Riding School. We got tickets the day-of (seated), and witnessed a delightful show with accompanied Vienna Boys Choir. Terrrrrefic stuff!

We were there July of 2017 and both the riding school and the choir were on hiatus.
Check their schedule to see if they will be performing.

Thank you all for the prompt replies. Our trip is in the last week of August so we will not be able to see anything at the Opera House. We will save the tour for a rainy day. For Schonbrunn Palace, what type of ticket should I buy-classic pass or grand tour? The link to buy tickets is not working. Do I need to buy from third parties? We will reserve the tickets for Neuschwanstein Castle after 2 pm as you suggested.

I took the State Opera House tour twice, ie, on two different trips with two different guides. Obviously, one was better than the other but also the presentation was a bit different too. I didn't just see a repetition of the first tour the year before. That said, I do recommend taking the tour.

Thanks. My mother certainly wants to go inside the opera house so we will take the tour. Thanks for strongly recommending it. Do I need to book the tour in advance too?