Train or Car (Munich, Salzburg, Garmisch, Lauterbrunnen, Chamonix)

Here are three suggested routes from viaMichelin.com. One even takes you through Innsbruck, a great break along the way. For the route you've suggested, car rental will be expensive but offer you the most freedom and best use of your time. You have to weigh the costs of incurring a drop fee and purchasing vignettes for Austrian and Swiss highways vs. the costs of rail travel for 2. It might be too late to get discounted tickets so you'll be paying premium prices. Of course if you are flying back from a German city, it might be more economical to hang on to the car and return it in Germany. Another useful travel site is RometoRio.com. As far as auto rental, I'd call AutoEurope's toll free number and find out about drop fees. Their service reps are great about finding best prices.

Are you going to return the car eventually in Germany? Basically, if you dropped a German car in Chamonix, it would have to be transported back to Germany, and you would be paying for that and it can add up. Driver's wages, fuel, wear and tear on the vehicle, loss of rental revenue during transport, cost for the driver to return with public transportation.

Munich airport -Salzburg on a Sunday for 2 people €31 with a BayernTicket
Salzburg-GAP on a weekday after 9AM - ditto !!
GAP- Neuschwanstein - local journey.
GAP-Lauterbrunnen - complicated, best done via Innsbruck!
Lauterbrunnen-Chamonix - a little messy, especially if your date is during the current engineering work.

The main problem is the Lauterbrunnen bit which causes extra changes of trains with luggage, no chance you'd settle for Interlaken??

What happens after Chamonix? If this involves geneva airport then it gets simpler.......

Thank you all for the helpful information.

We would be returning the car to the Geneva airport after Chamonix. Although, we had also considered seeing sights around Chamonix before making out way to Geneva (possibly Annecy).

If I took the train from Garmisch to Interlaken would that also be via a BayernTicket? Would I not want to use public transportation to make my way from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen?

Also, what would a "local journey" look like from GAP to Neuchwanstein? Would it allow me to make an early morning castle tour?

I am inclined to take a car because I feel like I have more opportunity to wander and not stress about keeping a schedule, but it would seem so many forums advise taking the trains. I'm trying top have an open mind.

Hi. Nothing wrong with renting a car if you are OK with the cost. Yes, on this rushed itinerary it would save time and give you flexibility. You say you are aware of the high fee for different country drop off. For driving routes, use viamichelin.com; however be sure to add times to their estimates. Their estimates assume you drive the speed limit the whole time, never run into traffic, never stop for lunch or gas, etc. Enjoy your trip!

Train journeys are rather convoluted.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN to LAUTERBRUNNEN
1) RB 5407
Dep 08:02 GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN (Germany)
Arr 09:23 INNSBRUCK HBF (Austria)
2) RJ 362
Dep 09:48 INNSBRUCK HBF (Austria)
Arr 13:20 ZUERICH HB (Switzerland)
3) IC 720
Dep 13:32 ZUERICH HB (Switzerland)
Arr 14:28 BERN (Switzerland)
4) IC 1073
Dep 14:34 BERN (Switzerland)
Arr 15:28 INTERLAKEN OST (Switzerland)
5) RE 173
Dep 15:35 INTERLAKEN OST (Switzerland)
Arr 15:55 LAUTERBRUNNEN (Switzerland)

LAUTERBRUNNEN to CHAMONIX
1) RE 140
Dep 11:03 LAUTERBRUNNEN (Switzerland)
Arr 11:24 INTERLAKEN OST (Switzerland)
2) RE 6719
Dep 11:29 INTERLAKEN OST (Switzerland)
Arr 11:50 SPIEZ (Switzerland)
3) IC 1067
Dep 12:05 SPIEZ (Switzerland)
Arr 12:30 VISP (Switzerland)
4) 1820
Dep 12:35 VISP (Switzerland)
Arr 13:15 MARTIGNY (Switzerland)
5) RE 26220
Dep 13:46 MARTIGNY (Switzerland)
Arr 14:33 VALLORCINE (France)
6) TER18920
Dep 14:38 VALLORCINE (France)
Arr 15:12 CHAMONIX MONT BLANC (France)

If I took the train from Garmisch to Interlaken would that also be via a BayernTicket? Would I not want to use public transportation to make my way from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen?

No, Lauterbrunnen is not in Bavaria, it is in Switzerland and not on the border. But you could drop the car in Lindau, which is in Germany, and proceed from there by train.

... or drop car in Lindau, take train across the border to Switzerland and rent a new car; then no drop fees; also the Swiss car will come with a Swiss vignette. Enjoy your trip!

If you plan to keep the car til departing from Geneva then I would train from Garmisch via Innsbruck to Zurich and pick up your car there.

Australia wins. But Bob spotted a reason.

The german part of this tour doesn't need a car. The Lauterbrunnen arrival and journey to Chamonix with luggage would be a pain, especially as the railway over to Chamonix is being rebuilt and suffering various line closures. Since departure is from Geneva hiring a car on entry to Switzerland and dropping it off at Geneva would not be as expensive as hiring it from Germany and paying the return costs - and as Bob said, it will come with autobahn vignette.

GAP-Neuschwanstein is on bus route 9606 http://www.rvo-bus.de/oberbayernbus/view/mdb/kursbuch/mdb_246254_9606.pdf you can get there by 9:50 . If you need to travel between 28 August and 11 September there is an amended timetable due to road works.

Wow this is all so helpful. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to lay that all out for me!!!

It would seem that trying to make my way from Lauterbrunnen to Chamonix without a car would be a big headache. I like the idea of just renting in Switzerland and returning in Switzerland. Perhaps I should rent in Lucerne? What would be the closest town near Schwangau to rent on the Switzerland side?

The nearest is Buchs SG (the suffix is important!) which is the border station. But booked in advance the train fare may not be much higher to Zurich and you would have more choice of renters in Zurich (make sure it's an office in the city centre) . Luzern would cost more on the train and save nothing on the car (unless you are adding an overnight stay there in which case it does make sense)

New Zealand actually won on this occasion Steve. 54-34. Ouch!!