My husband and I are traveling to Germany in Aug, and we plan to be in the Garmisch area for 2 nights to see Neuschwanstein Castle (or one of the castles in the area) and Zugspitze (if weather is good). Some of the hotels in the Neuschwanstein Castle area look interesting such as Hotel Muller. Is it better to stay there or in Garmisch? We will have a car. We don't have reservations for the castle tour yet, and I see some of the hotels have packages that include the tours.
Thanks,
Becky
Because enjoying the Zugspitze is very weather-dependent (and Neuschwanstein far less so), I would consider staying in GaP. Rather than wondering if the skies over the mountain are clear from Füssen, you can just look out your window in Garmisch and check for yourself. Keep somewhat of a flexible schedule so you can react to weather. Reservations for Neuschwanstein are for your convenience, but you can still just show up to the ticket kiosk and buy tickets.
The nicest hotel I've stayed at in GaP is the Atlas Grand, but it's a little pricey. Ask for the Ludwig or Sissi suite. Just down the road, Gasthof Fraundorfer is more affordable and has much of that folksy Bavarian charm that people travel to see. And live music most nights.
Thanks so much for the info Tom! I was told to make castle reservations since Aug is so busy. I don't want to waste time in line, but we would have more flexibility if we weren't locked in to reservations. Do you think I need to reserve most hotels in advance?
"Do you think I need to reserve most hotels in advance?" In August, yes.
BTW, the reason to reserve tickets is not because the line at the kiosk is usually particularly long. The reason is because your ticket buys you entrance to the castles at a specific time. The more people that arrive on a crowded day before you, the later your entrance time will be. I've taken guests to this area multiple times, and the longest they had to wait after buying tickets was maybe about an hour. But, I've never been in August, which is one of the busiest times of the year.
You could also stay in the town of Lermoos, Austria which is just south of Garmisch and located in the Zugspitze Arena. You can view the Zugspitze from anywhere in the town. It's just beautiful. The adjacent town of Ehrwald has a cable car that goes up to the Zugspitze. You can drive through Reutte to get to Fuessen and on to the castles. To check for accommodations in Lermoos, look at the town's website: www.lermoos.at Just another option...
Thanks so much! I've never been to Germany, and there are too many wonderful places to go so it's difficult to decide plus it's so busy in Aug.
