We have 9 days in Bavaria, beginning and ending in Zurich. We traveled this area 45 years ago as newlyweds and were hoping to revisit many of these places -- the castles, Ober, GaP, Salzburg, maybe Munich, etc. (a bit of nostalgia -- we stayed in a military
B & B on the lake in GaP for $5.00/night !) We had planned to rent a car and travel at our own pace. However, the rental car rates we're finding are in the $900/week range. (Europcar) ($380 is car rental, rest is no-deductible ins.) This is quite a bit higher than cars we have rented from them in Italy in the recent past. We would love to hear experienced German travelers thoughts. We are open to any and all suggestions. Thanks.
Posted by
Green Bay
21163 posts
Use trains and buses. Maximum 28 euro/day with a Bayern ticket.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8319 posts
I assume you're picking the rental car up in Munich and turning it in in Zurich. It sounds as if you're having to pay huge drop off fees.
I suggest you turn the car in at Lindau, Germany and take the short train ride into Zurich to catch your flight home.
Another suggestion is to pickup the car at a city center location and not at the airport. Most airport rentals worldwide have tariffs, taxes and other expenses often not charged at rental locations off the airport premises.
My personal insurance covers rental cars worldwide, and my charge card also has secondary insurance. Do you need the CDW coverage that comes with big charges?
I usually check Hertz.com and AutoEurope.com for the lowest rates. If you join Hertz' Gold Club for free, you'll possibly get a lower rental rate.
Don't forget that both Austria and Switzerland has road tariffs (vignettes) that require a sticker be purchased at the border.
Posted by
NYC area
2981 posts
Hi Shay,
Do you have an AmEx card? We use their "Premium Car Rental Protection Plan" for the CDW Ins.(and more) which costs only $24.99 for the entire rental period (up to 42 consecutive days!), NOT per day.
Another thought is if you really want the car in Bavaria, train from Zurich to Garmisch and pick up and return the car there. Renting in Germany is cheaper than renting in Switzerland. Still look into your cc's CDW Ins. or the AmEx plan.
Paul
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
"We had planned to rent a car and travel at our own pace."
The day passes allow travel at any hour on Sat or Sun, after 9 am weekdays. The Bayern ticket, €28/day for two, covers all of Bavaria and also gets you to Salzburg; use local and regional trains, and in Munich buses, and subways and trams too.
The Regio-ticket Werdenfels, €23 for two, covers a more limited area - Mittenwald, Garmisch, Oberammergau, Munich:
If you are overnighting in Garmisch, you can use local buses there for free with the visitors card (also provides discounts on :
Ga-Pa visitors card
Even if you traveled on 7 separate days, you'd spend less than €200 total. No parking fees, no gassing up, no insurance issues, no chance of traffic delays or accidents.
Hope your trip is a fun one.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1389 posts
I live here and drive my car. To get to where you want to go I would get the rental car, take a Navi device or program the car and travel. Why fight the train and be tied to the schedule, carry the bags etc. when you are seniors. Spend the money and enjoy the trip. Check the Net for where you want to go. You do not have to stay at expensive hotels. Check out the local Gasthaus. Try calling ahead to some tourist offices and see what is available for overnights. English should not be a problem in most cases. Thoughts on your itinerary? Most of the military hotels are long gone. The Edelweiss is relatively new in Garmich. Maybe you need an Internationale drivers license? You already know that driving laws are different, but not that different.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
You might be getting such a high quote if you plan to rent the car in Switzerland, where just about everything is more expensive. Try plugging in a pick-up and drop-off location in Bavaria, like Munich. Since it sounds like you're locked into flying in and out of Zürich, you can consider taking the train to, perhaps, Munich and picking up the car there. I wouldn't get the car until leaving Munich, though, as parking in the city is scanty and expensive. Not to mention, very difficult to navigate by car, even with a GPS. You can then consider dropping it off near the border, like Lindau as someone else mentioned, then taking the train back to Zürich. You'll avoid the foreign drop-off fee this way.
It sounds like you stayed at the Riesersee hotel. It's still there, but no longer owned by the US military. As previously mentioned, the military hotel in GaP is now the Edelweiss Resort, which forms part of a large complex on the outside of town. Looks like a prison to me, and from what I understand, it isn't particularly cheap. If you decide to take a trip down memory lane and stay at the Riesersee, a car would be almost a must, because if you will recall, the hotel sits at the end of a long, uphill driveway outside of town.
"no chance of traffic delays" But if relying solely on public transportation, you put yourself at the mercy of rail delays and strikes, which happen more frequently in Germany than some on this website might like to acknowledge. There's balances and trade-offs with everything.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Shay: Since you're getting some conflicting advice, I suggest you check over comments made by Swandav, destination expert for and resident of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, over at Tripadvisor, about getting around in this area:
Posted by
OP
Little Rock, AR, USA
116 posts
Wow! you guys are amazing! We've been working and reworking the itinerary. It's still a work in progress, but you've given us so many ideas. Thanks so much.