Alpine Coaster/ Slide in Fussen Area- Itinerary Help

We haven’t been to it but I think this is the one Rick mentions in his book:
tegelbergbahn.de

You can find a YouTube video of someone going down pretty much any alpine slide with a GoPro on their head. If you find a couple of choices for alpine coasters, check YouTube to see how much each one appeals to you.

When we left Fussen for Munich, we hit the alpine coaster in Oberammergau. It's one of the longer/faster coasters in the region and Oberammergau is very nice. You could do that first thing (the coaster line can get long), stay for lunch at Ammergauer Maxbräu (highly recommend), then drive back to Fussen (easy 45 minute drive down a very scenic 2-lane road).

We were with our similarly-aged kids and opted out of going inside the castles. Thought they might get bored. Just did outside and Mary's Bridge. We did to the treetop walk which is just a 5 minute drive from Fussen. Easy outdoor activity.

For lunch/dinner in Fussen, I'd recommed Schlossbrauhaus Schwangau, which is a less than 5 minute drive (the other way) from Fussen. Great German food and beer with a view of the castle.

This sounds like a great itinerary, thank you! How long were you at Neuschwanstein viewing the castle (how long did it take you to get up there, take pics from the bridge, enjoy the view of the castle) in total? Trying to plan our day so we can get back in time for dinner to Biberach which is a 1.5 hour drive. I have been inside the castle before and while it was interesting, my girls have been to the mansions in Newport, RI which are more ornate and might be bored to go inside. They would much rather do that treetop walk and do the alpine slide and view the castle from the outside.

Thank you for your help and advice.

How long were you at Neuschwanstein viewing the castle (how long did it take you to get up there, take pics from the bridge, enjoy the view of the castle) in total? Trying to plan our day so we can get back in time for dinner to Biberach which is a 1.5 hour drive.

I can't remember, but I remember parking near the base, waiting 20-30 minutes to catch a bus that gets you within a maybe 20 minute uphill walk to the bridge then another 15 minutes to the top. For me, Mary's Bridge was far more memorable than walking around the base of the castle. There's a queue to get on the bridge that'll take some time as well but no one forces you to get off so you can take all the time you need. Seemed like the logisitcs to get there took more time and effort than the activities there.

Not too far down the road from the treetop walk is a cool suspension bridge and a zip line. If you're intent on a castle visit/photo and pressed for time, it might be easier to do that instead of Oberammergau. Or maybe the Allgäu Coaster (which I considered but did not visit) might work out better for you logistically.

In hindsight, I wish I spent more time in that region on lifts/coasters/fun stuff than anything castle-related. My family also toured two Newport mansions 5 years ago and the kids were fine but not thrilled. The inside of the castle is probably gonna seem like another museum tour to them.

I agree that the inside of Neuschwenstein Castle is boring unless you're an opera fan. And it's a palace, not an actual defensive castle.

I am also traveling with like wise aged children. I really enjoyed reading all the information on this post about Fussen and Oberammagau. I too think my kids would prefer not to go inside the castles, but more so explore the surrounding area.

On recommendation of our RS tour escort, after visiting Neuschwanstein we walked the trails to Reith-Alpe Schwangau for lunch. The food was great and it was full of friendly Germans.

koz

do you know about Mary's Bridge?