Castles to visit on the way back from Neuschwanstein to Ingolstadt

A list of Bavarian castles and palaces: https://bavaria.travel/listicles/castles-and-palaces/

Based on this you can check what you might like and check what is on your way. Linderhof Palace is a short distance from Füssen.

Also this map of Bavarian Administration of Palaces, Gardens and Lakes can help you finding destinations: https://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/index.htm

On this map you can find stories of Bavaria Travel: https://bavaria.travel/map/

Don't miss Hohenschwangau if you are visiting Neuschwanstein. It is just across the street. We liked that tour better. Unlike Neuschwanstein, it was actually lived in, its fully furnished, and the guide will talk about the family and the history of the castles.

Follow the B17 for 65km/ 1hour from Neuschwanstein north to Landsberg(on the way to Ingolstadt)
See Landsberg am Lech nice town on River Lech

Continue on Autobahn A96 towards Munich/Ingolstadt

Leave the Autobahn A96 at Exit Inning am Ammersee/Hersching am Ammersee
Go 17km /20 min south to Kloster Andechs Monastery

Return the same way back to the Autobahn A96 continue to Autobahn Ring around Munich A99 and A92

Leave the Autobahn A92 at Exit Oberschleißheim /Dachau
Go to direction Oberschleissheim 2,5km and see the Palace and Gardens

Turn back on Autobahn A92 and A9 to Ingolstadt/Nürnberg
(Ingolstadt 70km less 1 hr from the Palace)

Dont know how long who want to travel from Neuschwanstein to Ingolstadt
Total driving time to see all Places will be around 3,5 hrs Plus time to see sights
Guess you have to choose where to go and what to leave out
Have look at the links and decide :o)

sunset in Ingolstadt the last 10 days of this month will be from around 4:30 to 4:20pm.

It will be getting quite dark somewhat before that so since the drive back without stops will be over 2 hours, depending on Munich ring traffic, I think you will be hard pressed to stop more than once leaving the car park at Neuschwanstein around noon.

Remember to get to Neuschwanstein quite early, not just for parking but for getting up by foot, by bus, by horse wagon to the tour check in. It is a fair old slog and the bus and horse wagon don't let you off near the entrance.

Hohenschwangau is a very good second stop, I also agree with the routing via Andechs but remember not to have the driver drink. German drink drive laws are very strict and strictly enforced.

Thank you all for the excellent recommendations! As always, this forum provides such valuable insight. Given the short days, we have decided to go from Neuschwanstein to Hohenschwangau, then back through Landsberg am Lech for a late lunch, then back to Ingolstadt. We have more days to explore, so this really helps with this one. If anyone has any other day trips from Ingolstadt, please share, as our son has class during the week and we will be exploring either by car or train (if easier).

Ingolstadt is in a great location. Just up the road (very easy by train, use a inexpensive Bayern ticket for all day use of all non express trains and buses and s-bahns and u-bahns and trams anywhere in Bavaria) is Nuremberg where parking is not easy but has fab buildings and museums and a huge castle where I once stayed, and the Durer Museum and Toy Museum and lots more.

Even closer is the much smaller but also spectacular Regensburg and then down the river Danube to Passau (where the river Inn from Innsbruck joins the Danube close to the Austrian and Czech borders). Again easy by Bayern Ticket, and I can say from experience that parking is not trivial there.

Half way between Ingolstadt and Nuremberg is Greding. 21 towers and an uninterrupted wall. And where Alexandra Schmied sang her famous Happy Sommerzeit. The YouTube of her song has good views of the town https://youtu.be/jCnn9z5wuBQ?si=myG3oZsuQbRMPqic (and it is a happy song)

Just south of Ingolstadt is the Messerschmitt Museum (Flugmuseum Messerschmitt) on an airfield.

You are lucky to be there, and congrats to your son for doing it.

I guess you have discovered Neuburg an der Donau with a mighty castle already?

For car fans the Audi Forum seems to be worth a visit.

It would be helpful for others if you would add a review post after journey in this thread, so others know for what you decided and if you liked it.

An info to Landsberg

Adolf Hitler was imprisoned in the Prison Landsberg after his rebellion on 11 November 1923
There he wrote his book "Mein Kampf"
Sadly he was set free in December 1924

After WW2 many War Criminals were executed in Landsberg

Another daytrip from Ingolstadt might be the Altmühl Valley 30 min northeast of Ingolstadt by car
There Riedenburg and nearby Castle Prunn

Flyer for Riedenburg Christmas Market on 6th and 7 th December

Never been there in winter but nice Landscape and tourist destination in spring summer and fall

Btw for lunch visit one of the two Hotel/Guesthouses on Marketsquare
or
Gasthof Schneider in Essing a small village 10 minutes down the River and another castle ruin above the village

Above mentioned Burg Prunn (Castle) is between Riedenburg and Essing

There are many other sites to see in the area
like liberation hall near Kelheim at the Danube River (another 10 min down the river from Essing)
or
the Danube Gorge with Kloster Weltenburg (30 minutes from Riedenburg by car)near Kelheim

etc.

Just in case weather is too ugly you might enjoy a day in the Limes Therme in Bad Gögging

video

Nice spa 30 minutes down the Danube from Ingolstadt

There are also remains of a Roman Fortress near Bad Gögging 5km downstream 10min from Weltenburg Monastery
Not very spectacular but in case you are interested