Day trip to Bavarian alps from munich

I would love to combine Oberammergau with Mittenwald but it does seem
... very round about and lengthy by train.

"by train". You don't have to do it all by train. Take the train from Munich to Murnau and change there to the train to Oberammergau. After Oberammergau, take the bus from the same station, Oberammergau Bahnhof, to Garmish-Partenkirchen Bahnhof. The bus stops right outside the Garmisch-Patenkirchen Bahnhof. Take the train from there to Mittenwald. That whole trip (train and bus) can be done with a Bayern-Ticket.

Or, the trip from Kochelsee to Mittenwald, along the shores of the Walchensee, is also very scenic.

Of the two, I think the train to Oberammergau, the bus to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the train to Mittenwald would be the least stressful.

Hi Ic- Lee has a good suggestion, but because of your elderly mother I would skip Oberammergau and train from Munich directly to Garmisch, spend a few hours there, then train on to Mittenwald for another few hours. I suspect your mother will be tired by then so train back to Munich. It takes about 1.5 hours from Munich to Garmisch and 0.5 hours from Garmisch to Mittenwald. So round trip you are already committed to 4 hours on the train. Adding another 4 hours in Garmisch and 3 hours in Mittenwald would bring your total to a minimum of 11 hours. Add another hour for getting from your hotel to the train station and back in Munich gets you to a 12 hour day. I am also getting elderly and I would consider this a very full day.

Actually, I usually spend a few nights in Garmisch and take 1/2 day dtriving trips to Oberamergau. Ettal and Schloss Linderhof, and Mittenwald. (3 half day trips). That way I can spend the rest of each day sightseeing in Garmisch or resting in my hotel room in Garmisch depending on the weather, traffic, crowds, and how tired I am.

I hope you have a great trip!!!

Thanks. And wow Kenneth. Once you add it up, it really sounds like covering more then one town is very ambitious. Staying overnight isn’t an option. So now I’m tossed between choosing one destination. Garmish-Partenkirchen Or Mittenwald. Thoughts?

Depending on your expectations of "Alps" you might consider towns in Lake Area closer to Munich in the foothills of the alps. The mountains are not as big but you will spend less time in transit there an back giving you more time at the destination.

• Tegernsee (my favorite) - Easy to get there on the BOB train. Once there there is a bus that runs a route around the lake or you can take the boat to visit each town. You can also take the cable car up the nearby Wallberg for great views of the lake to the north and the Alps stretching to Austria in the south. This lake is geared for local day trippers and local tourism so it is very easy to get around and you can easily spend the whole day here.
• Kochelsee and Walchensee - beautiful peaceful lakes with great mountain backdrops. Accessible by train/bus.
• Schliersee - Also accessible by BOB train. One great stop in this area is the Markus Wasmeier Open-Air Museum within walking distance of the station.
  
• Bad Tölz - No lake but a really nice little town on the Isar as it flows out of the Alps.
  

I know when my mother came to visit us in Munich just seeing these foothills exceeded her expectations (but we come from an area with no mountains).

DJ

For a day, either Mittenwald, the Karwendelbahn trip and strolling the pedestrian zone. Have lunch or snacks here at the “der kleiner Kartoffelsack”. You’ll see it.

Or Garmisch and the Zugspitze. there are a couple mt trips in Garmisch.

You win either way. I’m partial to Mittenwald.

Paul

These are all great suggestions.
So on to my next question.. I’ll be there the last week in April. Do I need to worry about it being snowy? Of course snowcovered peaks will be a thrilled. I’m more concerned with roads being passable and sidewalks cleared for my moms sake.

Everywhere you plan on going should be fine snow-wise in April (barring a freak storm!)

Also, since you will be in Munich in late April I'm obligated to point out there are two great festivals going on in town at that time:

• Frühlingsfest, it's like a mini Oktoberfest (on the same grounds at Oktoberfest) but without the large crowds and drunken tourists. Think of it like it county or a small state fair with carnival rides, food booths and beer. From April 26 until May 12th on the Theresienwiese.
• Auer Dult is a crafts/odds-n-ends market (ive been several times). It's a good place to pick up a unique souvenir. I have some storage crocks for potatoes and garlic from there. From April 27th until May 5th on the Mariahilfplatz.

DJ

There are tours from Munich to Gramish/Fussen.

Bad Tolz is OK, but I would stick with trips to Gramisch/Fussen and to Salzburg, Austria and Berchtesgaden, Germany.
There is more to see in Bavaria, such as Augsburg, Nuremberg, Regensberg and more.

At Garmisch you can take the cable car to the top of the Zugspitze (highest mountain in Germany).