Driving Bavaria in December?

I lived in Bavaria (specifically Oberammergau) for 3 years. Our car had winter tires (and chains in the trunk, just in case.) And we both grew up in heavy snow areas, so winter driving was nothing new to us.

Sure, you could do what you propose, providing you don't encounter a snow event. But you're going to spend half of your waking hours sitting in a car. And what happens if it's a snowy day? Your drive time could be significantly increased. If it REALLY snows... I remember our first winter- we got almost 3 feet of snow within a week. The snow plows could barely keep up. Roads were mostly open, but speeds were waaaaaaaaaaay down.

Or you might get lucky and have little to no snow. Even then, I wouldn't want such an aggressive itinerary.

Thanks CJean for your input! And I went back and edited the original post because I realized it wasn't clear--those are the places we're considering driving to/from (with the exception of Munich as we would rent a car after leaving there) but we totally realize that all of them would be too much for our time frame. We're fine with shifting around activities/places on the fly, but my concern is more with safety than anything.

"...my concern is more with safety than anything."

Germany's roads are well kept as a rule and relatively safe by comparison with roads elsewhere. But certainly NOT so safe when you compare roads with rails; the most recent data available show 400,000 traffic accidents per year in Bavaria. (That of course includes the fair weather months.) Train accidents are exceedingly rare. A few years ago, a German study determined that one's risk of dying in a collision of some sort was 55 times higher for car users than for train users. I imagine cars are even more dangerous yet in winter, and for those who might be...

...visiting Bavarian brew pubs
...gawking at the lovely scenery from behind the wheel
...unfamiliar with roads, road signage, and driving practices in Germany
...generally fatigued from travel (foreign travel is exhilarating, but demanding as well.)

Bavaria's train system is extensive and efficient - and much safer.

Learned to drive in Cleveland, OH and live in the Oberpfalz (similar weather). With good snow tires (check the rental) and some experience driving in snow, you should not have any real problems. As mentioned German roads are very well maintained to include plowed and salted. In December north of Munich there should be no problem. The exception is actually driving in the mountainous areas (to include Germany outside Bavaria) where winter storms can really cause a problem. Some mountain areas require snow chains (don't do it without experience). Winter storms slow Autobahn traffic significantly. Not much you can do about the weather you get. Be ready to change plans due to the weather as required.