Family Trip to Bavaria and Tyrol

Your first itinerary involves too much driving already IMHO with the long mid-day breaks you must take every day. I would not add the Königssee. If you are driving to the Zugspitze & Partnach Gorge on the 26th, don't back track to Füssen. Leave Füssen on the 26th, visit Linderhof on the way to the Garmisch area, stay there afterwards.

The Zugspitze can also be done in Ehrwald, Austria, close to Fussen.

If going to Chiemsee, take into consideration parking, taking the boat out to the island, walking from the dock to the palace, and having to place backpacks in lockers when planning a tour time.

In Bavaria, places like Füssen or Garmisch-Partenkirchen work really well as a base - you get castles, lakes, and mountain views all within short distances.
On the Tyrol side, Innsbruck is the most convenient with kids - good transport, lots to do, and easy access to the mountains. Smaller towns are nice too, but a bit less practical if you’re moving around a lot.
If I were planning again:
2-3 nights Bavaria
2-3 nights Tyrol
Easy, flexible, and great with family 👍

I would make the 27th the 26th and stay in Garmisch or Mittenwald or even Ehrwald. If you want to do the Zugspitze do it on on the 27th. You are right at the Eibsee (Germany). Never did the Partnach Gorge and there is so much more to see. Not a fan of the Alternate option.

First of all, thank you for your replies.

Based on your suggestions, I’m now considering staying in Füssen only on June 25th, and then either moving closer to the Partnach Gorge area on June 26th and Mittenwald on June 27th, or staying two nights (June 26th and 27th) in Mittenwald.

Would it be worth staying one night near the Partnach Gorge (e.g. in Grainau or Farchant), or would it be better to extend our stay in Mittenwald for June 26th as well (I already have a booking there for June 27th)?

My daughter wanted to see the Partnach Gorge. I passed due to heavy rain. So much rain that I had my umbrella up under a Beer Garden umbrella. With a car I don't think you need to stay in Garmisch. I would say pick a place in Mittenwald or the Zugspitze Arena. You could also drive to Seefeld in Tirol. It's on your way to Innsbruck. Currently the boarders are open without control. Look for hotel deals. I would advise against going cheap. A FEWO could be an option. Make your reservation soon.

For Innsbruck - depending on how long you are there, it would be worthwhile to purchase the tourist card which covers multiple entry fees to a variety of activities. Thinking about your teens - they might enjoy Ambras Castle, the Alpenzoo and if they are into how things are made, the Glockenspiel Museum. All easy to moderate activities however the paths through the zoo were quite steep. We visited all three in one day which was a bit ambitious.
Have a great trip!

First of all, I would like to thank all of you for your advice. When I bought the plane tickets to Zurich, my initial plan was to take an 8-day trip to Switzerland, using only public transportation (by purchasing the swiss travel pass). I was planning an itinerary that would include Lucerne as a base, some time in Zurich, and two days in the mountainous areas around Interlaken (Lauternbrunnen, Schilthorn).

While organizing the trip, I realized that the cost was far above the budget I had estimated. Therefore, a very good alternative was the plan I presented in my initial email on the forum.

However, Switzerland is always on my mind, as I keep thinking: “When will we ever get the chance to go as far as Zurich again?”

Looking at the Bavaria–Tyrol itinerary, I realized that, in any case, on the last day (30/6) I have a relatively long journey from Innsbruck to Zurich. So I thought I should implement my original plan, even on a smaller scale, move the long journey two days earlier, and thus decided to add “SWITZERLAND.”

This is how I shaped the itinerary:
June 24: Arrival → Rhine Falls → Lindau (overnight)
June 25: Lindau → Füssen → Neuschwanstein + Alpsee
June 26: Füssen → Linderhof → Eibsee→ Mittenwald → Innsbruck (2 nights)
June 28: Innsbruck → Lucerne (2 nights)
June 30: Lucerne → Zurich
July 1: Departure

Based on its final version, I will spend four nights in Lindau, Füssen (2 nights Bavaria), and Innsbruck (2 nights Austria), and instead of two nights in the Garmisch area (where activities depend heavily on good weather anyway), we will stay two nights in Lucerne (3 nights in Switzerland).

Nevertheless, on the way from Füssen to Innsbruck, we will still get a brief taste of Eibsee (1-2 hours), Linderhof Palace only gardens (1 hr), and Mittenwald (2 - 3 hours).

First of all, I would like to hear some comments from experienced travelers about the above plan. I would also appreciate some suggestions for Lucerne, and especially your thoughts on the classic dilemma: Pilatus or Rigi?

Thank you once again for your valuable advice.

P.S.: Dorothy thank you for your advice about Innsbruck. I’ve already looked into it and I’m thinking of purchasing the Innsbruck Card, which also includes free use of the cable car.

GEORGE