Fussen and renting a car

"What are people’s experiences with renting a car and driving around Bavaria? How much can I reasonably do if I don’t rent a car?" I've done both car and train - but I greatly prefer public transport. Bavaria has hundreds of train routes - the core of the system.

But you are probably asking not about Bavaria but about the much, much smaller part of Bavaria that constitutes the Bavarian Alps region near the Austrian border.... right? So zoom in to the southwest corner of the above train map and you'll see how the train lines are situated. What is NOT shown are all the regional bus connections in the area...

https://www.ammergauer-alpen.de/oberammergau/en/content/download/9698/132043/version/6/file/Ammergau_Linienplan_klein.pdf

And there are several bus lines that will take you to places around Füssen - like the Wieskirche, Oberammergau, Linderhof, Garmisch... You can check into these schedules yourself:

https://www.ammergauer-alpen.de/oberammergau/en/Media/Artikel/Free-bus-and-train-rides

You might actually want to stay in Oberammergau (or thereabouts) which is more central to these places - and which has both train and bus service - and which offers free use of the buses if you stay there (see link above.)

From Oberammergau it's also easier to get to one of the jewels in this area, Mittenwald.

https://requisitosparavisa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/mittenwald_-3.jpg
https://hastingshouse.typepad.com/hastings_house_us/travel_in_europe/

The German Alpine Road is a very obvious answer.

Date of travel?

Oberammergau is out as a base as I’ll be there during the Passion Play next May. I have a package there for the play but otherwise reservations will be impossible. That is one of the reasons I’m reluctant to rent a car as I’m sure they would prefer I not have one.