Hi, I'm planning a trip for some of my family to Austria/Bavaria next May. For our second-to-last day (Friday), we are staying in Fussen before flying out of Munich (on Saturday). My original idea was to go to Zugspitze on Friday, and then either catch a later train to Munich that night or an early morning one Saturday (our flight leaves at 2 pm). We will not have a car. By public transport, how long is the trip from Fussen to Zugspitze? Would it be unreasonable to then expect to get to Munich later that day? I hate not being near the airport the night before a flight just in case of delays, but looks like it might make a very long day to do all of that. Or is it reasonably affordable to get a taxi or something? Or does anyone have other ideas for that area for the day that might be less time-consuming? Perhaps there are closer Alpine summits? (We are already doing the King's Castles the previous day). Thanks!
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Take the 8:05 - 10:20 bus sequence from Füssen Bahnhof to Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bahnhof. You will find this schedule at the DB site.
Drop bags in a locker at the station and proceed to the Zugspitze... this site should be useful:
You can either catch a train that evening to Munich... or sleep in G-P then make your way to the airport... use the DB schedule to find transport to MUC Airport that arrives there by 11 am in this latter case. Personally, I'd sleep in Munich, where the trains to MUC are direct and take only 40 minutes.
Posted by
Green Bay
21161 posts
The last train to Munich from Garmisch-Partenkirchen is at 11:07 pm, getting you there after midnight. There are trains every hour before that,
There is a 2 bus connection from Fuessen at 8:05 am that gets you to G-P at 10:20 am, so yes, it is possible to do what you want to do. Schedule at https://int.bahn.de/en
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
1488 posts
It's a 40 minute drive from Fussen to the Zugspitze station. Public transportation makes this a multiple hour trip, one way. The best is to take a bus from Fussen to Garmish, which is a little over 2 hours, and from there the train to Eibsee. A taxi is more expensive, but faster. If you want to go to the Zugspitze, why stay in Fussen? You want to stay in Garmisch where you can walk to the train station and then take the train to the mountain.
I would plan on going to Munich the evening before you fly. Otherwise you'll be catching a very early train.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1389 posts
I do not travel much by train and do not know the ins and outs of travel form Füssen to Österreich, but you might consider going to Ehrwald, Österreich (Zugspitz Arena) and take the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn to the top of the Zugspitze.. There is the Ehrwalder Almbahn too, that puts you next/in the Zugspitze. You might also consider an over night in Ehrwald.
Posted by
OP
18 posts
Thanks for the ideas so far. Sounds like the consensus is to go to Munich Friday night, which is definitely my preference. Our main goal for being the area is to see the King's Castles, so Zugspitze was going to just be a bonus sight if we could fit it in. I'll have to see how the family feels about such a long day. Looks like there's a couple schedule options, so thanks again!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Take the 8:05 - 10:20 bus sequence from Füssen Bahnhof to Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bahnhof.
Good news and bad news.
The good news is you will have 55 minutes between 10:20 when you arrive at GaP Bahnhof and 11:15, when the next train leaves the Zugspitzbahn Bahnof for the mountain. The bad news - you'll have a 55 minute wait for the next train leaves for the next train. Considering your tight schedule, I don't think you want to take the cog rail train through the mountain to the back side and then a short seilbahn to the summit. Instead, get off at 11:45 at the Grainau seilbahn station and take the cable car, leaving half hourly and taking 10 minutes to the summit. This should get you to the summit at 12:10.
At 8:03, about the same time as the bus leaves Füssen Bhf for GaP via Oberammergau, a VVT (Verkehrverbund Tirol) bus, #100, leaves from there for Reutte, arriving at 8:28. You'll have 33 minutes to catch the 9:01 S7 from Reutte to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Get off at Hausberg at 9:52, just before the GaP Hbf and catch the cog train coming from the Hbf at 10:17. This will get you to the Seilbahn station at 10:45, and hour earlier than you would have going through Oberammergau and an hour earlier to the summit.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
It's a 40 minute drive from Fussen to the Zugspitze station.
Come on, now. Aren't we exaggerating a bit?
Google maps says the shortest travel distance is 59.5km or 36.95 miles. To do that in 40 minutes you'd have to do about 55 mph, on mountain roads. Google Maps says the driving time should be 55 minutes, which is over 40 mph, which seems more realistic.
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
1488 posts
The roads were clear (no major construction) when I drove them in June. They are 100 KPH limited. 40-45 minutes is about right, but that's to the outskirts of Fussen; city center would add to that. There was construction at the Oberamergau junction, and it's probably still there. You may have to slow down for tractors, and there's a train crossing too. Still, it's a lot faster to drive than take public transport in that area. It's a pretty drive.