Itinerary for short trip to Southern Germany

"I will have five days in Southern Germany"
Sounds like three days actually, with Day 1 and Day 5 dedicated to the logistics of arriving and leaving. Day 2 is for N'stein.. You'll have at least 4 hours of driving on Day 3 so with a few hours in Mittenwald you won't see much around B'gaden that day. Day 4 will be all about Salzburg, I imagine, so no time for B'gaden then either.

The thing about Berchtesgaden and Salzburg is that there's a whole lot to do in that area that you might enjoy, and with just 3 days for sightseeing, why not spend it all within that region?

Just outside Salzburg...
EISREISENWELT ICE CAVES - Tripadvisor reviews
HOHENWERFEN - Castle and falconry show info. (The sixties film "Where Eagles Dare" was filmed there.)

In/near Berchtesgaden...
JENNERBAHN gondola
Lake Koenigssee/cruise, Eagles Nest, Obersalzberg Documentation Center, salt mine, schnapps distillery, and more...

It's easy to reach Berchtesgaden and Salzburg by train. Berchtesgaden offers free local transportation to all guests with the visitors card. Some of these sights cannot be reached by car. Some may be more convenient by car. You'll have to look into the details but I'm guessing you MIGHT want to rent a car for one day while you're in the area but use trains otherwise. Bus 840 gets you betweeen B'gaden and Salzburg proper.

A BAVARIA TICKET at €28/day for two persons will get you between MUC airport and Salzburg, or MUC and B'gaden.

Neuschwanstein, btw, isn't a castle but a late 19th-century palace with a faux castle exterior. The crowded tour is a mere 30 minutes long. Hohensalzburg (in Salzburg) and Hohenwerfen (in Werfen) are the real thing.

Hi,

Yes, it's doable. Yes, the driving is fairly easy. You do have only 4 nights and 3 full days on this short trip. You do have a long drive between Fuessen area and Berchtesgaden. Seems like the reason for the first two nights in Neuschwanstein. Me, I'd base all the nights in Berchtesgaden. Visit "Mad" King Ludwig's Herrenchiemsee palace instead of Neuschwanstein. This is midway between Munich and Berchtesgaden. Visit on the first day or last day. One, the interior is better,. Two, you take a short cruise on the Chiemsee to reach it, which is nice. Three, less crowds than Neuschwanstein.

Just my two cents. We LOVE Berchtesgaden and the area. Beautiful mountain scenery and so much to see and do. Drive the Rossfeld Panorama Road for magnificent alpine scenery. This is just above Berchtesgaden. Salzburg is an easy 30 minutes drive. In the Berchtesgaden area are Salt Mines, Luge rides, cable car trips, Konigsee, etc., even nearby Hallein (salt mine) and Werfen (castle and ice caves).

Paul

Doubtful that crowds will be much if an issue at Neuschwanstein in May, so if it's important to you, go and see it. Despite the arbitrary definitions you may read about what is and isn't a castle, I still think it's an interesting visit, especially if you pre-read about Ludwig beforehand (there's only so much you can learn about German Romanticism on a short tour).

My only other comment is to keep your schedule a little flexible between Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. Let the short term weather forecast dictate your priorities. Salzburg is less weather dependent, but the tempestuous atmospheric conditions of the Alps in May can easily wipe out a day in Berchtesgaden.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and comments - much appreciated!

We are pretty keen to see Neuschwanstein but definitely want to see Berchtesgaden, so will certainly take the travel times into consideration and think about priorities.

Already thinking about a second trip ;)

If Neuschwanstein and Berchtesgaden are your priorities, I would stick with the itinerary you have planned but skip the visit to Salzburg on Day 4. I think if you try to do both Berchtesgaden and Salzburg in such a short span of time, you won't really have time to see either.

Save Salzburg (and probably more of Berchtesgaden since once you go you will fall in love and realize how much there is to see/do) for the next trip you are planning.

My other question would be why you are taking a tour of Neuschwanstein from Fussen. It is very easy to arrange yourself (possibly cheaper and shorter, too). If you are hoping to avoid crowds/lineups, in May you really aren't likely to have much difficulty and you can always book in advance.

Lastly, if Neuschwanstein really interests you, you may want to consider a visit to Linderhof or Herrenchiemsee on your way to Berchtesgaden. My personal favourite of all Ludwig's palaces is Linderhof.