Hello fellow travelers.
Assume please that you have the choice of either: (1) taking the Gray Line tour from Munich to Linderhof and Neuschwanstein; OR (2) taking the train from Munich to Fussen and seeing Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein on one's own.
Which do you pick and why?
Also, if your vote is for the Gray Line tour, would you go with the big bus tour or do you splurge for the luxury version?
Thanks in advance.
RJ
It is all about cost. Train and on your own is cheaper. If you go on your own remember to by tickets in advance and you have to pick them up at will call at least 90 minutes before the tour starts.
Cost is not a factor.
If you want to see Linderhof, then take the GrayLine tour. The actual tour in the castles is the same for everyone. Unless you don’t like big buses,
i would take it rather than the luxury version.
If you like doing things on your own, then doing the castles by yourself is very easy. Adding Linderhof adds complications. This assumes you will use the train. You could also rent a car for the trip.
The grey line tour adds Linderhof and Oberammergau just to make it seem impossible to duplicate their tour on your own, but this is essentially a scam. Just like a college student's term report, they've padded their tour. You really can't do Linderhof in an hour, nor can you see Oberammergau in 30 minutes. Take your time and do the castles at Hohenschwangau on your own.
Linderhof beats Hohenschwangau. On the other hand, the best view of Neuschwanstein is from the Marian Bridge which you can probably only do on your own.
Lunch at Hotel Liesl(?so) where the right table gives you views of both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein
Thank you, Lee.
The absolute best thing to do is take the train and spend a night or two near the castles. Go visit the castles then rent a car to go see Linderhof on your own. It's spectacular, but you need to allow some time there to see it.
Welcome to the forum, RJ.
"The absolute best thing to do is take the train and spend a night or two near the castles."
You may find this response unsatisfactory as well, but I happen to think it's the best tip you've gotten so far, RJ.
I hope you don't mistake Lee's "do the castles at Hohenschwanstein on your own" as an indication that you can just wander about Neuschwanstein's interior. It's a guided tour of less than 30 minutes. I think you get 35 at Hohenschwangau.
So... is the nearly 5-hour round trip by train and bus from Munich worth it? The reason there are so many rooms in the Füssen area is, in part, that some think the "castles" alone aren't worth the trip from Munich. The idea of staying over to enjoy the OTHER charms of this area as well is worth considering. Some research should bear this out.
This option may or may not apply to your situation of course. On this forum you will probably find that responses routinely stray from the parameters set forth by the OP. Your thread is no different. Remember that many others besides yourself will stumble into the forum to gather travel ideas and opinions from posts like yours - and that the regulars here post stuff which might not apply strictly to your situation, but may in fact help future readers on the general topic you brought up.
(btw - I love that portmanteau, Lee!)
Actually, according to the Hohenswangau.com wesite the tours of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are 35 and 30 minutes respectively, and, according to the Bavarian Castle and Garden Administration, the tour of Linderhof is 25 minutes. Linderhof is a very small palace. However, unlike Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, Linderhof has extensive grounds, including the Grotto, and you can spend far more time exploring them. In 2007, I spent over 6 hours at Linderhof (admittedly including lunch). An hour at Linderhof, IMO, isn't worth the bother.
Sorry, I did not mean to imply that making the trip on your own would allow you to see the castles at your leisure. All three are only by guided tour, but none of them need to be seen on some kind of a third party organized (i.e., bus) tour. Most of what the 3rd party tours do is add to your cost.
RJ,
One point to mention regarding doing the tours on your own. As I recall, the guided tours of Neuschwanstein are arranged with set times for entry. If you miss your appointed entry time, you're out of luck.
In addition to Gray Line Tours, you could also have a look at Radius Tours. Their office is in the Munich Hbf and their groups travel to the castles via train. That provides some free time for the guide to provide a history of the castles. They take care of the reservations for the castle tours.
