Munich Day trip or spend a few nights- Castles & Zugspitze

I've done both. The area around Neushwanstein is very nice and I like spending at least 2 nights there. I don't particularly like spending the night in Fuessen but rather in Horn Schwangau which is just a stone's throw from Fuessen and has many biking paths as well as wonderful hotels and restaurants. You'll be located in the middle of rural farms with the usual menagerie of farm animals.

We've stayed at the Hotel Rubezahl as well as Hotel Helmerhof and had rooms viewing the castles. At night the castles are illuminated and exceptionally beautiful.

www.hotelruebezahl.de

www.helmerhof.de

We spent 5 days based in Garmisch Partenkirchen last May. We had a car and loved the freeedom of being able to drive where and when we wanted. We spent time in Garmisch, hiked the Partnachklamm, visited Zugspitze, drank beer at Tegelberg , visited Ehrenberg and Highland 179, saw Linderhof, ate cake and drank coffee in Oberammergau.

I've also spent time in Munich.

If I go back, I would choose to stay in GaP and have a car.

Although I'll admit we have never done public transportation in that area. But we loved having a car and just seeing where the day would take us. And for the record - it was super easy to navigate around via car.

From Fussen, it is hard to see as much on public transportation as you can with a car. I would opt for a car and stay somewhere south of Munich.

"How easy was it driving or navigating the bus/trains?"

From Munich it's a time-consuming waste to use public transport, IMO. You need an alpine base.

I'll join amyk in her vote of dissent for Garmich-Partenkirchen as a travel base for the Alps.

From G-P you are only several minutes from Mittenwald (by train or car.) Here's a guide for a day trip in Mittenwald written by Earl Steinbicker (whose books have sent me on several truly excellent day trips in different parts of Germany.)

From G-P you're also several minutes from the Zugspitzbahn.

G-P offers to all visitors a free visitors card for free local transportation.

Another good thing about G-P is that you can easily do a "Bavarian Evening" (traditional food, dance, music) at the Fraundorfer Inn.

Füssen and Neuschwanstein: I don't recommend N'stein but if you want to go there and/or to Füssen, there's an easy, scenic way to reach Füssen from G-P. Board the 9:04 train from G-P to Reutte Austria, the step onto the 10:05 bus to Füssen (arrive 10:30.) Catch the 15:13 or the 17:13 bus from Füssen to return to G-P. This route cuts through Austria - see route map - and is known as the "Außerfernbahn", a scenic route and a favorite of rail-fans. The Bayern Ticket day pass is valid on this route. It covers the direct train to Reutte and the bus between Füssen and Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau. (It does not cover the short bus ride between Reutte and Füssen.)

I've done this area by public transport AND by car, and it's a more relaxing time by train, IMO. What makes for "exhausting long days" is the much longer day outing from Munich and the castle-frenzy at N'stein.

Although I've been in Füssen five times in 30 years, I've never done it as a day trip from Munich. I have done it as a day trip from the Oberallgäu (Oberstdorf area), and I would (planning to) do it again. I also did Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze as a day trip from Munich.

I've also spent time (5 nights) in the area (Pfronten, Oberammergau).

I've seen Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, the Füssen Altstadt, Linderhof, and been to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberammergau, and Mittenwald.

I've never driven a car in this area. I prefer public transportation (trains AND buses), which is very good, because it gives me the freedom to do anything I want to with the travel time, and I've always saved a lot of € vs renting a car.

The last time I was there I used Pfronten and Oberammergau as bases. From Pfronten there are buses to Füssen and trains to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. From Oberammergau there are buses to Füssen, Linderhof, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful insight. After going back and forth on whether to base a few nights in the Garmisch/Füssen area, we finally agreed for at least this trip to Germany to do 2 day trips. My girls "must" see their fairytale castle and after reading the great link on Mittenwald in a day we'll either visit Mittenwald or Garmisch for a day too. Spending a few nights in this area is already on my next Germany itinerary ; )