Munich, Fussen or Garmisch-Partenkirchen?

I’ve been to Garmisch-Partenkirchen twice and thoroughly enjoyed both visits. There are so many nearby activities to do. I also enjoy Munich.

The truth of the matter is I don’t think you can make a bad choice here and will enjoy yourself at any of the three locations mentioned.

We lived in Augsburg for four years and stayed in Garmisch at The Fraundorfer and loved it and its restaurant.
I prefer staying there over staying in Fussen.
Munich is another issue, since it is a large city and has much to see there.

The more direct route from Salzburg to Lucerne via Innsbruck and Zurich includes one of Europe's most scenic train rides. Details:
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/zurich-to-innsbruck-via-the-arlberg-railway.htm

We took this route recently and loved it. Rick suggests a night in Innsbruck or Hall on the way.

So I will suggest 2-3 nights in Germany's "Berchtesgadener Land", right next door to Salzburg prior to making this journey. Afterward, head back to Salzburg and board your Innsbruck/Zurich-bound train...

https://www.berchtesgadener-land.com/cdn/uploads/bgl-karte-klein.jpg

https://www.pure-germany.com/experiences/germany/berchtesgadener-land/

From B'gaden you could also daytrip to the Chiemsee before the trip to Switzerland:
https://www.chiemsee-chiemgau.info/en/region-sights

Garmisch. It's gorgeous. Great for hiking and very different from Salzburg and Lucerne.

Thank you so much for all the advice. Russ, we're taking the scenic train ride you suggested from Salzburg to Zurich. Appreciate the info on that.

live in Munich and both Füssen and Garmisch are easy trips from here.
If you want the famous fairytale castle then Füssen is the obvious choice because of Neuschwanstein. But it gets very crowded during the day.
Personally I like Garmisch-Partenkirchen more because the Alpine scenery is amazing and you can go up to the Zugspitze or walk around the Eibsee lake. It feels a bit more relaxed than the castle area)

We love staying in Hall in Tirol. We have stayed 7 times since 2001 for a total of about 21 nights.

www.badl.at

Thank you for all your input. Considering splitting our time between Munich and Garmish. Does anyone know if renting a car from Garmish and driving to explore the area is fairly straightforward or are trains easier? What about a trip to Newshwanstein castle by car from Garmish?