We have a trip planned next May with our young children (2 and 5) to Bavaria (flights in and out of Munich, 8 non-travel days).
I am trying to come up with an itinerary that will minimize hotel transfers and time in transport generally, while maximizing the best of what the region has to offer. Ideally would like to spend time in Munich, Salzburg, see Neuschwanstein Castle, and perhaps see Mittenwald or other general alps scenery. Generally prefer train travel, but renting a car isn't entirely out of the question.
My initial thought is to go directly to Salzburg by train after arriving on the US-Munich flight, spending 4 nights in Salzburg, and then coming back to Munich for 4 nights. We could do a day-trip from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden (or elsewhere) and have 2 full days in Salzburg. We'd then try to do Neuschwanstein as a day trip from Munich, and either have 3 full days in Munich, or, if weather is fantastic and kids aren't tired of travel, an additional day trip to Mittenwald.
Does that sound like a good way of maximizing the sites in this area of the world? We love quaint towns and great scenery, but also recently did trips in Berner Oberland and Lake Como. We were glad in both cases that we spent less time in the cities close to those areas (Zurich and Milan, respectively), but I get the sense that Munich and Salzburg much more than hold their own as destinations compared to the natural areas and small towns around. Is that a fair assessment?
An alternative idea is to simply rent a car and base somewhere like Mittenwald the whole time, and focus more on just "being" in the Bavarian alps. But, I worry that weather may be fickle in early May and that we may regret not spending time in Munich/Salzburg.
Appreciate your thoughts.