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Munich to Prien am Chiemsee to Salzburg to Munich

Posted by on

I am looking to go from Munich to Prien am Chiemsee (to see Herrenchiemsee) to Salzburg to Munich on the Saturday of Easter weekend in April, while using the Bayern Ticket, with my spouse and 2 young children. My question is a multi-part question regarding timing and regarding the Bayern ticket.

The train ride from Munich to Prien am Chiemsee is about 1 hour. Then I have to walk to the boat pier (about 20 minutes) or take a taxi to the boat pier (about 5 minutes). (I read that the little train does not operate yet in April). Then I have to wait for the boat (up to 30 minutes based on the boat’s schedule), then a 20 minute boat ride to the island, then a 20 minute walk or carriage ride to Herrenchiemsee. So far, the timing is anywhere between 1 ¾ hours to 2 ½ hours to reach the Palace, depending on my luck with taxis and/or boat connections. Which then leaves to the below question:

+. Do I reserve a tour at Herrenchiemsee for a specific time-slot when I am unsure if I will be late for the tour OR whether I will have a long while to wait if I arrive early? Or do I not reserve a tour, and hope that there is no long line for people buying tickets for a tour? If there is a long line, it can ruin our day, as our 2 young children can get very antsy with a long wait.

Depending on how the above question is answered, then I may attempt to go to Salzburg on that same date. I went on the DB website (on a separate Saturday to test-try my journey), and apparently the DB website does not let you book a multi-city journey. But from my limited knowledge of the Bayern Ticket, I can just book a return ticket (roundtrip ticket) for Munich to Prien am Chiemsee to Munich, but then I can use any train in Bavaria (including Salzburg) at any time in that 24 hour period, even if the ticket does not mention Salzburg (or any other Bavarian city). Which then leads to the next question:

+. Is my understanding of the Bayern Ticket accurate?

Please advise.

Posted by
5381 posts

The Bayern ticket allows you to travel on regional trains as a group during a set time period and it is not necessary to specify any destinations. It is not possible to book return tickets in advance on regional trains.

Maybe this link will help:

http://www.toytowngermany.com/wiki/Bayern_ticket

Posted by
8889 posts

You are partially right about the Bayern Ticket.
1) The ticket is valid for one day, from 9 am on Weekdays and the whole day on weekends.
2) You can buy it from a ticket machine either on the day or before. When you buy it you specify which day you want it for.
3) It costs €23 for one person, €28 for two, €33 for 3 etc. Children under 15 are free so long as they are your own children or Grandchildren.
4) It is valid on all "regional" trains in Bavaria, plus some small areas outside Bavaria as shown on this map (click here). It is not valid on IC, ICE or EC trains.

Which means yes, you can go Munich to Prien am Chiemsee to Salzburg, and then back to Munich on a Bayern ticket, so long as you do it all on one day and use "regional" trains. Salzburg is in the ticket area (see map).
But, is one day enough to visit both Chiemsee and Salzburg? Possibly not.

"I can just book a return ticket (roundtrip ticket) for Munich to Prien am Chiemsee to Munich"
- You don't book on regional trains, they are "turn up and go". The trains you book on are IC, ICE and EC, precisely the ones which you cannot use the Bayern ticket on.
- No need to double back to Munich, as you see from the map, you can continue from Prien am Chiemsee to Salzburg.

Sorry, I don't know anything about the Herrenchiemsee tour.

Posted by
500 posts

I have visited Herrenchiemsee only in August so I do not know how the situation translates to April. IMHO trying to board the ferry as early as possible (say, around 9am) is worth the effort as most people arrive later. As you get off the ferry on the island you buy the ticket to the castle; you are assigned the earliest possible tour in your chosen language, considering the time it takes to walk from the pier to the castle (in August there is an horse coaches service as well). The visit is not very long - Ludwig had the time and money to decorate less than half of the building - but the whole tour, with two ferry crossings and the walks in the park takes time and if you leave with an early ferry you are done by lunch time.

Also IMHO, were the weather not good I would defer the visit to another occasion. The ferry crossing and park walk are nice in good weather but I would not try them in the rain.

Visiting Neuschwanstein and Salzburg in a single day looks to me tiring - Salzburg is not as close as it looks as the train line and the motorway are a bit slow - I have done several time the opposite day trip from Salzburg to Munich to Salzburg and it is long enough for me without intermediate stops. Salzburg has a few castles to visit as well - the fortress being the main one - and if the weather is not optimal is much easier to endure.

Also, almost everything in Salzburg but the restaurants closes at 6pm or 6.30pm - in some case earlier on Saturday, so after the visit at Neuschwanstein you would have very little useful time in Salzburg.

Posted by
19092 posts

A couple of years ago, I left Munich on the first possible train (weekday) and stopped at Herrenchiemsee, then went on to Freilassing (across the river from Salzburg), arriving in the late afternoon. This was in August, and, as I remember, I didn't have to wait very long for my tour. I would not try to see both Herrenchiemsee and Salzburg in a single day. Spend the night in Salzburg.

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