Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Help please

I think this plan sounds OK, but you may get a better car rental rate if you reserve from Berlin to your drop off town of Füssen. Schwangau is a very small village and I believe you would be taking the train from Füssen to Austria. I really enjoy driving in Germany, but taking the train is certainly a good option. For the legs you describe I think you'd be taking the regional trains for which you can book the day of your travels. With regard to car rental companies, I have used most of the large companies and I can't really state one is better than the other. Just look for the best rate and if you like what the offer is, go with it. I noticed that the rate for an entire week was far better than the rate offered for 3-4 days. As I stated above, I really enjoy driving. The flexibility of being able to stop for sights along the way is something that I really appreciate. One time we were driving along the Mosel and saw a sign for a Roman excavation. We stopped and were able to walk around and see the site, which we would have missed if we were on a train.

It's really a personal preference. Many contributors to this forum are avid train users and make a compelling argument for riding the trains.

Have a great trip!

Is there a preferred car rental agency to use for that leg of trip?

If you want to return your car in Schwangau / Füssen you are bound to Hertz.

Friday train from Schwangau to Hall, Austria

There is no direct train from Füssen to Innsbruck and Hall. You'd go by bus to Reutte in Tyrol first, then by train via Garmisch to Innsbruck, from where you'd use local transport to Hall. Buses to Reutte leave at minute 13 every other hour, total travel time to Innsbruck is 4:31 (btw, when looking up connections at www.bahn.com request an intermediate stop in Reutte; otherwise they will send back you to Munich. That connection might be a few minutes faster, but it's more expensive and less scenic.)

Alternatively, if you drop the car in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Avis and Europcar become options. Train connections from there to Hall in Tirol take about 2.25 hours with changes at Seefeld and Innsbruck.

Definitely book in advance at bahn.com for Berlin-Bochum and Bochum-Koblenz. Schwangau does not appear to have a railway station and you need to make a multi-stage journey to Hall in Tyrol. You can't buy a single ticket for the whole of the journey and I think you need one of our real German experts to identify the cheapest fare combination (Bayern Ticket plus a single from somewhere close to the Austrian border to Hall?).

Yes, drop the car in Garmisch, then train to Hall in Tirol. 57.60 EUR for 3 and takes 1 hour 42 minutes. That price is always the same, so no need to buy in advance.

You can save about 55 EUR by buying tickets in advance for the Innsbruck to Verona ticket from Trenitalia. Just buy local tickets for the S-Bahn from Hall to Innsbruck.