Please Help Fine tune my itinerary

Website of German Alpine Road will provide some tips.

Ensure you will have driving permission for Germany, maybe your national driving license alone is not sufficient (official regulation).

Do searches with the destination names in the forum.

In Garmisch you could go up to the top of the Zugspitze, or you could hike the Partnach Gorge.

On day 8, it's only a half hour drive from Linderhof back to Garmisch. It will take longer to drive back to Fussen, and then another hour to GP. If you get finished early enough in Linderhof, you might take a slight detour to see Oberammergau. And Ettal, with its Monastery brewery and distillery is on your route.

markK do you know how long it takes to drive the whole German Alpine Road?
Also the driving permit is very confusing. How do I find out if my US driver’s license is acceptable in Germany?

I recommend reading the sources.

GAR is 484 kilometres long. Of course it depends on your speed of travel and your breaks how long it takes. Navigation and route planning tools such as Here help you calculating.

Driving permission: Read content of first and fifth fat printed headline.

Mar, if you live in the US, your driver's license is fine. I've driven in Germany quite a few times and have a regular US driver's license. I would suggest getting an international driver's license to be safe, but you can pick up one of those quite easily at a AAA office. I would suggest you familiarize yourself with the road rules, as the last thing you want is to get a ticket. :-)

Your itinerary looks good, especially since you said you are more interesting in outdoor hikes and scenery. Driving the Alpine Road will take you about 5-6 hours but that's if you don't stop. And there are plenty of scenic places that are worth stopping for, so I would suggest taking your time on that route.

If you're looking for hotel information, I would suggest starting a new post and titling it "Hotel recommendations needed for Bavaria" or something like that. You should be able to get some info that way. Also, check the Rick Steves guidebook or also Lonely Planet for hotel recommendations.

Mardee
Thank you!

if you live in the US, your driver's license is fine

This is a legal statement that does not fully comply with the regulation. Please read it carefully, especially for necessity of IDP and the driving license exceptions in #5. But I guess Mardee is willing to pay the bill.

Honestly: This is not fun or easy-peasy, forum members. In case of accident without a valid permission OP may lose insurance coverage completey and commits a criminal offense.

The rental car company will NOT care for permission, only for license. To care for driving permission is task and responsibility of every driving traveller.

MarkK thank you for your post but now I am more confused! This is from a previous Rick Steves Forum Post:

“ If you are visiting Germany as a tourist or for a short-term stay, you do not need an IDP as long as you have a valid driver's license from your home country. However, if you plan to stay in Germany for more than six months, you will need to exchange your foreign driver's license for a German one.Feb 23, 2024
https://community.ricksteves.com › ...
International driver license - Rick Steves Travel Forum”

I am a short term visitor. Please clarify

Forum does not count for law questions. Official regulation counts. Dot.

PLEASE read the regulation text. It says clearly when you need an IDP (#1) and what kind of driving licenses or condtions make them invalid (#5).

NOBODY here can tell you what is right or wrong for you individual situation because we do not know all your circumstances listed - and it is not our job to check it. Driving without permission is a crime in Germany (§21 StVG) and I recommend every fellow traveler to prepare themselves.

btw: the copied text was indicated as invalid in its thread or do you find the passage in the regulation?

I am out of this discussion now.

Mar, I believe that particular exception was for expats in Germany. But regardless, the regulations that Mark is referring pretty much allows for tourists driving using their own license. Obviously it must be valid and so on.

I will be honest. I've been driving in Europe for almost 30 years, off and on, and have never gotten an International Driver's License. But you never know what will happen, so it certainly doesn't hurt to have one, and they're inexpensive and very easy to get.

Also, since the German regulations are bit difficult for the average American to understand, here are the exceptions where you cannot use your US driver's license in Germany. I very much doubt that any apply to you. :-)

1. Must be valid in the US.
2. Cannot be provisional or learner's permit
3. You must be at least 18
4. You could not have been a resident of Germany when you got your US license.
5. Your US license has been refused, withdrawn, revoked or relinquished in Germany

Mar, Germany is one of the European countries that legally require you to have an IDP (International Driver Permit) as well as your current, valid US drivers license. As MarkK stated, if you were in a car accident, the lack of IDP would invalidate your car insurance. If stopped by police, lack of IDP would be considered driving without a valid license.

So how lucky do you feel? You could drive all over Europe for years without an IDP and never have a problem if you never have an accident or get pulled over by police. Or (as happened to us in Italy) are asked to provide it when picking up our rental car. OR you could just go to your closest AAA store and pick one up for about $30.