Zugspitze from Salzburg

Are you wanting to do the Zugspitze and Salzburg in one day? Seems like a waste because you will be short changing Salzburg to go to the Zugspitze. You'd only have a morning in Salzburg. And how do you know, after going to all the trouble to set this up, the Zugspitze won't be completely socked in when you get there. Everyday is not a sunny day in the Alps, not withstanding all those pictures in the tour brochures.

I'd say it is possible to do both in one day, but it would be a long day, you would be rushed, and you probably would not get to spend as much time as you want to on the Zugspitze. But you would get to check off two venues as having been there. I don't think the quality of you visit to the Zugspitze would be worth it.

I went up the Zugspitze once. I had lunch in Garmisch-Partenkirchen before taking the train and cable car to the summit. By the time I got there, the mountain was enveloped in clouds so that I couldn't see much.

The first train to Garmish-Partenkirchen leaves Munich Hbf at 6:32 and gets to GaPa Bhf at 7:54. That gives you 21 minutes to walk to the Zugspitzebahn Bhf, get your tickets, and leave on the 8:15 train, transferring to the cog rail train in Grainau at 8:30, and arriving at the top of the Zugspitze at 8:28. Or you can get off the cog train at Eibsee at 8:45 and catch the 9:00 cable car to the top at 9:10.

Tours of Neuschwanstein run until 18:00 (6 pm). You would need to pick up reserved ticket at the kiosk by 4:30 pm.

There are connections from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Hohenschwangau leaving GaPa at
12:07,
13:00, and
14:04
getting to Hohenschwangau at
14:45 (train to Oberau, buses from there),
15:36 (bus with one 32 min transfer), and
16:18 (train to Reutte, 3 buses from there), respectively.

The first two options only give you about an hour at the top. You have to catch the 10:30 train, which gets to the GaPa station at 11:50, or take the 11:00 cable car which gets to Eibsee at 11:10, giving you 5 minutes to run and catch the same train at 11:15. If you can catch the 12:07 train to Oberau, you get to Hohenschwangau at 15:36. Or you can wait for the 13:00 bus (maybe have lunch while you wait) and get to Hohenschwangau at 15:36. That would be less hectic on both ends.

The last connection allows you an extra hour on the Zugspitze and gives you 12 minutes, which is enough, to walk up to the kiosk and pick up your reserved Neuschwanstein tickets. However, there are two 7 minute connections, to the bus in Reutte and a transfer in Vils.

There is the possibility of taking the 11:30 train from the top (or the 12:00 cable car) and making the 10 minute connection to the 13:00 bus to Hohenschwangau (15:36), but the Bahn does not freely offer that connection so they probably don't think you can make it. In that case you don't have to buy a ticket until you get on the bus.

Thank you for the responses. We are staying in Salzburg so will have plenty of time there. I was thinking more of trying to get Zugspitze in by incorporating it into our travel from Salzburg to Munich (which is our next stop after Salzburg). So basically, that day would only consist of Zugspitze and travel to Munich but I think we would need to arrange a car or private tour to accomplish that. We don't plan to rent a car and will be traveling primarily by train while in Germany. That's where I am getting hung up. How to get it in on the travel day from Salzburg.

It is possible to do it from Salzburg. It would help if you could do it on a weekend so you could get an early start with a Bayern Ticket.

It takes 3 hours and 40 minutes to get from Salzburg to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and you have to go to Munich to get there. so you could be in Garmisch by noon and have time to visit the Zugspitze.

A better plan might be to spend a night in Fuessen or Garmisch. Then you could do Neuschwanstein on your arrival from Salzburg, then do the Zigspitze the next morning and move on to Munich in the afternoon.

The view from the top of the Jenner, much closer to Salzburg, is much more rewarding than that of the Zugspitze. Don't know about travel times by public transit, I'm afraid.
The Zwolferhorn at St Gilgen is pretty and is easy to get to but if size matters................

I would not get hung up on having to see the Zugspitze. It’s a great view, but to try to do what you want by public transportation? Skip it. Really. Go on the Jennerbahn cable car trip, 10 minutes from Berchtesgaden, during your stay in Salzburg. Or stop here enroute to Munich. Much easier. Views are still rewarding.

Paul