Venice to Neuschwanstein castle

It can be done in a day, but it's a long trip. Venice to Füssen takes around 9-10 hours by train. Flying can save a bit of time, but it's still a long trip. If you have the time you might want to consider a stop along the way.

Oh wow, open to options how routes or stops! Thank you! With 75 year old Mom.
Is there a scenic train?

You have to transit through Munich anyway. Going by train, you are likely to go to Verona with a Trenitalia train, then to Munich on a OeBB Eurocity train, then to Füssen. There is a single Venice-Munich direct train per day, but it looks it leaves too late for getting in Füssen at a reasonable time.

All routes through the Alps are scenic, as long as you avoid the Base tunnels. But Innsbruck can be a good place to spend a night along the way. You don't need to go through Munich though, from Innsbruck you can also take the train to Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen, a small station in Austria just across the border from Neuschwanstein.

It's possible,but expensive, and tiring. The train, if leaving in the morning, will require changes, including in Munich, and wouldn't get you to Neuschwanstein until late afternoon. There is a night train you could take the night before ( I think you connect in Padua?) that gets into Munich the next morning. Then you would train to Fussen via regional trains, arriving in mid morning.

Or (for a lot more money) you could take the first direct flight to Munich then train to Fussen, arriving early to mid afternoon. You would bus to the castle and back.

Are you sure to send an old lady to Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen? It is just a stop, a platform near the tracks, in the middle of nowhere, four kilometers out of town. Very scenic, but not very comfortable...

There is a shuttlebus from parking lot P4 that can bring you close to the Marienbrucke/Neuschwanstein.

What is next on your itinerary after finishing your visit to Neuschwanstein? Munich for sure? Is Neuschwanstein a “must see” for you and your mother?

Are you sure to send an old lady to Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen? It is just a
stop, a platform near the tracks, in the middle of nowhere, four
kilometers out of town. Very scenic, but not very comfortable...

You have a point. Reutte in Tirol is probably a better option.

You could also maybe swing by the Tower of London and Versailles as long as you’re in the neighborhood ;)

In all seriousness, that trip makes zero sense to me. You’re wasting 2 days of travel to see it. Thats 2 days seeing stuff in beautiful northern Italy & soaking up the vibe rather than a soul-sucking airport and/or looong train ride(s). Unless you need to sprinkle a dead relative’s ashes or something, please consider a totally separate trip to see Neuschwanstein.

I will just offer my opinion (as a mom in my 70’s) that Neuschwanstein Castle is over-rated and overcrowded. We went there on a daytrip from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and we’re sorry we spend the time and money to do that.

Are you by any chance flying out of Munich? If not, where do you fly from?

Just looking to get to Munich from Venice. Other routes you'd recommend?

As I recall (going the other way). We started driving from Salzburg early morning. We stopped in Hall in Tirol, for a look around and lunch, then continued south. We arrived in Verona middle of the afternoon and stopped there.

I think you could drive from Venice to Neuschwanstein area reasonably in a day. If you're starting in Venice, you have to add time to get out of Venice. It took us at least an hour and a half to pick up our car, from Rick's suggested parking, and longer to get out of Venice. If I did it over, I'd park outside Venice (maybe Padua or Vicenza?) and train in and out. I can't give a recommendation for other than driving options, because I've only done it with a car.

The drive is only part of your question. Seeing the castles in the same day isn't likely going to work, I don't believe there is enough time in the day. I'd suggest planning a night near the castles. See both castles the next morning, one as early as possible and the other a few hours later. Plan to sleep that night in Munich with an afternoon stop on the way.

You can gain time seeing only Neuschwanstein, but I'd recommend seeing both. Hohenschwangau is a real castle while Neuschwanstein is simply a fantasy construction of Ludwig's. It's hard to include two castles in your itinerary more efficiently than seeing both while you are there.

September is my favorite month for Germany/Austria. I hope you get beautiful weather.

Brad

From Venice to Munich, without the Füssen stop, my choice would be the Brenner Pass route with a single change at Verona on the way. I would break up the journey with an overnight near the half-way point, in Italy. Trento, Bolzano, and Bressanone would all work. Then continue on the direct train to Munich the following day.

We spent 2 very pleasant nights in Bressanone last September—-it has a nice Old Town for walking and dining. But these are a long walk from the train station—-you would need a taxi.. Bolzano has at least one very nice hotel within an easy walk from the station through a park, but I am not crazy about Bolzano. Trento looks like a good option, with a highly-rated hotel across a park from the train station. I have heard good things about Trento, so that might well be my choice were I doing this trip.

There are good prices remaining on the EC trains for September, especially mid-month or later, although any Sunday tends to be a more expensive travel day. One advantage of breaking up the journey is that putting the second leg on Monday makes it less expensive, by 15€ or so per person.