3-5 days in switzerland from munich

I would start the trip in Switzerland fly into Geneva and take the first leg on the Golden Pass train at Montreux to Interlaken. From Interlaken you can go to Lauterbrunnen the heart of the Bernese Oberland and stay 3 nights.Leaving you can go back to Interlaken and catch a train to Luzern. Stay in Luzern 2 nights. then take the train to Munich (it is along ride) or to Zurich Airport and fly to Munich

thanks for the reply jazz-travels. If i go by train, do you think it's best to go to Neuschwanstein as a day trip from munich or travel from switzerland to fussen/neuschwanstein to munich, staying a night in fussen

I would do this by flying into Munich and out of Zürich, that way you don't have to do Munich-Switzerland in both directions.

do you think it's best to go to Neuschwanstein as a day trip from munich or travel from switzerland to fussen/neuschwanstein to munich, staying a night in fussen

Definitely do Füssen / Neuschwanstein as a day or overnight trip from Munich. The rail line to Füssen ends there, the only way out is north to Munich. Füssen to Switzerland takes longer than Munich to Switzerland because you have to go most of the way back to Munich before you can turn west.

For info about the Munich to Switzerland trains see here: https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Munich.htm#Munich-Zurich
And you can then do Luzern, followed by the Berner Oberland, as Jazz suggest.
Then straight back by train to Zürich airport and fly out.

thanks so much to both of you. My next question is do you think it's worthwhile going to the Swiss alps or should i stick to the Bavarian alps? In other words, are the Swiss Alps worth the 8 hour lost travel day?

If you only have five days: go from Munich to Fussen, do the castles (there are several) then head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the Zugspitze (you can take a cog-railway to near the top of the tallest peak in Germany), then go on to either MIttenwald, Germany , or Innsbruck Austria for Alpine charm and finally back to Munich to fly home.

bahn.com can give you train information.

https://zugspitze.de/en/

https://www.gapa.de/en

https://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/index.htm

The Bavarian Palace Administration website gives all the information you should need on lots of places to visit.

Have fun. Save Switzerland for its own trip.

thanks so much everyone, i think I'll hold off on this trip until i have more time and combine bavaria and swiss alps in a ten-fourteen day trip in the future

that sounds like a good decision