Location, Location, Location???

Garmisch sits within a reasonable distance from Munich, both by rail and by car.

Thanks for the fast response. Even though it is accessible by rail, would it be a good idea to have a car in that area? Not necessarily to go to Munich, but to explore the surrounding area. I have driven in Munich and given the choice I will take the train next time!

The trip from GaP to Munich by train is about 1:25. If there are two of you, and you don't mind leaving Gap after 9 AM, you can use a Bayern-Ticket, which costs €28 for up to 5 people. It is valid for unlimited travel by regional trains in Bavaria until 3 AM the following morning.

No need to rent a car in Bavaria if you plan. You can get by train to Mittenwald and Innsbruck, as well as Munich. There are also abundant buses in the area, run by RVO (RegionalVerkehr Oberbayern). You can go by bus to Oberammergau, Linderhof, the king's castles at Hohenschwangau, Kochelsee, many others. I have probably spent at least 50 days in the So. Bavarian area in the last 10 years, and never needed a car.

Where do you want to go?

Thanks Lee. I knew you would have the info for the train. I know you are not a fan of driving, but I am just concerned that a car would give us a better experience to see the area. I definitely don't want to drive in Munich!

You might also consider, closer in, Landsberg am Lech, or Augsburg, maybe Weilheim or Starnberg, although these places are farther away from the Alps. I think Holzkirchen might have adequate accommodations, it is closer to Munich, and it has good rail connections to the Alpine resorts of Schliersee, Bad Tölz, and Tegernsee.

I am hoping to use a time share and there is one in Garmisch. I discovered there is also one in Schliersee. I have not yet checked availability for either one. Since I may have to stay in whatever location I choose for a week I am trying to find a place that is not difficult to use as a base for seeing other things.

You haven't indicated what the "other thing" are. Munich or Rothenburg odT would be equally accessible from either GaP or Schliersee. GaP would be closer to Fuessen, Linderhof, and Oberammergau; Bad Toelz, Tergernsee, the Wendelstein, Herrenchiemsee, or Salzburg would be more accessible from Schliersee.

Incidently, the trip by Rail (Bayerische-Oberlandbahn) from Schliersee into Muenchen Hbf takes just under an hour with no change of train. Coming out from Muenchen, the train splits in Holzkirchen, with the front (I believe) going to Schliersee and the back to Tegernsee and Bad Toelz. There are probably signs at the door saying where the train is going. If you are doing a round trip in a day, a Bayern-Ticket is still the way to go.

You can see the complete bus network in Oberbayern here. It's a big file, 2½ mb. You might want to save it instead of downloading it twice. You can see that there are buses in that area to almost anywhere you want to go.

Thanks again Lee. One question has been answered because I was able to reserve the place in Schliersee. I have not been to that area, so now I will have to do some research. My RS book for Germany is a bit old, so I should probably buy a new one! I would prefer to take public transportation and it looks like it should be possible from there. If anyone has any don't miss things to do in that area I'm all ears...

The last time I looked at one of Rick's guidebooks, he didn't cover that area. Both Schliersee and Garmisch-Partenkirchen are resorts and will be somewhat touristy, but Schliersee is much smaller and more intimate. It is also less often visited by Americans, but the only person I talked to there, a waiter, did speak some English. It's on a lake (See, pr. Zay). I think they had boat rentals. There is also a Bergbahn (funicular, gondola, ?). You can go by either train or bus to Osterhofen and take the cable car (Seilbahn) to the top of the Wendelstein.

Does anyone know off the top of their heads any guidebooks that do cover that area?

Andrea, I've traveled extensively in Germany, particularly in Bavaria, and I never use guidebooks. Virtually every little town in Germany will have a website at www. town name.de, with information about what to see. A lot of them have English sides; if not, there are always website translation sites. If the site is in German, look for Tourismus (tourism), Sehenswürdigkeiten (worthwhile sights), Freizeit (leisure time). Of course, you won't get someone's opinion of what you should see. That could be bad or good. I'm sure you will find websites for Schliersee, Bayrischzell, Gmund, Tegernsee, Bad Toelz, Lenggries, Kochel, et al.