Bavaria

Personally, I love GaP! I'll never forget waking up there for the first time on a chilly, beautiful spring morning and seeing the light of the rising sun reflect off the Zugspitze.

Here's my favorite local lodging, Gasthof Fraundorfer:

http://www.gasthof-fraundorfer.de/ (for some reason the website seems to be down temporarily)

All the choices you listed are pretty good for your intended purposes... except perhaps Fuessen, which is a little over-crowded with tourists.

Bavaria is an area rich in places to see. It is very difficult to recommend one place as a center to see things.

I could suggest Munich as a base to go to Rothenburg, Salzburg, Füssen, and GaP. But then that leaves out the Tirol, Oberammergau, Linderhof, and Wieskirche. On the other hand, you could probably find enough to see just in Munich; there would be no necessity to go anywhere else.

But, let me suggest Oberammergau. Despite being a scenic area in it's own right, you would be a short bus ride from GaP and Linderhof, and could even go to Hohenschwangau for a day and see the castles. For another day you could ride the train up to Munich for some sightseeing.

I'll send you a PM with my recommendation of a friendly, quiet B&B in Oberammergau.

If you decide on Oberammergau, the Rose is a good place. Was very inexpensive last time we stayed, convenient, good breakfast. In G-P, we have stayed at the Kornmuller and Sonnenblume. They have a nice little apt that cost us only 60 euros a night in April. They don't serve breakfast but are very close to downtown. There is a fully equipped kitchen, sans microwave. If you bring coffee, rolls, fruit and cheese, you will be set. They don't take credit cards, another drawback.

For a deluxe experience in G-P, the Post on the Marienplatz is nice, excellent breakfast, very convenient, but not cheap--at least 100 euros.

If you go to G-P, be sure to walk around the Eibsee, which is at the foot of the Zugspitze, a lovely 10 k hike.

If you want more info, send me a personal message. We go to G-P almost every year.

Carroll-
Everyone has to travel in the maneer most comfortable, but I suggest you consider a car rental. Bavaria is especially well suited to a driving tour. There is so much to see that is difficult or time consuming to do any other way.

"is difficult or time consuming to do any other way."

I completely disagree with that statement. Bavaria is rich in public transportation. Last October I arrived in Munich and went to Oberammergau. The first day I went over and saw Linderhof, the next day I started up the Romantic Road to Würzburg. I traveled at a leisurely pace - spent five nights on the road, only about two hours of travel each day, the rest was exploring the towns on the Road. I tried several popular car rental sites; the best quote was $272 for a week in a car so small I would not have been comfortable in it. The Michelin estimate for fuel was another $75 - total would have cost me $347. I did it with a combination of bus and rail for €90, $126, a savings of $221.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Tom.Luann.Fitzpatrick/Germany_2006

Hi Carroll,

...Tom and Luann Fitzpatrick took the Bavarian trip depicted in photos and captions at the above link. We suggest you copy + paste the link into your Internet address box and touch your keyboard ENTER key . Then (for the best views) click on "SLIDESHOW" at the top left of the thumbnail photo page. You should get some very good, full screen, input from this to make your itinerary decisions.
... Gute Reise! P

Thank you for all the suggestions. Very helpful. I really enjoyed the slide show. It looks like it will be hard to pick a bad place! SInce there will be 4 of us, it may be more cost effective to rent a car. How is the driving? We were in western Ireland last year, and my husband really got stressed out driving on the narrow, windy roads. He drives all the time for work, so I was hoping to give him more of a vacation by taking the train. Thanks again!

The driving is great. Parking in some of the towns is a little tricky but not impossible. I think Fussen is lovely but a little out of the way for you. We stayed there and in Munich. It's all great but don't miss out on Munich - even if you only have one day there. Are you trying to include Innsbruck in this trip?

Paula

If you stay in Oberammergau, the bus to Linderhof takes 25-30 minutes and cost about €6 per person RT. You can also get to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in about 40 minutes and Füssen in about 1hr 20min. For those trips, as long as you leave after 9 AM, you can do it for one Bayern-Ticket for €27, total, for all four of you. With the Bayern-Ticket, for the same price, you could take the bus to GaP, then go on to Mittenwald at no extra cost.

Unless you can rent a car and pay for gas for €27 per day, it would not necessarily be more cost effective for four of you.

BTW, you can read about my trip up the Romantic Road here.

Here are links to the schedules for the RVO (Regional Verkehr Oberbayern) buses from GaP to Füssen via Oberammergau (9606) and from Oberammergau to Linderhof (9622).

If you stay in Oberammergau, you can use 9606 to go from there to either Füssen or GaP (Garmisch-Partenkirchen). Some of the buses to Füssen stop at Wieskirche, but they don't stop long enough to see the church, and the next bus is not soon enough (it only takes about 10 minutes, tops, to see the church).

Thanks again for all the help. I really think my husband would prefer public transportation and it sounds like we can do it at a reasonable cost, but I will leave it up to him. Thanks, Lee, for the link to your travel journal. It was helpful.

Regarding Insbruck, I would be interested in doing it as a day trip from Mittenwald or Oberammergau. I would love to hear if you have any recommendations for what to see in a day there.

As for Munich, I don't think we'll spend any time there this trip. It will be Oktoberfest, and we are not interested in crowds or high hotel rates. We generally prefer the smaller, quieter places.

Thanks again!

Hi Carroll,

I highly recommend spending your 4 or 5 nights in Mittenwald. Very convenient by car or train, as the station is just a short (5min. or so) to the pedestrian zone. This has to be the prettiest Bavarian village we've seen.

We prefer to rent a car and drive. The area is gorgeous, the driving is very easy and the flexibility of a car is so convenient.
My opinion, Innsbruck is a "let down" compared to the other places on your list and in the area. Big city, traffic and a small old town. We did like seeing Schloss Ambras in Innsbruck though. If you're interested, Hall in Tirol (6 miles east of Innsbruck) is simply a charming, more "authentic" old town.

From Mittenwald and with a car, a drive into Italy to the pretty old town of Sterzing/Vipitino and Reifenstein Castle (especially with 4 people, as the woman who lives there and gives the tours told us a minimum of 4 people were needed to take the tour) are easy. Even the beautiful old town of Brixen/Bressanone in Italy is possible as a day trip.

If interested, our photo's are at:

www.worldisround.com/articles/343800/index.htm

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/travel11.html

Hope this helps.

Paul

Hi again,

Sorry, I think the "first" website of our photos is wrong, it should be:

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/travel1.html

Paul

Paul, I loved your pictures. Thank you so much for sending the link. You've been to almost every place I want to go in Germany (though not on this one little trip). It sounds like I should forget about Insbruck, but I will see if I can work Austria in somehow. Thanks again.

p.s. I was very glad you didn't take pictures of all your meals and beers on the trip!

An other location that you might like for overnight accomodation is Reutte in AUSTRIA. Busses go from Reutte to a bus stop near Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, and there you could get on a bus going to the nearby Tegelberg gondolo. And a Bus goes from Reutte to Linderhof (60 Minutes), and a train from Reutte to Garmisch (60 Minutes). Read about accomodations in Reutte, in the book "Rick Steves' GERMANY & AUSTRIA". Other than Reutte, I think you will not have time to go to any place in Austria, in this trip.

If you decide to rent a car instead stay in Ehenbichl ne Reutte. Pension Hohenrainer in RS guidebook. Excellent all around and super value and big rooms.
Without a car it is difficult as everything is spread out . also driving in Bavaria is easy and parking mostly very easy if that is your concern.