Bavaria itinerary help

We based out of GP to visit the itinerary you described so I would recommend staying in one hotel instead of splitting between two. You are correct for being able to get more out of the trip w only one hotel, plus a lot less stress by avoiding a change. You have set a well paced itinerary which should allow plenty of time to relax and create memories. A splurge would be staying at the Hotel GP hof, a great place if you can negotiate a great rate. Don't hesitate to let them know you are on your honeymoon. Is the groom a car buff? Munich is the HQ to BMW and they offer a great tour. Have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon. Btw, a tip..... Allow yourself a little time to yourself during the trip (same for him). Love is great, but being together 24/7 can become a bit too much (even on a honeymoon).
Safe travels!

Been to all those places. Itinerary is perfect. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the responses! Husband-to-be is very much a car person, so he's already asked, "we ARE going to the BMW museum, aren't we?!?" I think we'll try to do the factory tour, too. RS says it needs to be booked "long in advance" does that mean I should be looking into that now?

I've been in Reutte. I wasn't impressed. Ehrenburg seems a little out of the way to get to. Certainly not worth the cost of renting a car just to get there. I stopped at Wieskirche for an hour between buses in 2007. It took me, maybe 5 minutes to see Wieskirche. Fortunately, there was a Gasthaus across the street where I had an early lunch, so the time was not completely wasted. I would do the following: Day 1 Land in Munich, train to Oberammergau Night in Oberammergau Day 2 Linderhof, Ettal (if you still feel like it after Linderhof. You'll be jetlagged. Not much there.) Night in Oberammergau Day 3 Bus (RVO 9606) to Hohenschwangau. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The bus will probably stop at Wieskirche. Enough. Night in Oberammergau Day 4 Bus to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Zugspitze. Train to Munich. Night in Munich Day 5 Munich Night in Munich Day 6 Munich Night in Munich
Day 7 Munich Night in Munich Day 8 Morning flight home Munich

Rather than those days in Munich at the end of your trip, I suggest putting them at the beginning. Most people when arriving after a trans-Atlantic flight, find getting to a hotel, taking a shower, going out for a stroll and an early dinner, then bed, to be a better way to start a vacation, then jumping on a train to travel some more. Give yourself a day or two in Munich to acclimate, while also sightseeing. Then travel around to some of the other towns, returning to Munich the day before your flight home.

For the BMW tour book in advance - The tour is on weekdays until 4.30PM - we took the tour and loved it. On Sunday, you can visit Dachau ( a short train ride from Munich). Dachau is one of the concentration camps and a very interesting and informative tour

I know you're trying to avoid renting a car, but you could see at least twice as many sights with an automobile. Driving in Southern Bavaria is easy. Don't forget that you're just a short distance from Western Austria, and the scenery there is simply breathtaking. I have traveled through this area extensively, and would suggest staying in one place for 3-4 nights doing day trips. Then, move on down the road to another place of interest to do day trips from. Some of the towns you are wanting to visit are quiet little places, and I'm ready go go after an hour or so.
Don't forget to visit the monastery and beer hall at Andechs--one of the best there is.

I 2nd David's advice. Many years ago I did the train/bus option to see Hohenschwangau/Neuschwanstein which was doable, but didn't attempt all the other things on your list. Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GAP) became my weekend stomping ground when living in Stuttgart GM for 3 years. Not having a car I think would be a real hassle touring the region. I would consider seeing Munich for the first few days of the trip to check off your to do's and recover from jet lag, then rent a car for the remainder of the trip. As David said, some sights are very quick to see (ex: Wieskirche), and some seem hard to get to without a car (Ehrenberg). October weather can also be a bit nasty so I could envision public transportation getting you to someplace like Ehrenberg in the rain leaving you thinking "why did we stop here?" Having a car would give you a lot of flexibility. Send me a PM if you need more info on GAP (we would stay at a roomy apartment with a great view). Otherwise, your itinerary seems pretty solid with a few exceptions - Reuette didn't do anything for me except I did a glider flight which was cool (but tricky mid-week when local club members are at their real jobs), and a side trip east of Munich to Herrenchiemsee Palace is impressive. Have fun!

This looks good to me. I might suggest a trip to Salzburg over the three days in Munich. It is worth doing. Otherwise Fussen is outstanding and Neuschwanstein will not dissapoint. Enjoy

Hi all, I have been busy lately but wanted to pop in and say thank you for all of the responses! So many things to think about! Fiance would love to rent a car (being a car guy and all), but I'm just kind of worried that driving/navigating in another country within days of marriage would be a quick route to divorce! But we will look into it. I will check in again as we make more decisions. :)

Personally I have found the rail system to be an outstanding way to get around. Coach service is available where the rail lines won't go. We were based in Schliersee and had no trouble accessing Fussen, Salzburg and of course Munich. Enjoy!

Bavaria has one of the most concentrated system of public transportation in Europe. Just about every place that people commonly go to is accessible by rail or bus. The one limitation is that for southern Bavaria, Munich is the hub and the rail lines radiate out from Munich. Sometime going on a circular route around Munich is a challenge. But there are buses, such as RVO 9606, that goes from Füssen to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, as well as the Ausserfernbahn (rail), which goes through the Tirol from Pfronten to Garmisch. I've spent a total of about 11 weeks in Bavaria over the last 13 years and never needed a car. Other than getting to Wieskirche, which I found far less interesting than expected, everything else Danielle want to see should be accessible without the hassle and expense of a car. As for the order sequence of places. I find it almost impossible to fly out of Munich without spending the last night there. At least most flights I have been on left mid-morning, giving me just enough time for a short trip to the airport. On the other hand, the flights arrive in the morning, giving me all day to get somewhere. Once I had something specific I wanted to do in Munich the day I arrived, and I stay there for the first night before going on, but on two other trips, I have had time to get to Oberammergau and Freilassing for the first night. Since I have to be in Munich for the last night, I put all of my Munich nights together, at the end. It does make it a bit more painful not being able to check in immediately after arriving, but the extra hour or so to get out of town won't kill you.

BTW, Wieskirche can be seen as a side trip from Füssen, but the round trip takes 1 hour by car to 1h40 by bus. The problem with the bus is that you have to wait 1h25 to 1h40 for the return bus; it doesn't take anywhere near that long to see the church, which makes even the 1 hour trip by car more trouble than it is worth. If you want to see an over-the-top gaudy church, wait until you are in Munich and take a trip out to Andechs. The food and beer at Andechs is good. I have postcards from both the chapel at Andechs and Wieskirche, and I can't tell them apart without looking at the backs. You can also leave Füssen on the 12:25 bus and go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen at 16:16, with a 1h25 stop at Wieskirche, but plan to have lunch (1330 to 1455) at the Gasthaus next to the church because 1h25 is way more time than you need to see the church.

I still stand by a rental car in Bavaria and the Austrian Alps as seeing the most tourist sites and vistas in the shortest amount of time. We like to get up on the mountains rambling from village to village. And since few roads go through the mountains, most roads come back down the mountain.
Distances in this region are not that far apart, and the quality of roads is excellent.