Budget trip by train: Füssen, Königsee, Salt mines?

1&6) I would stay in Pfronten. It's accessible by train from Munich, via Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and there are buses from Pfronten to Füssen. If you are staying in Pfronten and pay the Kurtax, you'll get a card good for free use of the buses in the area, including to Füssen. I thought Pfronten was a much nicer town than Reutte. The Pfronten website (www.pfronten.de) has a list of accommodations. For a good combination of convenient location and price, I'd stay here. 2) From the Salzburg Hbf, there is a bus, the Watzmann Express, RVO 840, that goes hourly to Berchtesgaden. The price of an RVO Tagesticket, €9,50, includes not only round trip on the bus, but use of any other bus in Berchtesgaden, including the one that goes out to Königssee. I don't know about swimming in Königssee; I think it's pretty cold, but you can take a boat trip on the lake. You can also go to Berchtesgaden by train via Freilassing using a Bayern-Ticket for €26 for two. The Bayern-Ticket also includes use of the buses in Berchtesgaden. 5) There is a salt mine within walking distance of the Hbf in Berchtesgaden. There is a large lake, just outside Füssen, accessible by bus from town, but I'm not sure what swimming facilities are there. The old town part of Füssen is a pedestrian zone and fun to explore.

The BEG website, Bayern-Takt, says the Bayern-Ticket is not valid on bus segments outside Bavaria, but the RVO website says the the segment into Salzburg is an exception. However, since the Bayern-Ticket is €22 for one, €26 for two, and €30 for three, and the RVO Tagesticket is €9,50 per person, unless you had three or more people, you really wouldn't want to use the Bayern-Ticket to go by bus to Berchtesgaden. BTW, there is an advantage to spending a few € more for the train to Berchtesgaden. The last bus back to Salzburg leaves Berchtesgaden Hbf just after 6 PM. The RegioTicket Bayern is for short round-trip train trips (<50 km out, <50 km back) at €11. The departure Bahnhof must be in Bavaria (i.e., you could go from Berchtesgaden to Salzburg and back, but not from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden and back). The RegioTicket Bayern is not recognized on RVO buses. Das RegioTicket Bayern wird in den Bussen der RVO und RVA nicht anerkannt.

Katie, since you mention a lake and possible swimming: Prien, located at Lake Chiemsee is about halfway between Salzburg and Munich and is accessible by train. From "downtown" Prien, a small train will take you to the lakeside, where there is one of those large
indoor-outdoor swimming pools (they call it an Erlebnisbad). Plus, the lake steamer stops near there and can take you around the lake or to the two islands in the lake. Google Prien or Chiemsee, they have a good website.

Thanks so much! Anna, that Erlebnisbad looks very interesting, I will tell my travel partners about it! And thank you Lee for the information about the bus and train differences. We are traveling with 3, so we'll have to talk about it more. I'm excited!

There are salt mines at Berchtesgaden and also Hallstatt and Hallein. I have been to the latter two, the Hallein one 3 times, most recently last December. There is a combo ticket you can get at the Salzburg train station that includes the train and bus round trip and salt mine admission. I would go in Neuschwanstein - I don't see the reason to go to Füssen if you don't.

Katie, re Erlebnisbad: when you have your itinerary set, google the towns you're going to. If they bill themselves as a spa or "Kurort" they may also have one of those right in town, especially if they have "Bad" in the name.

THanks again everyone!!