Need advice from someone familiar with the area, please. We would like to use our rail passes to go to both Ludwig's castles and Zugspitze / Garmish.
By getting an early start, could we do both in one day by heading to Fussen, then south around to Garmish? This would be a busy, long day, but the trip looks like a great scenic experience. Otherwise, would you please suggest what to see in both areas on two separate day trips taking more time in each? Thank you for your time...
According to the castle website, the ticket center opens at 8 am. Since they ask you to pick up reserved tickets one hour before tour time, I'm extrapolating that the castles open for tours at 9. The advantage to using your rail pass is that you can leave any time from Munich, not after 9, which you would have to do with a Bayern-Ticket. There is a train leaving Munich at 4:52, getting to Fuessen at 7:24. The connecting bus gets to Hohenschwangau at 7:36, 24 minutes before the Ticket Center opens. The next train leaves Munich at 6:51. You arrive in Hohenschwangau at 9:23, well after the Center opens. You could expect your first castle after 10:23. You might be able to finish by noon, but I don't think so. If you can get through your castle tours, there is a bus (RVO 9606) leaving Hohenschwangau for Garmisch-Partenkirchen at 12:48. It will get you to the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bahnhof at 14:47. The trains to the summit of Zugspitze leaves from the back of the Ga-P Bahnhof. That late in the day you probably want to start with the Zahnradbahn (cog), but take the Seilbahn (cable car) from Eibsee to the summit. Your railpass will not cover the bus from Hohenschwangau to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Buy an all day pass, RVO Tagesticket, from the driver for €9. There are connections leaving Hohenschwangau before and after the 12:48 bus. They go back to the Fuessen Bahnhof, use another bus to Reutte, then the train from Reutte to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The buses are definitely not covered by the rail pass. The bus is not covered by the rail pass. I don't thing the train, which goes through Austria, is covered, either.
It's a more leisurely trip, but you might consider coming into Fuessen a little later, you can do it at little a more leisurely rate since you have more time. See both castles, then go back to Fuessen and explore. It's a nice town by itself, with a lovely pedestrian mall. Late in the afternoon, take the bus to Oberammergau and spend the night there. In the morning take the bus to Linderhof and spend the morning there. Then go in the early afternoon to GaP and the Zupspitze.