Driving trip in Bavaria??? What is best route?

Melanie - I remember driving through the Bavarian region on a business trip. While the castles are great to see, please do not miss staying at small villages on the way. They have really nice and cheap places and the food is great. We stayed at a small town called Trostberg in an old (still functional brewery). You can roam around the marketplace - I can tell you that it is a very nice experience.

In March, you probably don't have enough time to see both the castles and go up and down the Zugspitze. But provided you get an early start, that should be enough time to see either Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Mittenwald (but probably not both). Easiest way to go from the castles to the towns is through Austria, by Reutte and Lermoos. Road conditions will be a non-issue, unless there's a freak snowstorm while you drive.

I agree with Tom on this one. that's a lot for one day. You can make it to one of the towns, though. Or better yet, head to Linderhof, Ludwigs 3rd (and only completed) palace. It's really worth the visit. Haven't been ot Mittenwald, but GP is pretty nice (stopped at Wieskirche en route). Have Fun!

Hi Melanie, The castles open at 9am. You'd need to be on the road around 7am to be there when they open. The Zugspitze on the same day would be tough, but the Tegelberg cable car and luge ride (Sommerrodelbahn) are just a mile or so from Neuschewanstein. If you've never done the luge ride, it's a lot of fun. Fuessen is 10 minutes from Neuschwanstein. We've stayed here a couple of times and love the charming old town. If niether of thses fits your interests, I'd also agree with Darren's suggestion of visiting Linderhof. It's spectacular inside. It's also on the way from Neuschwanstein/Fuessen to Garmisch/Mittenwald. Between Garmisch and Mittenwald, I'd pick Mittenwald. Mittenwald is an easy 20 minute drive from Garmisch. We stayed here a couple of times also and think it's the "quintessential" Bavarian village surrounded by mountains. Extremely charming. We love "Der kleiner Kartoffelsack" in the pedestrian zone for lucnh, pastries, cappucino's, I guess we just like it all around. Love the "Mohr im Hemd" there! Another cable car is located here, the Karwendelbahn. I mention the Karwendelbahn and the Tegelberg as they are great trips, pretty quick to the top and both are less than half the price of the Zugspitze. For a cable car trip, the Tegelberg makes the most sense as it's right near the castles. Hope this helps. Paul

Thanks for the input I will have to check into these other options! It helps so much to hear from people that have been there!