Fussen vs. Reutte for home base?

I wouldn't stay in either. I prefer Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Erhwald, Lermoos, Mittenwald or Oberstdorf. Füssen's a decent choice, but a little too trinket-heavy for me. Reutte would be my absolute last choice in the area.

I also would not stay in either town. Love Lermoos. Check their town's website at www.lermoos.at for accommodations and things to do in the area. A hit for most people is the Sommerrodelbahn, or luge, in Biberwier which is the town next to Lermoos. Staying in Lermoos affords you a beautiful view of the Zugspitze and lots of hiking trails.

Hi Kim, We love the old town of Fuessen. Stayed twice (10/01, 10/03) at the Hotel zum Hechten. www.hotel-hechten.com Reutte would also be my last choice in the area. Paul

Consider Schwangau or Hohenschwangau as a base if you want to get the best views of Ludwig's castles, especially at night. Being there, you can get an early tour of the castles the next morning. That leaves the rest of your time free to visit other places, including my favorite, Wieskirche. Fuessen is ok, but I would not rate Reutte very high, either.

Our family just returned from 12 days in Austria and Germany, 3 of which were spent in Reutte at Maximilian Hotel. We enjoyed the warm reception we received from the hotel owner, Gaby, and all of the recommendations she made for our family. We hadn't planned on visiting Linderhof Castle or using our hotel provided passes to enjoy the local lift, but at Gaby's suggestion we did both and are thrilled that we listened to her. We also appreciated the closeness in proximity to Neuschwanstein, the Ettal Monastery and other sites that Reutte offered without all of the tourist traffic and hokey shops found in Garmisch and Fussen. Enjoy your Austrian visit!

I stopped in Reutte for a few hours in 2009. It has to be the ugliest town I have ever been to in Europe. But as an älternative, Füssen, IMO, is too pricey. However, just up the rail line from Reutte, Pfronten is a charming town (actually a collection of villages that have grown together into one town), and reasonably priced. In 2009, I stayed in another place in Pfronten. It was acceptable, but I walked by and went into here, and I was very impressed. I'm staying here in October. It's only a bus ride away from Füssen (like Reutte) and a much nicer town to be in. When you stay in Pfronten, you get a pass good for buses in the area, including to Hohenschwangau (the castles).

Somewhat off topic, but if history had turned out a little bit different, Pfronten could have become just as big of a tourist attraction as Füssen.

We stayed in Reutte on our first trip and enjoyed it but that was because of the place we stayed - Bauernhof Gintherhof - and an evening climb up to explore the Ehrenberg ruins where we were the only ones there. Other posters are right, though, the town is non-descript and there are much better towns to stay in. We enjoy Oberammergau (we have always driven so train connections weren't an issue) and Mittenwald.

It has been over two months since the original post. Kim may have already completed the trip by now.