German alps

For international flights, Munich. A closer city might be Innsbruck, but I don't know of any airline flying from the US directly to Innsbruck. But, the German Alps are only the "foothills" of the Alps. If you really want to see the Alps, fly into Zürich.

Thanks. And if I wanted to tour Germany as well I could go from Zurich

The Bavarian Alps may not be as high as some of the ranges in Switzerland, Austria, France or Italy, but they're still pretty damn impressive. And much cheaper than Switzerland. If your goal is to explore Germany's Alpine territory, then by all means, don't back-track all the way to Zürich, fly directly into Munich.

Having been to both the German Alps and the Swiss Alps, I agree with Tom. The German Alps are so easy to reach from Munich (and Munich is a lovely city in which to spend a few days, if you have time). Garmisch-Partenkirchen is beautiful and on a clear day, the Zugspitze is a knockout. We haven't yet visited Mittenwald, but I hear that it is terrific for hiking as well.

Hi Jim, To simply answer your question: Where should I fly in and out of to visit the German alps? Munich. You'll be less than 2 hours from being in the Alps. Sure the Swiss and Austrian Alps are a bit more impressive in general, but the Alps around the Berchtesgaden area, Garmisch and Mittenwald are terrific. If interested, for even more "dramatic" alpine scenery, Austria's Zillertal and Innsbruck area are about 2 or so hours from Munich. Paul