Germany Travel Help!

Joseph, one point on visiting the Castles in Fussen. I chose to use Radius Tours in Munich for that trip (as well as Dachau), as they take care of all the transportation arrangements as well as admissions to the sites. Check their web site for details, as this might be the best solution for you if time is an issue.

The tour of Neuschwanstein is arranged as an "appointment", with entry to the castle at a pre-determined time. The actual tour inside the Castle is handled by staff at the Castle. Note that no photos are allowed inside the Castle, however photos can be taken from the Castle looking outside. You'll have to pass through numerous "souvenir stands" both inside the Castle and on your way down the hill, should you wish to buy a book with photos.

I didn't address the transportation issue, as that appears to be well sorted in the previous two posts.

Happy travels!

From Paris Est station take Thalys bullet train to Cologne. From Cologne train down to Koblenz/Bacharach, visit castles and maybe take a boat ride. End this day in Mainz. That way you get an idea about what the Rhine river gorge is like in just a day. Some people on here talked about a bus tour you can book from the Mainz/Frankfurt area via Rothenburg to Munich. It would make sense if you took it as otherwise there's really no chance to get to see Rothenburg in such a tight time frame.

Day 1: Leave first thing in the morning and go to Mainz (preferably) or Frankfurt. Hop on one of the local trains to St Goar/Bacharach. Bacharach, St Goar, and Rheinfels are definitely doable in a day or half-day. When you've had your fill, blast off to Munich, arriving that night.

Day 2-3: See what there is to see in Munich.

Day 4: Day trip to Fuessen/Ludwig castles. I'm not an expert on tickets at Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwangau but you might want to reserve ahead of time if you arrive mid-morning or later.

Days 2, 3, and 4 are more or less interchangeable... but I wouldn't recommend Fuessen on day 2. Too many trains in 2 days.

Thanks everybody!

It would help if we knew where in France you're coming from and where you're flying out of to return home.

Day 1 Travel to Rhine region .
If you coming from Paris, take train to Cologne(4 hrs). After Cologne arrival, take another train to Bacharach(train time 1.5hrs, with 1 change).
Enjoy remainder of day in Bacharach and Check boat schedules for tomorrow.

Sleep in Bacharach 1 night.

Day2 Full day for Rhine Travel .
Cruise the Rhine from Bacharach to St. Goar.
The St.Goar TI office has free bag check service.
Tour Rheinfels Castle and enjoy the views. After buy take-out lunch and enjoy it in the river park.
Rent bikes for a short ride on the river board.

Train to Munich with changes in Mainz and maybe 1 other change. Time will be 4.5-6 hrs depending on schedules.

Sleep in Munich 2 nights.

Day 3 Full day and night in Munich

Day 4 Day trip to castles in Fussen, Munich night

If Day 4 is your departure day home, then you should do Fussen on Day 3.

Before your trip do the following.

1. Check train schedules for the travel days to maximize your visiting time.
2. Prebook your castle ticket(s) or castle tour from Munich.

There are other ways to rearrange and interject other sights and activities within this schedule depending on your interests.

"...how to see these regions in 4 days"

You can't! To do either region justice would take at least 4 days. If you do a little research you can find plenty to do in just one of them. Pick one area and see it in detail; then come back some other time and see the other.

If you and your friend purchase a Bayern-Ticket in Munich, it will cover the train to Füssen as well as the bus from Füssen to Hohenschwangau. At Hohenschwangau you will pay €9 each for a ticket to Neuschwanstein, which includes the guided tour. The Bayern-Ticket costs €27; €13,50 for each of you. That makes the trip out to the castle and a guided tour cost €22,50, about $35.

With the Radius tour, transportation to the castle plus castle admission is €44, almost $70, $35 more. I've been to the castle (Neuschwanstein) twice, always arranged it myself, and never had a problem.

Joseph,
A number of good suggestions from some knowledgeable people about cramming Rhine and Bavaria into 4 days if you must. I agree with Lee though, it's hard to do either justice even if you just want a glimpse.

We spent 3 days in the Rhine area and later spent 4 in Bavaria. The 3 days in the Rhine area was about right for us but would've loved more in Bavaria.