Input on Germany/Austria itinerary

My only concerns, Stacie, are: 2 nights means only one day, and you need to add transportation times. Figure half a day given over to each relocation plus actual travel time. The whole group will move at the speed of the slowest. I think you will find it very hard to find a car which will take 6 adults especially 6 adults plus luggage for 6 adults.

Agree that's it's not practical or necessary to rent a car for this trip. Look at ways to reduce travel time along with cost savings suggestions. Since your first 6 nights are all in Bavaria, look at using the Bayern Ticket (1 day travel for up to 5 persons to anywhere in Bavaria on regional trains, including the Munich S-bahn). With this in mind after arrival at MUC you could buy Bayern tickets (5 persons @ € 29 plus 1 single @ € 21) and travel all the way to Garmisch (no changing trains after Munich). Stay 3 nights in Garmisch that includes a day trip (tour) to the Royal Castles. You could go to Füssen by bus on your own, but the extra cost of a tour is probably worth it since many tours include both Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Castles. Then back to Munich for 3 nights. Munich to Salzburg can also be done with Bayern Tickets. Trains also go from Salzburg to Hallstatt. (Hallstatt's station is across the lake from the village but a shuttle boat is included with the journey). There's not much lodging in Hallstatt, so make reservations early. When you arrive in Vienna you may want to buy "72 hour Network Cards" (€ 13.60 each) to cover local transportation while there.
Have a great trip!

Don't split the stay with 2 Fuessen and 2 Garmisch. Stay the duration in Garmisch, much more interesting or add a night on Vienna. Day trip to Fussen for the castle tours.

Hi Stacie, Overall it sounds fine. I agree with not splitting time between Garmisch and Fuessen. I'd pick one or the other. While Garmisch makes sense for transportation, we're not "fans" of Garmisch itself. When in the area, we prefer to stay in Mittenwald, about 20 minutes from Garmisch. Paul

I agree with Paul about Garmisch, but Mittenwald is too far in the wrong direction. I'd stay in Oberammergau. It's a cute little town by itself and only 40 min by bus from Garmisch. There are periodic buses from Oberammergau to Hohenschwangau (castles) in about 1h20min. Here is where I stayed. Frau Richter is a gracious hostess who speak good English, the price is pretty good, and it's just a block from the Bahnhof and bus station.

Check out Austria's 'Einfach Raus" ticket/daypass, their version of the Bayern Ticket, for trains travel. http://www.oebb.at/en/Tickets/Groups/Einfach-Raus-Ticket/index.jsp Your itinerary is a little too busy. It's 5 hours of transportation between Munich and Neuschwanstein round trip, and you must go back through Munich if going by train. I would skip Füssen and Neuschwanstein, an overtouristed 19th-century structure that isn't even a real castle, in favor of 1.) Ludwig's Herrenchiemsee Palace. it's on the way to Salzburg, on an island in Chiemsee Lake at the town of Prien. Just get off the train there and stow bags in a locker. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Spiegelgalerie_Herrenchiemsee.jpg/800px-Spiegelgalerie_Herrenchiemsee.jpg http://www.herrenchiemsee.de/englisch/n_palace/index.htm And 2.) The castles in and near Salzburg. Hohenwerfen Castle in Pfarrwerfen is a 45-min. train ride from Salzburg + a walk up to the castle. The place has nearly 1,000 years of history behind it. See the falconry show there as well. This site provides info on this castle and others: http://www.salzburg-burgen.at/en/

Everyone's advice about combining your nights for Fuseen/Garmish into one location is good, and then I'd take one night out, so 3 nights total for that area. Add the extra night to Munich. Your first day in Munich will be mostly a bust, you'll be jet lagged. So your current iterinary only has 1 day in Munich. I'd add another. Open Jaw usually makes sense but it's not THAT far by train from Vienna to Munich. I'd price out the open jaw vs. round trip flight + train ticket.

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions. We will definitely combine the Fussen/Garmish portion of the trip and cut it down to three days. I will look in to the suggestions of nearby towns that were recommended. Since we are a group of 6 and using public transportation, I wonder if Garmish would be more convenient even though a smaller town would be more quaint.