My husband and I will be in Munich Germany for 8 days, starting Sept. 18, 2010. We have rented an apartment in Munich for the whole stay. We plan to do things in Munich and spend lots of time at Oktoberfest. We are planning a few side trips and not sure if we should rent a car or take a train. Side trips 1) salzberg with eagles nest, 2) Ludwigs castles, 3) rothenburg. Any suggests would be great. I am leaning towards trains, but the thought of having a car and taking the time to see the country side does sound nice. FYI: First trip to Germany, we have been to europe before, we travel with carry ons only, and we are 27 and 28. ;)
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19295 posts
I'm not sure how much of the countryside you'll see with a car, but you'll pay dearly for the possibility. Everyplace you are going is readily accessible by train or a few buses. A Bayern-Ticket, an all-day pass for regional trains in Bavaria costs €28 for both of you (up to 5P, actually); it also covers regional buses, such as those of the RVO in Berchtesgaden, and is valid into Salzburg's Hbf. The fastest way from Salzburg Hbf to Berchtesgaden is the Watzmann Express, an RVO bus but runs in Austria, not Bavaria, so is not covered. It's €9 pP for an RVO Tagesticket. But, if you have a Bayern-Ticket, you can take the train back over the river to Freilassing and then to Berchtesgaden. Takes a few more minutes, but covered by the Bayern-Ticket. Either way, Bayern-Ticket or RVO Tagesticket, all RVO buses in Berchtesgaden (except the one up the mountain to the Eagles' Nest) are covered. Here [www.germantravel-info.com/fuessen.htm] is how to get to the castles by train.
Posted by
Salt Lake City
1529 posts
We lived in Germany and drove our a car in this area. It was great to for countryside and out-of-the-way sights like Ottobeuren Abbey. You can visit the same places by train but it takes more planning and more time......That said, I prefer to take the train now that I am returning to Germany to visit. A car is a pain in a city, both for driving and parking. It is expensive to rent, insure, gas, etc. We have no trouble tailoring our trips to train travel, often preferring moderate sized towns like Salzburg, Regensburg and Landshut in this area. Plus, train travel is immersion travel......A justification can be made for car or train. You will likely enjoy yourselves in either case.
Posted by
OP
Tampa, Florida, USA
4 posts
Thanks so much for your replies! We are going to do it by train and bus. Your tips are really helpful. Saving the car travel for a possible Ireland/Scotland/England 2 week trip next year.
Posted by
Corsicana, Texas, USA
354 posts
If your travel style involves whimsy and stopping in un-forseen places that capture your interest, then you can't beat a car for convenience and flexibility. However, the cost (rental fees, gasoline, insurance) and sometimes stress (parking, navigating) of a car could easily offset those things, especially if you take your day trips on non-consecutive days. As long as you can get to the München/Munich Hauptbahnhof, all of your day trips are easily done by rail. And the scenery once you reach these destinations can be just as nice as the scenery along the way.
Posted by
Portland, OR
25 posts
Hi Lindsay. My husband and I did a similar trip in 2007 and loved it so much we went back in 2008. Definitely the train is the way to go... BUT you might consider a car for the Rothenburg trip. We were lucky enough to hit a day with a strike and got all tangled up. Also, If you plan to spend lots of time at Oktoberfest (jealousy sets in) then you must be a beer drinker and therefore i have to share 2 things 1- the Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich http://www.beerdrinkersguide.com/BDGWebsite/GardensIndex.htm and 2 - a strong recommendation to visit Freising, about 1/2 hour north by the S-bahn, for Weihenstephan... the worlds oldest brewery... and one of the best. It, along with many others, is listed in #1. Prost! - Libby