Renting a Car in Bavaria

What is "best"? Saving a little time or a lot of money. There are buses from Füssen to Garmisch-Partenkirchen via Hohenschwangau and Oberammergau, from which it's only a 15 min bus trip to Linderhof. In fact, if I were doing this (I did in 2007) I would base in Oberammergau for Garmisch, Linderhof, and Füssen. You can probable get between these places faster with a car, but unless you live in Germany and own a car, the cost is higher. Reutte is on a train line to Garmisch and the Zugspitze, but otherwise I don't think there is much to say for it.

Was hoping to do as much as I can in two days. I would arrive in Fussen on a Saturday and spend Sunday there as well, do you know if there are less buses running on the weekend? I suppose I can wait and decide about renting a car once I get there....

For what you have proposed in only two days, a car rental might be your best option. You don't need a car to get from Füssen to the castles at Schwangau, but to fit in Linderhof and an ascent up the Zupspitze, you're going to be very rushed without a car. You can ascend the Zugspitze three ways- the Zugspitzebahn, from the main train station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and cable cars from Eibsee on the German side and Ehrwald from the Austrian side. Reutte is out of the way.

I don't usually get drawn into the Fuessen vs. Reutte discussion, but here goes. Having stopped in Reutte passing through on the way to Fuessen from Zeefeld, and having stayed across from the church in Fuessen, I will say that I really don't get Reutte. Nice enough town, nice enough supermarket and some shops, but absolutely nothing special. Fuessen, on the other hand, has a lovely altstadt, modern fountains, beautiful wrought iron shop signs, a great atmosphere. We love it, and that's where we were heading when spent our time in Reutte. FWIW....

If you have unlimited vacation time and don't really want to see much in Bavaria, by all means do all your traveling by train and bus. But it is foolish, in my opinion, to spend thousands of dollars to get to a place and not invest a couple hundred dollars in getting out to see sights you may never get another chance to see. Europcar, to use one example, currently prices economy fuel-efficient diesel cars like the Volkswagen Polo in Germany for about $145 for two days rental and $316 for a week. In a two-hour driving circuit from and back to Fuessen, you could reach Wies Church, Ettal Abbey, Linderhof, Oberamergau, etc., and Zugspitze would add only a little more to your driving time. Granted, you can reach each of these by train and/or bus, but try reaching them all the same day. Be reasonable in your driving distances, and fuel costs with an economy diesel will not be a large factor. Do all you can by train but don't be afraid to rent a car for a couple of days if that is what it takes to get the most from your limited vacation time. BTW, I have not been to the top of the Zugspitze or to the Canadian Rockies, but I found the Bavarian and Austrian Alps a bit of a letdown after the Colorado Rockies,that is., more of the same. Since you are coming from British Columbia, you may feel the same way. On the other hand, there is nothing to compare in North America to the towns, churches and general feel of being in Bavaria.

Thanks for all the help. Think I will rent a car for the Bavaria part of my trip.

Having just gotten stuck in traffic in the area earlier today, make sure you have enough time. We just spent 2 hrs getting from Imst to Nassereith, Austria, (13 km) trying to head up the Fern Pass to the A7. We turned around and went another way. The world ski championships are in Garmisch and the traffic was horrendous. Many people try to cram too much into one day and not allowing for uncontrollable circumstances. A car will be better for what you want to do. I also prefer to take the gondola straight up the Zugspitze from Eibsee.

Sorry to hear of your day, Kathy. Another Fernpass victim. Cut another notch in the pole...