Salzburg to Bavaria

Hmmm, starting in Bavaria would make more sense but we were planning on flying into (and starting in Vienna). Does a Vienna-Salzburg-Bavaria-Venice itinerary make sense?

i rented from munich and it's an easy drive to the castle. great views on the way and you can check out villeges or drive to fuessen, etc. i was able to stay at a farmhouse with a view of the castle and it was pretty cheap. so, if you train to Venice from Munich, then you should rent car in Munich.

Why go to the inconvenience and expense of renting a car. I'm assuming you don't have a railpass, since you are contemplating renting a car in Munich and Munich to Fuessen would be covered by the same railpass day as Salzburg to Munich.

You can go from Salzburg to anywhere in Bavaria for €28 for two people with a Bayern-Ticket (or, if you can't read German, here), including Salzburg to Munich to Fuessen.

I assume you want to spend the night in or around the castles. There are places in Fuessen. There are also some places right in Hohenschwangau, at the base of the castle, although I think they are a bit pricey. There are also places within walking distance of Hohenschwangau, in Schwangau.

You can purchase Europa-Spezial tickets online from the Bahn for Fuessen to Munich, Munich to Verona via Eurocity, 8 hrs, for as low as €39 pP. Those promotional fares do not cover segments in Italy (Verona to Venice). You will have to buy that separately from Trenitalia (or when you change trains in Munich). On the other hand, if you are taking the night train to Venice, the train goes all the way to Venice, so Verona to Venice is also covered.

Hi Christine,

Since your plan is "Vienna-Salzburg-Bavaria-Venice":

From Salzburg, train to Munich, get the car (in Munich), and when you're done with it, I'd suggest returning it in Garmisch (ask the rental co. about this) and then train to Innsbruck (less than an hour away) and on to Venice. Why go all the way back to Munich to drop it off.

Paul

this Spring I changed my usual way of thinking and went in one ciy (Munich) and left another (a quidk 2 nites after a train ride from Paris)
several years ago we went into Munich and left Munich...and it was a hassle getting back there..We got to see more and relax a bit more leaving by another city and I found it surprizingly affordable (only slightly more expensive) to do the plane tickets this way (with research or a travel agent)
When in Munich we took the train to Salzburg. It was a short and lovely trip..seeing the mountains pass by was much more relaxing than our previous driving trip there. Then we rented a car in Munich and went north. But since you are going to Venice (or starting from Venice) I would rent a car there and take it to Salzburg (return it there, it is better to return it in the same country) Take the train to Munich and see the German areas you like and then take a train back to your departure point. Trains are on time and affordable...Read Rick's info on getting tickets. So nice to sit back and enjoy the view in that area and the train is a great experience. Enjoy.

I just did part of your route (no Vienna) in reverse in June. Venice-Salzburg-Munich-Fuessen-Munich airport. We took the bus/train combo from Venice to Salzburg based on information I learned from this forum. Picked up a rental car in Freilassing (basically a suburb of Salzburg, but it's across the border in Germany) and drove to Berchtesgaden and Konigsee on a day trip from Salzburg, then drove to Munich and from there to Fuessen. Returned the car to the Munich airport before flying to Paris. (We saved money on the rental by picking it up and dropping it off in Germany.)

A few things based on my experience: Since we picked up the car in Salzburg/Freilassing, there was really no need to go to Munich. (I'd originally planned on using trains the whole time, so had reserved a room in Munich.) Nothing wrong with Munich, but not my favorite place to be with all the scenic towns nearby. We would have enjoyed another night outside of Munich instead. (Also, driving in Munich was the only stressful part of the trip for me, with lots of construction, pedestrians and bicyclists.)

I don't know if any of that helps with your plans. Have a great trip -- Venice was a real highlight of ours, especially since we escaped the crowds and went to Murano for a day.

Hi,
We are traveling to Fuessen to view the castle by train. Any suggestions for a reasonable B & B to stay? We prefer not to pay for a long taxi ride from the train station. We are thinking about staying in that area for 2 nights & days. Is there any thing else interesting in that area to spend a second day?
To Lee: Could you supply the name of the farmhouse you stayed? Is the farmhouse easy to get to & from the train station and to the castle?
Thanks!!