My husband and I are going to Europe for the first time and we're staying in Munich to visit my brother. (Hotel is already paid for as a gift so we don't want to have to find lodging elsewhere.) We both love to ski and would love to get a day in while we're in Germany in January. I feel as though getting a Bayern Ticket is the most cost effective way for us to travel the area. Are there any slopes that are easy to get to through public transit (train/bus combination)? Also, what is the situation with ski rental while in EU? From what research I have attempted to do, it appears as though you have to rent separetely from the slope/resort. (We won't be bringing our own simply because of the hassle it could be to cart around.) Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
The slopes at Garmisch-Partenkirchen are very accessible from Munich. There are hourly regional trains. A Bayern-Ticket will get you there. Of course, if you want to hit the slopes early, the Bayern-Ticket is not valid until after 9 AM weekdays. Timing is going to be a problem almost anywhere. It's a two hour trip from Munich to GaP. If you do plan to spend the night somewhere, I would suggest your going to Oberstdorf, Germany's second largest ski resort and home of the German ski team.
Natalie, we skied the Zugspitze on Thanksgiving day in 2007. We spent the night in Garmisch, drove to the cable car station, rented skis at the top and skied until about dusk. We took the cog wheel train down. As Lee stated, it is about a 2 hour trip from Munich to Garmisch. The process of renting skis is no different than what I have found here in the States. You have picked a great place for your first visit and skiing will add another source of enjoyment. The view from the top of the Zugspitze is awesome. If you can, please consider spending a night in the area.
Good luck!