Hello - I just booked a trip flying in to Zurich next week (arrive Monday) and departing Munich the following Monday. My friend will be working in Zurich Wednesday-Thursday, then Friday we will head to Munich for Octoberfest and, if we get our fill of beer-drinking, some sight-seeing in Bavaria. My main question has to do with our time in Zurich. I will have Wednesday-Thursday to explore Zurich while my friend is working. So I just got the idea that perhaps we should go straight from the airport to Lucern? As long as she can cancel the Zurich hotel for Monday night, we could stay in Lucern, and head back to Zurich on Tuesday. Or any other suggestions on destinations for Monday/Tuesday? Or how about if we cannot cancel the hotel - could we still go to Lucern for a day trip? We are both outdoor lovers and like hiking, as well as art and history. We do not plan to rent a car. Another idea is leaving Zurich Thursday evening and stopping somewhere on our way to Munich (our Friday hotel is in Munich), but that would be fairly limited time since my friend will work all day Thursday. Finally, I'm open to suggestions on things to do in Munich as well. I've been to Oberammergau, Linderhof, and Salzburg, but it was many years ago, and my friend has never been to Bavaria. Thanks!
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
Lucerne is a good choice for Monday night as there are direct trains from the Zurich airport that get you there in about an hour. Also a good choice for a Tuesday day trip.
Thursday evening you could take a train to Lindau (on lake Constance).... one shows departing about 6:30 and arriving about 8:00. Since Lindau is in Bavaria, you will be able to save some money for the train trip to Munich with a 'Bayern Ticket.' Price for 2 persons traveling together is just €26.
Posted by
OP
St. Paul, MN, US
34 posts
Thanks. We are now looking at going straight to Lucern when we arrive Monday. We also thought about going from Zurich to Fussen Thursday, and seeing Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Friday before heading to Munich, buy looks like we can not get a train to Fussen after 13:00. I am not too familiar with the train options yet. Do you get better deals if you book in advance? I'm thinking we should at least book our travel into Munich as it might be crazy busy with Octoberfest...
Posted by
Denver, CO
731 posts
Hi Cyndi, To get from Fussen to Munich, you can buy a Bayern ticket (22 euro for the first person, 4 euro for each additional person). You can just buy these in the train station, no discount for advance purchase. Since these are on regional trains, there are no seat reservations possible.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
No need to book in advance, the Bayern Ticket is a fixed price; €26 (for 2) for a full day anywhere in Bavaria. It would be easier to just do a day trip from Munich to Füssen to see the castles. Go early, if possible,it's about a 2 hour trip. fyi: the beer drinkers at Oktoberfest start early, so be prepared to deal with lots of drunks by mid-afternoon (especially Americans who aren't used to the higher alcohol % in German beer). It's actually a good time to visit the Hofbrau Haus which can be less crowded than normally.