Our last day in Garmisch and we had thought about the Zugspitze but had just gone up the Karwendel a couple of days prior. We also really wanted to do the luge ride but it was closed due to the drizzly weather. We went back and forth... should we? Shouldn't we? Should we? Shouldn't we?
We did... We went to Neuschwanstein.
Thanks to this forum, we knew exactly what it was, and exactly what it was not. We knew exactly what to expect, too. The tour buses and crush of tourists were epic. It seemed like everybody in town was there. Since we didn't have tickets in advance, we waited roughly an hour in line. It seemed to move pretty well and before too long, we had tickets in hand. We had tons of time before the Hohenschwangau tour started first, so we were able to get some nice photos of the exterior plus down below. It was just like people here said it would be: A quick 30 minute tour... but we weren't complaining. We definitely knew what to expect. Next up: Neuschwanstein. We had enough time to get to Mary's Bridge for some photos. Everybody was jockeying for position to get the best angle for a good shot. This was also a rushed tour and we knew that this place wasn't anything significant, but neither of us regretted the visit. In fact, over Christmas when I told someone that we went to Germany, the very first thing out of her mouth was, "Did you go to Neuschwanstein?" She had such excitement on her face. So there you go.....
Afterward, we drove around Fuessen before heading to Austria for dinner. We had a few meals in Austria over the course of this trip. It was sort of a slower paced day than some of the others, and we got back to our room early, packed up, and got ready to turn in the car in the AM and catch a train to our next destination.
I definitely don't regret going, but I wouldn't do it again. It's sort of like a 'been there done that' situation. I also wasn't wild about the circular staircases everywhere inside. I actually felt a little dizzy when we were all through. Lots of uphill climbing that day. I definitely remember saying, "I hope there's a cardiologist at the top of this thing." The setting was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, with the mountains and lakes. We both found the Bavarian countryside to be gorgeous. And that neck of the woods was no exception!