Day Trip: Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Back in 2011 — during my very first trip abroad — my boyfriend at the time and I took a road trip. We went from Stuttgart, Germany, where he lived, to Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps. I remember being amazed at the palace, teetering above the foot of the mountains. It seemed like we had to hike for quite a while to reach it, but it paid off.

More than eight years later, it was the first stop of my trip with Matt through Germany, Austria, and Italy. We were visiting Munich, which is only a couple of hours away from Neuschwanstein, so we decided to make a day trip out of it. We also opted not to join a tour group; instead, we did it on our own, renting a car in Munich for the day.

Here’s how to plan your own trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein.

Car rental logistics

Though you can certainly join a tour if you want, we decided the price of renting a car would be worth having our own freedom for the day. I booked our car rental in advance. It cost about $100 USD to rent an automatic car for the day — because I can’t drive a manual, and I didn’t think this was the time to learn 😉 We figured that, splitting the cost, it wasn’t that bad.

I made the reservation online a few weeks in advance, but was overzealous with my estimated pickup time. I should have known we couldn’t make it to the car rental center at 8am when we’d just arrived in Munich the night before at 1am. We thought we’d have some buffer time to get there, but when we arrived around 10am, they told us they only hold reservations for an hour. Luckily, they still had another automatic car available, but it was an upcharge because it had a GPS. That ended up being about $15 more, but it came in handy because we didn’t always have great service out in the middle of nowhere.

At the end of the day, we had to fill the car back up with gas before returning it. We only used about 1/4 a tank, which cost about $25 to fill up.

Driving and the Romantic Road: Munich to Neuschwanstein

As we left Munich, we had to choose our route to Neuschwanstein. I believe there were three different options available, and they all took about the same amount of time. We didn’t really know the differences between those routes, but I’d read during my small amount of research about the “Romantic Road,” or Romantische Strasse in German. This road consists of the 350km (220 miles) between Würzburg and Füssen in Southern Germany. Basically, the appeal is that it’s supposed to be super scenic and super beautiful, showcasing quintessential Germany.

Apparently it’s marked with brown signs that say Romantische Strasse, and thinking about it now, I don’t remember seeing any of those. But coming from Munich to Neuschwanstein, you only get to be on it for a short amount of time, so I think that’s why I didn’t see them.

Anyway, no matter what route you choose, it should take you about 2 and a half hours each way to get between Munich and Neuschwanstein. Be ready for picturesque views and the urge to stop and take pictures on the side of the road. Also, you might get to drive on the Autobahn! I’m not sure what you know about the Autobahn, but just to be clear, it’s not a specific highway in Germany that’s like a speed-limitless racetrack. It’s just a stretch of highway where there’s not a specific speed limit. It was rainy and dark as we drove back, so I couldn’t drive as fast as I really wanted to.

Welcome to Schwangau

Schwangau is the name of the small village that’s at the foot of the mountains near Neuschwanstein — and is home to another, lesser-known castle. Bright yellow Schloss Hohenschwangau was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II, who is the same king who built Neuschwanstein. Though Hohenschwangau was likely built around the 11th century, King Ludwig’s father King Maximilian II acquired the castle in 1832 and reconstructed it into what it is today.

Many visitors to Neuschwanstein also visit Hohenschwangau. In fact, when you arrive, there’s one designated parking lot for all visitors to the castles. While Neuschwanstein requires more of a hike, Hohenschwangau is much lower to the ground. In the two times I’ve been there, I’ve never had time to do both — and Neuschwanstein wins out, in my opinion.

But for someone with more time, I think it would be cool to visit Hohenschwangau as well. Of course, I’ve read some reviews from travelers who said they liked the tour of Hohenschwangau more! So decide how you’ll get the most out of your visit to these two castles.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

Okay, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Well… after you spend a bit of time hiking up, of course. For some reason, the first time I visited, I remember hiking for literal hours though somewhat-rugged terrain. And this time, it was just a paved road all the way up which maybe takes 20-30 minutes depending on your pace.

Oh yeah — if you’re buying tickets for a tour, be sure to do that down near the parking lot before you start hiking. I think they sell out pretty early each day. But you can buy them online in advance here. And you can check out their website with helpful information for visitors here.  Anyway, I’ve heard mixed reviews about the tour recently. I did it in 2011 and thought it was nice. But I’ve read some reviews saying it was too rushed and not worth it for the money (€20 per person as of 2025, though children under 18 are free).

When you make it to castle level, you might be wondering how people get that super Instagrammable view of the castle from a distance. And the answer is… the Marienbrücke. Which means “Mary’s Bridge.” Keep following the signs (and the other tourists) to the bridge, which will require a bit more hiking. Maybe 15 minutes or so. Then, depending on the day and time, you might have to wait in a long line to get on the bridge. I don’t remember having to do this the first time I went, but this time we were there a few days before Christmas, so maybe it was just busier than usual?

And after fighting your way onto the bridge, keep moving toward the center. It’s less crowded there. And there, you will get that perfect shot. I promise.

Visiting Füssen

After spending a few hours around Neuschwanstein — and doing all that hiking — you’ll probably be hungry. There are a few little snack stands directly near the castle, but I recommend hopping on that Romantic Road and driving a few miles to Füssen. We loved spending an evening wandering this tiny town, which is only about half a mile from the Austrian border.

We found somewhere to park the car for a few hours, and then we set off to find something to eat. There’s no shortage of options, despite the town’s small size. Most places serve traditional Bavarian food, so I was excited for schnitzel! Afterwards, we took a walk through the Altstadt — Old Town — which had cobblestone streets for pedestrians and plenty of shops and cafes. It made a nice contrast to the larger cities we visited throughout our trip.

Final Thoughts: Munich to Neuschwanstein

After leaving at 10am, we made it back to Munich around 7:30pm. It was a good day, full of Bavarian culture, history, and food. 🙂

If you’re interested in visiting Neuschwanstein from Munich, I would definitely recommend renting a car and doing it as a day trip. Though it was a busy day, it still felt leisurely enough, and I think it’s because we had our own car. It meant we didn’t have to cater to the needs or timetables of a group or public transportation.

Plan Your Neuschwanstein Trip from Munich

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Have you ever visited Munich, Neuschwanstein, or Hohenschwangau? Or what else do you want to know? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on January 24, 2020.