11 min readFeb 26, 2018

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Neuschwanstein Castle is definitely the worlds most recognisable castle. The high towers, the location, the fairytale type design all lend themselves to making Neuschwanstein instantly recognisable. Walt Disney helped it along the way by borrowing some design elements and incorporating them into the Disney castle design we see on every Disney logo. The castle is a dreamlike construction in a setting that allows it to come to life at the forefront of a mountain surrounded by forest.

Neuschwanstein Castle is new by European standards. It was completed in the 1880’s making it only 140 odd years old. It was never fully completed as King Ludwig II of Bavaria died before its completion. The interior of the castle was to have over 200 rooms but only 15 were completed. Just 6 weeks after his death the palace was opened to the public and today over 1.5 million people a year visit the castle making it one of the most popular castles in the world. In the summer months up to 6000 people a day tour the castle. Preserving all the features of Neuschwanstein Castle is a never-ending job that is funded by tourism. What was completed is amazing and well worth a visit if you have the time, energy and patience.

Facts about Neuschwanstein Castle

King Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned the cliffside castle in 1868
The castle is located in the village of Schwangau
The castle was not called Neuschwanstein until after King Ludwig II’s death
Neuschwanstein’s highest tower reaches a height of 213 feet
Ludwig slept only 11 nights in the castle
A meteorite that reached Earth on April 6, 2002, near Hohenschwangau was named Neuschwanstein after the palace
Castle Hohenschwangau sits opposite Neuschwanstein. It was the childhood home of King Ludwig II

Where do we stay in Munich?

Are you looking for a warm, comfortable and most importantly affordable accommodation in Munich? When we

stayed in Munich we choose to stay at Meininger City Centre. Meininger featured family rooms, games room, bar, chill out area with free wifi. Meininger was close to a train connection to the airport. The city centre was a 10-minute walk away. The breakfast at Meininger was amazing, one of the best in Europe

Book your stay at Meininger HERE.

How do we get from Munich to Neuschwanstein castle

Munich to Fussen Train.

The closest train station to Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen. Fussen Germany is a small town just north of the Austrian border with a population of 14,000 people. You need to make your way to München Hbf, Munich’s central station for departures to Fussen. München Hbf is located close to Munich’s city centre in the north Munich. The main entrance to the east of the station is via the Prielmayerstraße or Bayerstraße to Karlsplatz (Stachus). U-Bahn lines U1, U2, U4, U5, U7, U8 will get you to Munich’s central station. 450,000 people a day travel through this station so arrive early, buy your ticket and make your way to your platform. There are 32 platforms at München Hbf so make sure you get the right one.

German train travelling from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle

The Munich To Fussen train takes a little over 2 hours
Trains run roughly every hour
On the weekend the first Munich to Fussen train departs at 5.30am. The last train departs at 10.30pm
All times correct as of the date of publishing. Please check DB for up to date times here
During the week the first Munich to Fussen train departs at 4.48am. The last train departs at 9.19pm
Buy a Bayern Day ticket it will cost €25 for 1 person or a family of 4 can travel for €44.

As the train approaches the mountain region the scenery becomes what I would call classic alpine. Fields with cows,

stereotypical German Alpine Chalet style house’s and the mountains greet you. The houses that look much like the gingerbread houses you get at Christmas time. Being a trip of over 2 hours we recommend you bring some things to keep the kids occupied on the journey. Card games such as UNO travel version or maybe the Lonely Planet Ultimate Travel colouring book will make time fly as head from Munich to Neuschwanstein.

Buses will be waiting for the Munich to Fussen train to ferry the visitors up to Schwangau Village. Ride line RVA/OVG 73 and RVA/OVG 78 in the direction of Schwangau. Both buses stop at Hohenschwangau/Alpseestraße stop. The ride takes 8 minutes and costs 2.30 euros each way. Once you reach the village of Schwangau head to the visitor’s centre to buy your Neuschwanstein castle tour tickets. It’s about a 30-minute walk to Neuschwanstein castle but it is a beautiful walk.

Getting up to the Castle.

Horse Drawn carriage is a real thrill and experience. The horse-drawn carriages will drop you about 400 meters short of the castle. The price is for an Uphill trip 6 euros/downhill trip 3 euros (as of 1 September 2017)

This was an all-time favourite experience for our kids. We caught it down the hill and they absolutely loved every second

Shuttle Bus will drop you near the Marienbrücke bridge above the castle. The view from the Marienbrücke Bridge is amazing. The castle is a downhill walk of 500 meters from here. Price is Uphill trip 1.80 euros / downhill trip 1 euro / return trip 2.60 euros (as of 1 September 2017)

Drive from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle

From Munich, you will need to head out of the city. The journey to the village of Schangau and Neuschwanstein will take you nearly 2 hours by car and have you travelling 121 kilometres from Munich. Much like the train ride, it is a nice drive through the Bavarian countryside with some amazing views. Take the A7 motorway (direction Ulm-Kempten-Füssen) until the end. From Füssen first follow the road B17 to Schwangau, then the signs to Hohenschwangau or take the A7 motorway until the exit Kempten and then the road B12 to Marktoberdorf. Follow the road B16 to Roßhaupten — OAL I to Buching — and then take the road B17 to Schwangau and Hohenschwangau.

I will tell you that parking is pretty hard to come by in the village. There was one parking lot that you need to share with tour buses and there are so many tour buses. You may need to park on the outskirts of town and walk in. The real bonus of driving is that you can explore some other sights in the area on your way back to Munich. When we drove to Neuschwanstein we also visited Linderhof Palace and the Pilgrimage Church of Wies. Linderhof is another King Ludwig II castle while the Wies is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Add these sites together and you have one of the best day trips from Munich.

Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle Day Tour

If public transport or the driving option don’t suit you an organized Neuschwanstein castle tour from Munich is your best bet. There are many Neuschwanstein tours running from Munich daily. Some of the positives of going on an organized tour can be:

You don’t have to get to München Hbf Central Station
You don’t have to take public transport
You can usually organize a pickup and drop off at your accommodation
You will have a guide that will keep you informed on the journey out to the Neuschwanstein Castle tour
Entry tickets to the sights are usually included
One price for everything
An organized tour of the sights
If you have children you may be able to take some extras for them and then have somewhere to keep the extra bags so you don’t have to carry them around

The tours usually have many options and can include extras like a trip to nearby towns. Below we preview some of the tours that are available from Munich to Neuschwanstein castle and more.

Neuschwanstein Castle Full-Day Tour

This full-day tour is a fairytale adventure that is not to be missed. Departing from Munich, take a 2-hour train journey through the majestic Bavarian countryside to the idyllic setting of Neuschwanstein.

Duration 10 hours
Explore the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein
Take a train ride through the beautiful Bavarian Alps from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle
Learn all about Mad King Ludwig II
Laze in a quintessential Bavarian beer garden
Take a dip in the Alpsee
Overall rating 4.6 out of 5 based on 699 reviews.

Unbelievable
The day was filled with incredible sights and amazing historical fact. The whole experience was well worth it. Thanks you to all involved.
reviewed by Gerard — Australia Febuary 2018.

For the latest prices, information and bookings of this amazing tour click HERE.

Day Trip to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castles

This day-trip takes you to the amazing castles of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria. Visit the ever-popular Neuschwanstein and intimate Linderhof, lunch in the village Schwangau and take a small detour through the little town of Oberammergau.

Duration 10.5 hours
Visit the majestic castles, Neuschwanstein and Linderhof
Discover Ludwig’s childhood home of Hohenschwangau
Take a trip to the tiny Bavarian town of Oberammergau
Trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle in a luxury air-conditioned tour-bus
Audio guides are available on the bus and in the castle
Overall rating 4.6 out of 5 based on 768 reviews.

Fantastic day
The bus trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein castle was just as good as you got to see lots of the countryside along the way. They also stop at a little town to do some souvenir shopping. The castles were amazing. The restaurant 2/3rds of the way up to the castle was worth it with a variety of foods. Our tour guide on the bus spoke very good English and was full of information. Overall it was a very enjoyable day.
reviewed by a GetYourGuide Customer — Australia

For the latest prices, information and bookings of this amazing tour click HERE.

Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle Luxury Bus and Bike Tour

Visit the amazing Neuschwanstein Castle on a flexible tour from Munich. Some amazing options include options to swim and visit Hohenschwangau Castle. Traveling by luxury coach, you will also cycle in the alpine countryside of the Bavarian Algäu

region.

Duration 10–11 hours
Cycle the alpine trails of the Algäu region
Take an optional tour of Hohenschwangau Castle, where Ludwig II, King of Bavaria grew up
Walk a secret path to the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle
Swim in a refreshing alpine lake
Learn about the dramatic life, love, and death of Bavaria’s much loved Ludwig II
Skip the line at Neuschwanstein Castle
Rated 4.7 out of 5 over 45 reviews

Great tour with a different experience!
We absolutely loved this tour! We were really looking forward to seeing the castle on our trip but what we didn’t realise is the castle tour is only 20 mins long. This tour made up for such a long drive from Munich by including a bike ride around the area which was absolutely beautiful and a tasty lunch as well!
reviewed by Monica — Australia

For the latest prices, information and bookings of this amazing tour click HERE.

We hope that this article has been informative and inspiring for you to make the day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich. Whether you catch the Munich Fussen train, take a hire car and enjoy the scenery of the Bavarian Alps or enjoy a hassle-free guided tour just do it. Neuschwanstein is a once in a lifetime experience for many. We will warn you that the crowds during the summer months of June through September may make your experience less than perfect. If possible visit in the offseason when crowds will be low.

Getting to Munich:

Munich is the second biggest city in Germany.
Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß is 28.5 kilometres from the city centre.
Munich is serviced by many international airlines and budget carriers. For cheap flights from with Europe check Veuling, EasyJet and Eurowings. You can check the prices of international flights to Germany with cheapOair. Domestic flights can be booked with Expedia
By February of 2017 Flughafen München, Franz Josef Strauß features flights to 248 destinations, making it the airport with the fifth-most destinations worldwide.
The S1 and S8 S-Bahn lines connect the airport with the centre of Munich, with departures every 10 minutes. The airport is also easy and convenient to reach by bus from the Munich city centre
Many international and domestic trains and bus service’s Munich terminating at Munich’s Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)
You can book an airport transfer with Suntransfers who we have personally used on many occasions.
You can book a rental car with AutoEurope and have it waiting for you at Munich Airport.

Getting around Munich:

Munich has an extensive public transportation system. It consists of a network of underground (U-Bahn), suburban trains (S-Bahn), trams and buses. … Tickets can be purchased at the blue vending machines, found at U- and S-Bahn-stations, at many tram and bus stops and newspaper kiosks.
There are different types of tickets: Single Tickets (called “Einzelfahrkarte”), Stripe Tickets (called “Streifenkarte”) and Day Tickets (called “Tageskarte”).
Before first embarking, the ticket must be validated — insert the ticket into the small stamping machines posted at the entrances to U- and S-Bahn tracks or on trams and buses. It’s a € 60 fine if you are caught riding without a valid ticket.
The Munich City Tour Card allows free use of public transport, plus discount and free admission to some of the best Munich sights. More information and booking click here
Another alternative for tourists is to buy a pass for the Munich Hop on hop off bus which takes you to all the sites in the city. Click here for further information and prices.

Where to stay in Munich:

Munich has accommodation options for every budget from Hostels, to apartments and hotels rooms.
Hostels in Munich can start from as little as 20 euro’s a night for a shared dorm room.
You can search Airbnb for their Munich accommodation offerings. If you have never used Airbnb before get yourself $50 credit by signing and booking a stay right HERE.
Hotels in Melbourne generally start from around $100 a night for a double room and increase incrementally as the luxury rating rises towards 5 stars. Google states that 3-star averaging $144, 5-star averaging $469 for a night stay.
You can compare and book your stay on Agoda, Hotels.com, Hotels Combined and Priceline

(All coloured text in the Getting to Munich, Getting around Munich and Where to stay in Munich links to the pages mentioned for your information and booking convenience. We at Wyld Family Travel will make a small commission from any bookings you make. This money goes into maintaining our website)

We hope you found this article helpful. Wyld Family Travel has two more Munich articles for your reading enjoyment. Just click the image to be taken to the article.