If your next trip to Germany is going to involve visiting castles in Bavaria, you may want to consider purchasing the Bavarian Castle Pass (also known as the Bavarian Palace Pass or the Bayern Schloss Pass). These passes sold by the Bavarian Palace Department cover the admission to over 40 palaces, castles, and other sites within the region of Bavaria.
This article will provide you with all the information you need to know about the sites covered by the Bavarian Castle Pass, the different types of passes, how to buy the passes, and how to decide whether or not this would be a good deal for you or not. We’ll also share our personal experience of buying and using the Bavarian Castle Pass.
Table of Contents:
What Castles and Palaces are Included in the Bavarian Castle Pass?
Currently, free admission to over 40 palaces, fortresses, castles, and other sites is granted to pass holders (although “Kombiticket Königsschlösser” only provides entry to 3 of these sites as explained later). To see which Bavarian sites are included check out this Bavarian Palace Department brochure.
You can also check out this interactive map that lists the various residences, castles, and palaces and links to a short description of each site, its location, entry fees, and opening times.
Note that a visit to the Hohenschwangu Castle (the boyhood home of King Ludwig II) is not included with this pass since it is still privately held by the Wittelsbach family.
What would be the Best Bavarian Castle Pass Option for me?
Well, you have a few choices and to determine the best option you should take into consideration three things: 1) number of people in your travel party, 2) number of days you’ll be spending sightseeing in Bavaria, and 3) how many palaces you want to actually visit.
Prices listed below were current as of January 2019.
Option 1: Königsschlösser Combination Ticket
The “Kombiticket Königsschlösser” ticket offers free entry into three of King Ludwig II’s palaces: Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee and Neuschwanstein. You can visit each castle once over a 6 month time period. The cost of this ticket is 26 euros per person.
This option is best for those who want to see some of the highlights of the Bavarian palaces and are especially interested in King Ludwig II’s castles. However, if you plan to see all three of these palaces in 14 days or less, check out Option 2 as it might be a better deal.
Option 2: 14 Day Mehrtagesticket
The 14-day tickets gives you access to over 40 palaces and other sites in Bavaria for a 14-day period. You can buy a “Mehrtagesticket” single person pass for 26 euros/person or the “Partner-Mehrtagesticket” family/partner pass (2 adults and any children under 18 years of age are included) for 48 euros.
These options are great for those who plan to visit more than a few included sites within a 2-week period and are especially great deals for those traveling with a partner or family.
Option 3: Jahreskarte Season Pass
Annual season passes cover all 40+ palaces and sites as Option 2 but are valid for an entire year. You can buy a “Jahreskarte” single person pass for 45 euros/person or the “Familien-Jahreskarte” family/partner pass (2 adults and any children under 18 years of age are included) for 75 euros.
This is a fabulous deal for those of you who are living in Germany or planning to spend an extended amount of time in Bavaria.
How Can I Buy a Bavarian Castle Pass?
Online
You can order any of the passes online through the Bavarian Palace Department through their website in English by clicking here.
However, you will have to pay shipping costs of 10 euros for up to 0.5 kilograms. Shipping within Europe is relatively fast, but shipping abroad can take up to 4 weeks.
In Person
You can also buy the passes at any of the participating palaces (excluding the King’s House on the Schachen) and also at the Infopoint Museen & Schlösser in Bayern (a.k.a., Information Point Museums & Castles in Bavaria) located at Alter Hof 1 in downtown Munich.
Our Experience using the Bavarian Castle Pass
Below we’ll tell you about why we decided to purchase the Bavarian Castle and our experience using it on our trip to Germany.
Last Spring Ethan and I spent about 2 weeks in Germany and during our trip we purchased a Bavarian Castle Pass. So what we did before our trip to Germany was to look at the list of sites included and try to realistically estimate how many we would actually visit during our time in Germany.
Then we went to the Bavarian Palace Department website map to figure out how much each site would cost without the pass to determine whether this would be a smart purchase. We decided that it would be a very good deal for us as we came up with a list of 7 major places we wanted to visit during our trip.
So we ended up purchasing the 14-day “Partner-Mehrtagesticket” family/partner pass at the Hohenschwangu/Neuschwanstein Castle ticket center as this was the first site on the list that we visited.
However, as with many of the best laid plans, it turned out that one of the sites on our list was closed for renovations and we didn’t have time for a second (New Residenz in Bamberg). So, in total, we ended up only actually using our pass at 5 major sites (plus some extras at these sites).
We didn’t have any trouble using the pass at any of the sites we visited.
Our Cost Savings using the Bavarian Castle Pass
So here is how things worked out for us (note these prices are all from May 2013):
|
Palace
|
Normal Entry Cost
|
|
Neuschwanstein Castle
|
12 euros X 2 = 24 euros
|
|
Linderhof Palace
|
8.5 euros X 2 = 17 euros
|
|
Residenz in Munich (including the Treasury and Cuvilliés Theater)
|
13 euros X 2 = 26 euros
|
|
Nymphenburg Palace (including the Marstallmuseum and Park Palaces)
|
11.5 euros X 2 = 23 euros
|
|
Residenz in Würzburg
|
7.5 euros X 2 = 15 euros
|
|
Imperial Palace in Nuremberg ** (under renovation so we were only able to see outside/gardens) |
received a free history book about the palace since we had the pass
|
| Total Cost without Pass |
105 euros |
| Total Cost of Bavarian Castle Pass (Family/Partner 14-Day pass) |
40 euros |
| Total Savings with Pass |
65 euros |
So as you can see we ended up with a savings of 65 euros and a free book on the Imperial Place in Nuremburg! We were definitely very happy with our decision and would highly recommend the pass.
However, it should also be stated that we probably would not have visited all of these palaces and castles if we did not have the pass. For instance we probably would not have taken the time to visit Linderhof Palace after visiting both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangu (we did all three in one day!), and we would have chosen to visit either the Residenz in Munich or the Nymphenburg Palace.
We also might not have visited all the little extra museums at the palaces without knowing the admission was free. So while the passes pay for themselves quite quickly, they are not a good deal if you only plan to visit one or two of the sites so be realistic when estimating how many palaces and castles you want to cram into your Bavarian sightseeing schedule.
We hope this information is helpful. Feel free to shoot us any questions you have about the Bavarian Castle Pass and we are happy to try to answer them! Also, we’d love to hear from others who have also used the passes.
Carol Weaver Post author
Hi,
Thank you for all the info! We plan to buy the 14 day pass while traveling to Germany soon. I am older and a little concerned about all the walking. Where is the best place to park at Neuschwanstein Castle? Is it best to take the bus up or the horse carriage? Is there a way to drive to Hohenschwangau? If not, how far is the walk? How much time should we schedule between each castle? How do you get to Mary’s Bridge? Is the bridge located between the 2 castles? Thank you for your help!
Carol
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Carol,
So yes, the 14-day Bavarian Castle Pass issued by the Bavarian Palace Administration can be a great saver if you plan to visit a number of the included castles and palaces on your trip to Germany.
Two things to note: 1) Hohenschwangau is not included as part of the pass (so you will want to book a timed ticket in advance on their website) and 2) Neuschwanstein Castle is included on the pass but you still want to book your “free” ticket online as you will need a booked tour date and time to guarantee entry to Neuschwanstein. As notd on their wesbite: “If you purchase tickets in advance on our online ticket shop, you are able to select the tickets “Free Adult Annual Ticket Holder”, “Free Adult Multi-Day Ticket Holder” or “Free Adult BSV Card Holder” for which you only pay the online service fee of 2,50 € per person. When you get to the entrance of Neuschwanstein Castle, you will have show your combination pass to the castle staff.”
Yes, there is a bit of walking required if you want to visit Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castle. It is very hilly here and you cannot park next to either castle. Both castles also have some stairs during the visits. The walk to Hohenschwangau is not too bad but the one to Neuschwanstein is pretty steep.
In terms of parking, there are 4 large public parking lots in the village that you can park in and there is a parking fee (10 euros last time I checked). At busy times, some of the lots will be full so you may not have a choice but if you arrive earlier you may be able to choose. I think P1 and P3 may be a bit closer but I am not sure and you should ask when you arrive as not all might be open.
Once you have parked, you’ll probably want to head to the Ticket Centre (especially if you need to pick up a ticket) and then from here you can walk, take a bus, or get into a horse-drawn carriage. The horse carriages are recommended for Neuschwanstein Castle for those with mobility issues as it gets you a little closer. The carriages can drop you off a little closer I think, like 450 meters (1470 feet) is what the website says. The buses drop you off about 500 meters walk from the entrance to Neuschwanstein Castle. So there is still a short downhill walk in both cases.
When going to Hohenschwangau, I think both the carriages and buses take you pretty directly to near the entrance to that one.
To get to Mary’s Bridge (Marienbrücke), the bus stop for Neuchwanstein Castle is not very far from the viewpoint or the bridge. It is located sort of behind the castle (not in between them).
The Hohenschwangau website is pretty helpful with a map, parking, how to purchase tickets, walk times, info about the buses/carrages, visiting times, current closures, tips for those with limited mobility, etc. I would recommend checking it out as it may help answer any further questions: https://www.hohenschwangau.de/en/visitor-information/
Note that when busy, it can sometimes be a long wait to get into the shuttlebuses or carraiges so you’ll want to leave extra time for that.
So my recommendation would be to book your ticket times in advance, do maybe Hohenschwangau in the morning (maybe at or near opening) and then maybe book Neuschwanstein 2.5 to 3 hours later. This will give you time to make sure you can get between the castles with plenty of extra time, give you time to go to the viewpoint, and wait in line for the buses/carriages. Also if all going well, it may give you time to wander the grounds or have a coffee, snack, sandwich or whatever in between. If you leave yourself plenty of extra time to visit each castle, you should be fine and not feel rushed. Just be sure to have your time slots booked in advance.
Hope that helps and wishing you a wonderful visit!
Jessica
Kerry Cowley Post author
I’m hoping to talk my husband into at least a 2 1/2 week trip to Germany and Austria next summer. Where we’ll fly in and out of depends on the airfare costs. After reading your post I’m definitely planning on buying the two-week pass. My problem is after reading the descriptions, there are at least 12 places on the pass that I’d like to visit. There’s no way I can realistically do all that if I want to cover lots of places between Vienna and possibly as far north as Berlin or Prague, especially if we rely solely on public transportation which will only make it so we can see less each day. To make getting around quicker did you have a rental car your entire trip? Did you price things out to see the difference in costs vs. taking public transportation? Was parking really expensive? What other places in Germany did you visit?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Kerry,
That sounds exciting to plan a trip to Germany and Austria for next year and the Bavarian Castle Pass can definitely save you money if you plan to visit a lot of the included castles and palaces. There are a lot of places you can visit so I would start constructing an itinerary first and deciding what is going to make sense about where to visit, for how long, and options for getting there. Many places in Germany can be visited by public transit (train or bus) but some will require either a rental car or taking a bus tour. So it will depend on where you want to visit and what you want to see. We did a mix of train and car, and you can definitely do a mix of the options. Certainly for larger cities you don’t need a car to visit. Parking can be expensive in cities but can be free in smaller towns and towns.
But yes, realistically whether you hav a car or go by public transit or do a mix, it might be hard to cover 12 places without feeling a bit exhausted.
It sound like you have a lot of places in mind and so I think it would be best to narrow it down and spend more time seeing fewer places. So you can easily spend 2 weeks in just Germany and still not get to all the regions. Or you could spend 2 weeks just visiting larger cities such as Munich, Berlin, Vienna and Prague by train or bus as you are covering cities in 3 countries. But those are two very different trips and I would think about what you want to focus on. Are you most interested in city or country or small towns, what kinds of things do you want to do (city tours, hiking, castles, food, festivals, markets, rural churches, art museums) and let that help guide your trip.
If you are new to this part of the world, I’d considering getting a guidebook, we personally had a copy of Rick Steves Germany guidebook as it has lots of practical and helpful tips on planning, public transit, deciding whether to rent a car, and planning your itinerary depending on how long you have in the country. He also covers most of the highlights in the most popular destinations for travelers in Germany.
I would sit down with your husband and come up with a rough idea of your must-sees in Germany and/or Austria and that can help focus your trip. Consulting a guidebook can also help with all the basic planning stuff. But once you do that, feel free to follow-up with additional questions as you continue planning your trip.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
Phan Post author
Hi Jessica,
This site is so helpful for my planning a trip to Munich. I have a few questions and hope you can help. My friend and I will be there 10/14-10/20 and plan to visit these castles: Neuschwastein, hohenschwangau, Linderhof and hHerrenchiemsee. Please advice which pass to get and do we still have to join the tours as said online in order to get in to visit? Or we can just present pass and visit as self tour. Your response is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Phan
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Phan,
Hohenschwangu is not included on the Bavarian Castle Pass as noted in the article, but the other three you mention are included. I think the The “Kombiticket Königsschlösser” ticket, which offers free entry into three of King Ludwig II’s palaces: Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee and Neuschwanstein, is the best choice for you.
To visit most castles and palaces in Germany, you must do so as part of a guided visit. So you normally have to go for a timed tour once you arrive, but these are included with the ticket price. Each place is a bit different, but I would recommend booking your entry times for Hohenschwangu and Neuschwanstein in advance as those will be the two busiest places on your list and both require a timed entry with guided visit.
These are all of course far outside Munich so you will need to rent a car or book a tour, such as this one, to reach these castles/palaces. You won’t be able to visit all four of them in one day so you’ll need to plan a couple of day trips if staying in Munich.
Best,
Jessica
Phan Pho Post author
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your response. I do have one question that I don’t understand. If I purchase passes, I still have to join tour to get inside, am I correct? I can’t just go in with the pass I have right?
Please help me with this concern because I don’t quite understand and my friend keeps telling me that I don’t need to join tour.
Thanks,
Phan
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Phan,
I am not sure what your question is exactly. Which castle are your friends referring to? I would refer to the information on the attraction website for the latest information about tours as it will have the most updated information.
If you have a pass, then that is your entry ticket to get into the castle, but you will still need to show it and often collect a ticket. Most castles in Germany require that you join a guided tour to see the inside and these leave at designated times. Most tours are given in either German or English but other tour languages are also sometimes available.
I believe that all 4 castles you want to visit require you to join a guided tour. You can not wander around the castles on your own, you must be with a guide. Photography is also not permitted in most castles in Germany.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Jessica
Christine Knott Post author
Hi, We are visiting Germany in February (my husband, me and our three children 21, 19, 16). We will be there for 2 weeks. We will be travelling from Frankfurt – Cologne – Herne – Berlin – Dresden – Nuremberg – Frankfurt.
Happy to stop on the way. Can you give us some suggestions of some castles to visit or any other places that you love. We are from Australia, so it will be so beautiful to see this wonderful country.
And should we buy the Bavaria pass or is there any other pass that would be best.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Christine,
There are thousands of castles in Germany so you will have no problem finding many to visit. Some of my favorites are Burg Eltz (south of Cologne), seeing those along the Rhine (you can do a short boat cruise), and those of Bavaria which of course include Neuschwanstein and the many royal palaces in Bavaria. You are visiting several different regions of Germany so to figure out which castles are in which area, I’d check out this list on Wikipedia as it provides names of all the major castles by region.
As you probably know, many of the cities and towns you are visiting (e.g., Cologne, Frankfurt, Dresden) were severely damaged during the bombings of WW2 so a lot of pre-WW2 buildings were damaged or lost. So many of the older buildings were destroyed although some cities have decided to reconstruct the old buildings (e.g., Frankfurt’s Old Town). You’ll find most of the castles dotted along the outskirts of cities and in the rural areas. Although in Nuremburg, you’ll find Nuremburg Castle which is well worth a visit (part of Bavarian Castle Pass).
You might considering driving a portion of the Castle Road (see list here) that includes a number of castles, and runs between Mannheim, Germany and Prague in the Czech Republic.
For the Bavarian Castle Pass, it really depends on how many castles and palaces you plan to visit in Bavaria. It seems from your itinerary that you don’t seem to be spending too much time in this region as out of the named cities, only Nuremberg, is within the northern part of region. But if you do decide to spend time in Bavaria, you will save money generally if you visit 3 or more of the 40+ sites included on the pass. I’d check the list of castles, gardens, and palaces in the link provided in the article and check that list against where you want to visit to determine if it is a good idea for you and you family or not.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
Tamara Post author
Hi Jessica,
If you have the 14-day Bavarian Castle pass and want to visit Linderhof Castle, do you think you need a reservation for the tour tickets there? We’d rather not lock down a time of the tour, which will allow us to be more flexible on visiting sites along the way (e.g. Wieskriche and Oberammergau), but we’d also rather not waste an hour or two waiting for our tour time.
Thanks!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tamara, We visited Linderhof Castle with the Bavarian Castle Pass and we did not make a reservation – the line was not very long when we visited. You can check ahead but I don’t think you need any reservations to visit the castle although I would recommend not waiting until near closing time to visit as if there is a crowd, you may not get to see much. The only castles I would definitely recommend making a reservation for are Neuschwanstein Castle (included in the Pass) and Hohenschwangu Castle (not included on the pass). Best, Jessica
Jenny Murray Post author
Hi. I looked into our visit to Linderhof, and the website indicated that they only take phone calls or faxes to reserve a tour time. They do not currently have the ability to take internet reservations. My family and I will be taking our chances and just getting in line to see the castle and grounds – perhaps we will have a designated “line holder” while the rest of us wander around. 🙂
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Jenny, Linderhof gets significantly fewer visitors compared to Neuschwanstein so I am sure you’ll be OK. It can get busy in the summers, but I am sure you’ll be fine. Hope you enjoy your time in Germany! Best, Jessica
Jenny Murray Post author
Thank you for the cost breakdown. You do as much research into costs savings as I do. 🙂
I have a couple of questions remaining:
1) what is the time spread that I should allow to get from the Hohenschwangau tour to the Neuschwanstein tour? We are considering waiting for a carriage ride to get up the hill, or taking the bus up and the carriage back. I expect that we will be in the area all day, so I don’t feel like we have to rush quite as much. Your thoughts?
2) We are traveling through Germany, Austria and Switzerland over the course of 6 weeks, and our weeks in Bavaria are split up. As a family of 5, would you suggest getting a year pass, or two 14 days passes (knowing that we will only be able to use one week out of each because of the timing)? Or perhaps we just do one 14-day pass and then pay as we go…
So many things to consider!
Thanks!
Jenny
travelcats Post author
Hi Jenny,
Glad you found our post on the Bavarian Castle Pass helpful in planning your trip.
1. ) I think we had them booked for 9:50am and 11:50am and this gave us plenty of time; however, we walked between the two castles with no kids or mobility issues. There is some uphill walking. The castle tours are about 30-40 minutes each. I think from the Ticket center, it is a 15-20 minute walk to Hohenschwangau or 30-40 minute walk to Neuschwanstein from the ticket area. Between the two, they advise to leave an hour to get from one to other. For shuttle buses and carriage rides, you’ll need to wait in line but they tend to move along rather quickly. Note that there will still be a bit of walking no matter what method you use as the carriages and buses can’t go directly to the castle so be sure to factor in about 10 minutes for walking to and from the loading/drop-off points. I would leave at least an hour, and perhaps recommend 2 hours, so you don’t need to worry about rushing around and can enjoy the area around as it is quite stunning in between the castle visits. If you have time, I’d not rush it, especially if you have kids.
2.) This depends on a few things such as how many places you plan to visit during each of your visits and the composition of your family. But if you are two adults and 3 children under 18, then the annual family pass version would probably be the best deal if you are planning to visit attractions included on the pass during both of your visits to Bavaria. The annual family would be less expensive than buying 2 separate 14-day family passes (65 euros vs. 90 euros [45 euros X 2]). The passes pay for themselves rather quickly if you plan to visit several attractions.
Hope this helps and have a lovely trip to Germany, Austria & Switzerland – sounds like a great trip!
Best,
Jessica
Mathru Post author
This was an awesome blog post. We went to Germany in June and this post helped me decide to buy the pass. It was well worth it. When I had some follow up questions on the post Jessica promptly replied. Much appreciated. Keep up the great work.
travelcats Post author
Hi Mathru, I am so happy that you found the Bavarian Castle Pass useful and thanks for your kind words. I am happy that I could help with your trip! Thanks so much for coming back to report on your trip to Germany 🙂 Happy travels ~ Jessica
Maria Post author
Hello,
This is most informative article on the Bavarian 14 day pass! Thank you for it.
My husband and I are going to Munich,Prague, Vienna and Budapest in December for the December Christmas markets. Will be in Munich from Dec 2 to 4 2016 and then after seeing the other places will return on Dec 12 and fly out on 13th. However I have just two days on the go and one day on the return from all these places before I fly back to Toronto.
I will definitely buy the Palaces pass as I want to visit Residenz, Neuschwanstein and Nymphenburg. Just a quick question: If I buy the Palace pass at the Residenz museum on Dec 2nd, how can I make the reservation to visit Neuschwanstein on the last day of my visit? December 12th. Can I go online in advance and book the reservation even if I dont have the pass in hand? or I just have to do it somehow on my trip. Wifi is going to be a problem for me.
Any help is much appreciated. And thank you in advance. Please help me get info on how to get reservation with this pass for Neuschwanstein. Dont want to wait out in the cold too long.
Regards
Maria
travelcats Post author
Hi Maria,
I am glad you found this post informative and it sounds like you have a fun December trip planned!
As for your question, if you know the date and time that you want to visit Schloss Neuschwanstein you can book online (or over the phone) in advance. You don’t need the Bavarian Castle Pass in hand when you book, just put a sentence in the reservation notes that you will have one when you visit. You won’t actually pay until you pick up the tickets, so at that point you will have to have the castle pass. I would definitely recommend making the online booking for Neuschwanstein before you leave for your trip if you know wifi connection will be an issue and you can also print out the confirmation.
Note that you would not need to worry about waiting in the cold if you were buying tickets at Neuschwanstein, as the ticket center is an enclosed building:)
Happy travels!
Jessica
Maria Post author
Thanks Jessica. This is a load off my mind. You have been such a help. Thanks once again.
joe Post author
hello,
if we buy the castle pass and visit the neuschwanstein castle, do we still need to pass by the ticket center or we can go straight to the palace?
And if we go directly there, is our admission valid for anytime?
Thank you
travelcats Post author
Hi Joe, Yes, even if you have already purchased the Bavarian Castle Pass elsewhere you still have to go to the Ticket Center to get a ticket that will be good for a specific entry time to enter Neuschwanstein Castle. You can’t go to the castle directly as you still need a ticket, the Pass won’t get you in but it will get you a free ticket. You can show up without a reservation, but I would strongly recommend having a reservation to save time as it could be a few hours wait (on very busy days they could be sold out!). You will need to show up 30 minutes prior to your reserved time to collect your tickets. If you have the pass, then the tickets are free, just show your passes when collecting them from the Ticket Center. Best, Jessica
Joe Post author
Thank you, I will be visiting at the end of may.
Do you think I should reserve online before or at that time of the year it’s not so crowded?
Thank you 🙂
travelcats Post author
Hi Joe, I think it will be busy (this is one of the most visited attractions in all of Germany) but not as busy as it is from June-August. However, I would still recommend making a reservation to prevent having to wait as if you arrive at 11:00, the first tour you could possibly do is 11:30 and if that spot is already filled, you’ll have to wait until 12:00. If you have time, I would also consider a visit to Hohenschwangau (within waking distance) although it is not included in the pass. We found the history of Hohenschwangau more interesting as the home of the family and childhood residence of King Ludwig II, although Neuschwanstein is very dramatic and beautiful, it was barely every lived in and the interior was never completed. ~ Jessica
Martha Post author
1. I realized literally as I hit send that I’d misread the website–I thought you could only buy tickets 2 days before starting at 3pm! I put in my requested times, hopefully everyone else is still ruminating over their plans!
Thanks very much for responding! I’m much calmer now that I have more details under my belt 🙂
travelcats Post author
Hi Martha, no problem. Glad this helped and everything should be fine. Most people do not reserve tickets this far in advance so you should have no issue getting tickets for the day of your choice and you should be able to get times that will work well with your more hurried scheduled. Enjoy the castles, they are both very interesting and beautiful! ~ Jessica
Maria Post author
Thanks Jessica! This is really helpful!
Maria Post author
Hi, how do you cover Linderhof Palace after visiting both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangu castles? Did you travel by public transportation?
travelcats Post author
Hi Maria, we actually traveled by rental car. We visited all three in one day since we had the Bavarian Castle Pass and had limited time in the area, but I would probably advise to do Hohenschwangu and Neuschwanstein Castles in one day and Linderhof Plance in a second day if you have the time and work in other non-castle activities as doing them all in one day makes for a lot of King Ludwig palaces for a day. Hohenschwangu and Neuschwanstein are located within walking distance from one another and then it is about an hour drive to Linderhof Palace. I think we had a 9:50am entry to Hohenschwangu and then a 11:50 at Neuschwanstein and we got to Linderhof in the late afternoon and stayed until it closed. It is possible to take public transit to get to any of the castles, but I am not aware of any direct connections although you might want to ask at the castle. If you do public transit, it looks like it will take between 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours depending on your bus connections. Here is a sample itinerary from http://www.bahn.de/ and you can do a search on the date you plan to visit on the bahn.de website.
Schwangau, Schloss Neuschwanstein (Tourismus)
walk 6 min.
Hohenschwangau, Schwangau (Schlösser) We, 05.08.15 dep 12:53 Bus 9606 Bus Direction: Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bahnhof
Oberammergau Bahnhof We, 05.08.15 arr 14:19
Transfer time 16 min.
Oberammergau Bahnhof We, 05.08.15 dep 14:35 Bus 9622 Bus Direction: Linderhof Schloß, Ettal
Linderhof Schloß, Ettal We, 05.08.15 arr 15:05
walk 6 min.
Ettal, Schloss Linderhof (Tourismus)
I think it would be possible but difficult to do all three in one day and you’d be quite rushed as it is good to leave time to walk around the grounds of each of the castles if you can. If you are not renting a car, you might consider booking a day trip from a tour company that does bus tours such as http://www.grayline.com or Viator which both offer day trips that include Neuschwanstein Caslte and Linderhof Palace in one day.
Good luck and hope this information is helpful!
Jessica
Martha Post author
Almost one year later, I’d love to get a little more information on this–I’m finding it so difficult to find this information! I have a rental car booked from 6am – 7pm on a Sunday in peak July (unfortunately no other option! We’ll just be up and ready to go as early as possible…)
1) Looks like we’ll have to be primed and ready to go at exactly 3pm Berlin time two days before our Sunday, right? And then you enter the desired information/time.
2) I’d like to get the first slot at Neuschwanstein and then a somewhat later ticket at Hohenschwangau. And leave time for the Marienbrücke. I’m wondering how difficult it is to get those slots–more like “getting tickets to Adele” or “appointment at the DMV”?
3) Did you also see the castle (from) Marienbrücke? Aka is there time for that?
travelcats Post author
Hi Martha,
1. I would reserve the tickets well in advance rather than waiting 2 days before as the tickets may be sold out in advance, particularly in the busy summer months and you may not get the times you want anyway. If you book well in advance (booking the King’s Ticket which includes both castles) you can still specify the time of your Hohenschwangau ticket and then have the Neuschwanstein entrance later. This is what we did and we had plenty of time to get from the one castle to the other. But yes, if you don’t want to visit the castles in the recommended order, you can book the two castles separately and specify your recommended time of visit.
2. If it is important for you to visit Neuschwanstein before Hohenschwangau, I would book the two sets of tickets separately and specific your preferred time of the tour for each. It sounds like you want the 9:00am (earliest summer tour time) for the first castle and then probably 11:00am for the second – just note you will have to arrive 60 minutes prior to your first tour time to pick up your tickets. I would make the Neuschwanstein first, see what time you get and then book the Hohenschwangu. Make sure they are at least 2 hours apart to give you time to get from one castle to the other. It is not that difficult as long as you book in advance but tickets can sell out for a particular day in advance (particularly the morning tickets) in the summer and holidays.
3. Yes, we were able to visit the Marienbrücke on our way from Hohenschwangau to our visit to Neuschwanstein Castle. Unfortunately, the bridge may be closed for your visit, but hopefully it will reopen before your visit. At the moment the Marienbrücke is closed to visitors due to major renovation work. The work is expected to continue until the end of July 2016. The hiking trail through the Pöllat Gorge is also currently inaccessible to visitors.
Hope this helps and enjoy your time in Bavaria!
Jessica
CK Post author
Hi, I am thinking of getting the pass. Just wondering how to use the pass at Neuschwanstein. Do I still have to reserve my ticket on line or do I simply just present the pass at the entrance without having to reserve a ticket in advance?
travelcats Post author
Hello CK, yes you can still make a reservation online (or by phone), but just put in the comment box that you plan to already have or will be buying the pass at the ticket counter at the castle. Then you can buy the Bavarian Castle Pass at the ticket office and if you want to visit Hohenschwangau you can pay for those entrance fees since they are not included in the pass. You’ll definitely want to make a reservation, especially in summer when it can get quite crowded and tours can sell out in advance. Just note that you’ll be asked to pick up the tickets one hour prior to your first castle reservation. Good luck and enjoy Bavaria!
Cheng Post author
I just got a response from Ticket Center Hohenschwangau that the 14-days ticket is not valid as an entrance ticket for Neuschwanstein.
travelcats Post author
Hi Cheng, I definitely used the 14 day pass for Neuschwanstein Castle when I visited and it is still listed as being part of the Bavarian Palance Pass on their website and materials. Are you sure that they did not say that Hohenschwangau is not included on the ticket as this has never been a part of the 14-day pass?
Larry Lipinski Post author
Is a list of sites available for the Bavarian Castle Pass?
travelcats Post author
Yes, Larry, you can read it on the website or you can view them on this brochure: http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/deutsch/schloss/objekte/jahreskarten.pdf
Melissa Post author
The Schloss Neuschwanstein castle is beautiful! – great photo! Thanks for posting these fantastic tips – I’m like Erica in that I always have such a hard time finding these things out on my own. I have a friend who will be traveling through Germany early next year; I can’t wait to send him this link!
travelcats Post author
Thanks, I hope the tips are helpful for your friend!
Kathryn Dilligard Post author
Awww. I want to visit every Bavarian castle there is.
travelcats Post author
Kathryn, then this would be a great pass for you! I also really love touring castles and palaces but after a few you do kind of get burned out so make sure you leave plenty of time to do other things in between castle tours.
Dannielle Post author
This is so helpful! We were going to go to a couple castles while we were over there but decided to do a separate trip, I had no idea there were that many! Definitely something to look into. Which ones would you recommend someone definitely go to?
travelcats Post author
Hi Dannielle, oh my there are so many cool castles and palaces in Germany and we have only gone to a handful. So far my favorite castle in all of Germany was Burg Eltz along the Mosel River. In Bavaria specifically, I think Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are must-visits although be prepared for large crowds as Neuschwanstein is one of the biggest attractions in Germany. We also really liked the Munich Residenz (the items in the Treasury are wonderful) and Nymphenburg Palace (we especially loved the carriage museum and the grounds there).
Dannielle Post author
Thanks for the suggestions! We are hoping to get back to Germany next year for more exploring as we just stayed in Munich before.
Erica Post author
That’s super helpful! Thank you! I love all the tips you have, I’m terrible at finding these kinds of things out…
travelcats Post author
Glad it was helpful, and hope you’ll check out the pass during your next trip to Bavaria.