Offbeat Munich and Bavaria: 2 Days
Two days is barely enough to call Munich a base camp, but it is enough for one real Bavaria day trip if day one stays disciplined about not overreaching. This is the short version of a longer spine; see the 3 day and 7 day versions of this plan once two days leaves you wanting more.
| Day | Focus | Distance/time from Munich |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base camp settle-in near the Hauptbahnhof, a fast taste of the Altstadt | in Munich |
| 2 | Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen and Schwangau | about 3 hrs door-to-door |
Book these before you go
- Compare Munich hotel rates near the Hauptbahnhof , the base for tomorrow’s train
- Reserve Neuschwanstein’s timed entry up to 8 weeks out, or book a guided day tour instead if the ticket-center logistics sound like a chore
Day 1: Land, base camp, and one taste of the Altstadt
Ride the S1 or S8 in from the airport, 40 to 45 minutes, €13.60 for a single ticket, or €16.10 for an Airport-City-Day-Ticket if the MVV network gets more use today. Base yourself near the Hauptbahnhof rather than Marienplatz: tomorrow’s train to Füssen leaves from there, and a five-minute walk to the platform beats a prettier hotel with a transfer attached. Drop the bag, then walk the Altstadt loop just once, Marienplatz for the Glockenspiel (11am and noon, a modest 12 to 15 minute show for the crowd it draws) and Viktualienmarkt for lunch at its beer garden. That is the whole city-sightseeing budget for this trip; the full Munich guide covers the rest for a return visit. Dinner at Augustiner-Keller beats the Hofbräuhaus for both beer and atmosphere, one hall among hundreds trading on fame rather than quality.
Day 2: Neuschwanstein, the whole day
Give this the entire day; do not schedule anything else around it. Neuschwanstein sits near Füssen and Schwangau, about 3 hours door-to-door (train to Füssen roughly 2h10, then a short bus or a 20 to 40 minute uphill walk), and entry is a fixed-time, roughly 35-minute guided tour only, no walk-up option. Adult admission is €21 (€20 reduced) plus a €2.50 online booking fee; the Kings-Ticket combo with neighboring Hohenschwangau Castle runs €43.50 (€38.50 reduced). Book through the official Hohenschwangau ticket center up to 8 weeks ahead, and note that even a prebooked ticket is collected in person at the center in the village, not at the castle gate. Summer slots between 10am and 2pm sell out weeks ahead, so lock a time before flying rather than hoping for a walk-up. The interior is mid a multi-year restoration, so expect some scaffolding, and the Marienbrücke view closes seasonally roughly November through March.
Head back on the last convenient train and keep dinner simple near the Hauptbahnhof; two days does not leave room for a second beer garden crawl. Save Dachau and everything else in Bavaria for the next visit, or the longer version of this plan.