Schloss Neuschwanstein or Neuschwanstein castle is one of the many reasons to make your trip to Germany. The Bavarian pride, Neuschwanstein is a 19th century Romanesque architectural wonder and is visited by 1.5 million visitors around a year. The castle thats so fascinating holds a very interesting history of its own.
Here, you can find the history and the inspiration that lead to the creation of this majestic castle.
Anyway, if you are visiting Neuschwanstein, you are going to see it internally or externally and are probably going to read enough about it, so here you can skip the history and can get the all details that you need before you make the trip to the castle.
How to get to Neuschwanstein?
Well, there are various modes of transportation available to make your way to this Fairytale sight.
By Car
Neuschwanstein is approximately 2 hours drive from Munich by car, A7 being the primary roadway until Füssen or Kempten. Parking is located at the village of Hohenschwangau from here the castle is 30 mins uphill walk, you can even go with a horse driven carriage or can also opt for a shuttle bus that takes you to the castle. The shuttle bus ticket costs €2.60 round trip and can be taken from the P4 parking lot. As the bus cannot drive all the way to the castle, do expect 10-15 mins walk from the drop-off point. Also, note that the shuttle service is stopped in case of bad weather.
Tip: To have a complete fairy-tale experience, go with a horse carriage that will take you to the castle, making you feel like a royal from the 19th century.
It costs €9 (€6 uphill and €3 downhill), there is a short walk from the drop-off point to the castle.
Note: Abundant parking is available at the village at a minimal cost.
Bus and Train
One of the budgety alternate is going by Train or Bus. One can easily buy a Bavaria ticket at any station in Munich which allows travel on all buses and trains across the state.
It is valid for weekends, public holiday and weekdays after 9am. It costs 25€ for a single traveller and additional 6€ for the extra traveller and goes up till 5 travellers. So, 31€ for 2 travellers and if you split than its just 15.50€ p.p.
A group of 5 just pays 49€ for this ticket.
The train journey from Munich to Füssen is just above 2 hours. The train runs from the Munich main station/ Hauptbahnhof(hbf) at a regular interval of 1 hour.
Check the train time: Deutsche Bahn website
Note: Train time alters over weekends with additional travel time, so be sure to check them beforehand.
Tip: If you wish to catch an early train prior than 9am (e.g: 8.53am) along with the Bavaria ticket, then buy a single trip ticket of 2.80€ p.p that will cover your initial journey from Munich Hbf to Munich Pasing.
Take the Bus:
At the Füssen station, look out for a bus heading to Schwangau(78) or Steingaden(73). The frequency is good, so you will always find a bus waiting for you.
This journey is covered under your Bavaria ticket. Drop down at Hohenschwangau and head towards the Ticket Office for your indoor visit.
Go with a Travel Bus:
Flixbus, a travel bus now takes you directly from Munich to Neuschwanstein on weekends. The bus departs from Munich main bus station and drops you at the Schwangau village, alike the local public buses.
The bus ticket can cost anywhere between €8 to €20 one way, so the total cost could be between €16 to €40.
But the major drawback is that the frequency is limited to one bus a day in both directions, which limits your stay at the castle if you plan a day trip.
The time you spend on the to and from journey is way more than that you spend at the castle, also if you compare it with the Bus and Train option, the trip to the main bus station and from there, is not included in the ticket cost.
Which increases your time and money, so not a very viable option.
Do you know the history of this castle?
Know the great history behind the castle and the king here!
Go with a Guided tour
Few travel companies arrange day trips to the Neuschwanstein castles and few other points of interest like Linderhof castle, in the surroundings.
They run mostly from Munich and offer a complete package that includes transportation to and fro. Usually, they end upto being more expensive than the other alternatives.
But saves you the hassles and lends you a group to go by.
Approx. the day trip tours range from 40€ to 50€ exclusive of entrance to the castle.
Fun Trip:
Similarly, there are also a number of guided bike tours that take you along the Alps and gorge with the castle on the bikes.
Neuschwanstein Tickets
Buy your Tickets:
Neuschwanstein is one of those spot whose tickets get sold out in just first half of the day. So, it can even happen that by the time you reach the castle, the tickets are already sold out and don´t forget the queues for the tickets are very long.
To avoid the hassles of standing in the queue and to confirm your spot to visit the castle internally, book your ticket online in advance at the cost €13 p.p(above 18yrs) with additional €2.50 p.p as reservation fee. Tickets must be booked online atleast 2 days in advance.
The tickets are just blocked and can be collected at the ticket counter on the day of visit by paying in cash or by credit card, make sure you be there 1 hour prior to your tour. Cancellations are permitted upto 2 hours before the tour.
On the Spot Ticket:
Take it for granted that there will be long queues to buy the ticket, so try to reach early and run up to the ticket counter in the village before the other crowd does.
The ticket price remains the same, €13 p.p(above 18yrs) and the tours run every 5 minutes which are available in English and German, and has audio guides for 16 other languages.
Book your tickets here –Neuschwanstein Ticket
When to visit the castle?
Visit the castle in Summer!
The best season to visit the castle is between July to August, which is the reason the castle is pitch filled with visitors.
Visit the castle in Spring!
Springs (March to April) is another good time to visit the castle where the castle can be captured against a lush green backdrop in a hide and seek setting across the clouds. This season is good to avoid masses and have an eventful trek in the fresh atmosphere.
Visit the castle in Fall!
This could be the second-best time to visit the castle, where the Bavarian Alps transform by the autumn foliage, sky is relatively clear, temperatures are bearable and mostly important the crowds have dispersed.
Here, you also get a chance to combine a trip to Munich with a visit to the castle and enjoy the Oktober Fest at the same time.
Visit the castle in Winter!
The snow-covered castle stands out to the glimpsing ray of sun with the surrounding valley cladded in snow; camouflaging with the Alps at few points gives a view that´s a traveller dream. Though the freezing temperatures and inaccessibility makes it difficult to visit in winter.
Note: Tickets for visitors under 18 are free and a reduced price for senior citizens, students and large groups.
Tips:
If you dont believe in booking in advance and wish to visit the castle in the peak season, then try your luck by reaching there before the world reaches. Make sure to reach there before the opening hours, this will guarantee you a fixed ticket to the guided tour and will save hell lot of time from standing in a queue. The worst time to visit are the afternoons where the castle is overfilled with visitors.
Also, to avoid flock of visitors try visiting the castle on a weekday.
Could not make it early, then better be late!
The visitors start to reduce at late afternoons after 3pm, where they start their return journey. But during summer where the daylight lasts till 7-8 pm , this way around might not work and to secure it, it´s probably best to reserve your tickets in advance.
Guided Tour:
The tour takes you along the castle which starts at the courtyard, moves along the throne room, the king´s bedroom, the dressing room and more where you will learn about King Ludwig and the castle; it ends at the kitchen and the souvenir shop at the exit. The tour lasts for 35mins with the additional time you spend at the souvenir shops.
Apart from that, the tours hold no free time to wander inside the castle on your own. It is expected to reach the tour gate 5mins before your time slot.
Note: Photography inside the castle is strictly prohibited.
Wheelchair, stroller, dog friendly?
Neuschwanstein isn´t completely wheelchair, stroller or dog friendly. Though wheelchair and strollers are allowed on bus, dogs aren´t.
If you take a shuttle, the bus drops you to a point that needs another 10mins uphill walk which is difficult with a stroller. Despite the hassles, many travellers manage to drag the strollers until the castle.
Also, dogs aren´t allowed inside the castle.
Castle Timing:
The castle is open all 7 days of the week between 9 am to 6 pm from April to October 15. From October 16 to March the castle remains open between 9 am to 4 pm.
Note: The castle is closed on December 24-25, 31 and January 1.
Planning a trip to the Neuschwanstein castle?
Here is all you need to know before your visit!
Do not miss on!!
Highlight point of the trip:
Don´t miss on the views from the Marienbrüken which offers stunningly outstanding landscape with the majestic beauty. For another viewpoint away from the crowd, cross the Marienbrüke and trek uphill through the lush green patch, the trails are well established.
Hohenschwangau Castle: Another charming asset to this town is the Hohenschwangau castle, that sits close to the fairly-tale castle on a mountain at height. King Ludwig spend his childhood in this very castle.
The castle can be visited from inside only with guided tours. You can even plan to visit the two castles on a single day trip. Combinational tickets are also available to visit the two castles.
Another nearby attraction is the Linderhof castle
** Sip on some cold beer or a fresh brewed coffee at the Schlossrestaurant enjoying the views that overlook the castle.
Where to Stay?
Hohenschwangau Village: It can´t get any better than staying in the castle town itself. You can get plenty of options to make a stay in this lovely little town.
To have perfect royal experience, consider staying at Ludwig Villa, in the village.
Füssen: Just at a 5 minute´s drive is a town Füssen, which is a beautiful and welcoming town where you can find reasonable options to make a stay.
Munich: At an hour´s drive Munich is the most preferred B&B spot for tourist around the globe. The basic reason being, Munich is a Metropol and offers ample options and good connectivity to Bus and Train routing directly to the castle.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Another good spot to form your base is this place about 1 hour away from the castle. The best part is, you can very easily explore Austria, Zugspitze from here.
Need some more details, visit the official website – Neuschwanstein Castle
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Want to know about King Ludwig II, creator of the Neuschwanstein castle?
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Author: Kinnari
Welcome! I am Kinnari, a 20 something Engineer from Pune, India. Presently residing in Germany, which got me an opportunity to explore the world around me! Staying far from my family also got me a chance to step into the kitchen and put my apron on! Altogether a big opportunity to share my experiences with you!
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