Questions about Bavaria

[karenanne]

Eight of us plan to spend a few days exploring Bavaria next November. We will be traveling by train and would appreciate any advice from folks who have been there. We have heard that Garmisch is beautiful and of course we want to see the wonderful castles. Our time is unfortunately very short so we would appreciate any hints and suggestions you all may have.

[Sarah in Munich]

I would say a lot of Bavaria is beautiful and the Romantic Road encompasses a lot of interesting (worth seeing) cities and sights. Garmisch is certainly not ugly, but also not particularly beautiful. More importantly it is a launching pad to the Alps and to many beautiful walks.. .. . The landscape around it is lovely. I personally don't find the town that amazing. Same for Oberammergau, by the way. G-P is also near the castle Linderhof. And with a car, it can easily be connected to the Neuschwanstein/Hohenshwangau/Füssen area. How many days have you got exactly? I have been to lot's of places and can make itinerary suggestions.. .. .

Before you go, make sure you get some good guides. I would recommend the following:

Munich and the Bavarian Alps (Eyewitness)
Germany (Rough Guide)
Germany (Let's Go)

There are others, and Rick Steve's gives soem helpful tips for the Romantic road and some of the main Bavarian sights, but the top two books are really the best.