Can I visit Bavaria's castles without a car using public transport?

Yes. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are fully reachable by regional train to Füssen plus bus 73 or 78. Herrenchiemsee requires a train to Prien am Chiemsee plus a ferry. Linderhof is the hardest by public transport — train to Oberammergau plus bus or taxi. The Bayern-Ticket day pass covers trains and buses across Bavaria for €29.

Bavaria castles by train: day trip guide from Munich

Going car-free in Bavaria: what is actually possible

Bavaria’s castle circuit is one of the most impressive in Europe, and the good news is that most of it is accessible without a car. The train and bus network in this part of Germany is better than most visitors expect. The bad news is that some routes require careful timetable planning and Linderhof specifically is awkward by public transport.

This guide covers every route in practical detail — which trains to take, which bus connections to plan for, what the Bayern-Ticket covers, and what costs are unavoidable even with a day pass.

The Bayern-Ticket: the foundation of every castle day trip

The Bayern-Ticket is the single most useful piece of public transport for visitors planning day trips across Bavaria. Understanding what it covers prevents wasted money and missed connections.

What it covers:

All regional trains (Regionalbahn, RegionalExpress) in Bavaria in 2nd class
All local buses and trams operated by MVV (Munich) and regional bus companies including RVO (which runs buses in the Allgäu area including bus 73/78 to Hohenschwangau)
Valid from 9am on the day of travel until 3am the following morning
Valid for 1 person (€29) or a group of up to 5 people travelling together (€49)

What it does not cover:

ICE or IC intercity trains
First-class travel on any train
Ferry services (including the Chiemsee ferry to Herreninsel — you pay this separately)
Funicular railways and cable cars (including the Tegelbergbahn near Neuschwanstein)

Is it worth buying? In 2026, a standard day return ticket from Munich to Füssen costs approximately €41–48 without a day pass. A Bayern-Ticket solo costs €29 and covers the return journey plus all buses at the destination. For a solo visitor, it saves roughly €15–20 on a Neuschwanstein day. For two people, the group ticket at €49 saves significantly versus two individual returns.

Buy the Bayern-Ticket at any Deutsche Bahn ticket machine, the DB website (bahn.de), or the DB Navigator app. Print or have it on your phone. Check on board that you are on a regional train (RB or RE) not a long-distance train — the ticket is not valid on ICE/IC services.

For a full breakdown of the Bayern-Ticket, see our dedicated Bayern-Ticket guide.

Route 1: Munich to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau

This is the most popular castle day trip from Munich and the most straightforward by public transport.

Train: Munich Hauptbahnhof to Füssen

Train type: RB (Regionalbahn) — Bayern-Ticket valid
Frequency: Approximately every 2 hours from Munich; extra services added in peak season
Journey time: 1 hour 58 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes
Departures to plan around: 7:52am, 9:52am, 11:52am (roughly every 2 hours from Munich Hbf — check DB Navigator for current timetable as it changes seasonally)
First train arriving before 10am: The 7:52am from Munich Hbf arrives Füssen approximately 9:58am (times may vary — always check current schedule)

Note: The 9am validity restriction on the Bayern-Ticket means the 7:52am train departure is too early for the day pass. Workaround: buy a single ticket to Füssen for the early train (approximately €20–25), then use the Bayern-Ticket for the return and any additional bus journeys. Alternatively, take the 9:52am train — you will arrive at the castle area around midday, which still gives a full afternoon.

Bus: Füssen to Hohenschwangau (ticket centre)

Bus 73 (direction Steingaden) or Bus 78 (direction Haltestelle Neuschwanstein)
Departs from directly outside Füssen train station
Journey time: approximately 10 minutes to Hohenschwangau Alpseestrasse (ticket centre)
Bayern-Ticket valid on both routes
Frequency: roughly every 30 minutes in peak season; check rvo.de for current schedule

Departure timing from Munich to arrive at castle opening: The castle opens at 8am for first tours. With the Bayern-Ticket 9am restriction, the realistic earliest arrival is around 11:30am–noon. If you want a morning slot, take the 7:52am train on a regular ticket and book a pre-paid online ticket for your Neuschwanstein tour slot.

Return from Füssen to Munich: Last trains from Füssen to Munich depart in the evening (check DB Navigator). Miss the last train and you either stay in Füssen overnight or take a taxi to the nearest larger town. Plan your return train before leaving Munich. Neuschwanstein Castle full-day trip by trainCheck availability

Route 2: Munich to Herrenchiemsee

Herrenchiemsee is the most pleasant by-train journey of the castle routes — a comfortable 1.5 hours plus a scenic ferry crossing.

Train: Munich Hauptbahnhof to Prien am Chiemsee

Train type: RE (RegionalExpress) — Bayern-Ticket valid
Journey time: approximately 1 hour (or 50 minutes on faster services — check timetable)
Frequency: Every 30–60 minutes
No changes required on most direct services

From Prien to Stock harbour: Two options, both take approximately 10 minutes:

Local bus from Prien station to Stock harbour (Bayern-Ticket valid)
Chiemsee-Bahn — a narrow-gauge steam railway running in season only (April–October, approximately), not covered by Bayern-Ticket but costs around €3–4

Ferry: Stock to Herreninsel

Chiemsee Schifffahrt operates ferries from Stock to Herreninsel (and optionally Fraueninsel)
Journey time: approximately 15 minutes to Herreninsel
Ferry is NOT covered by Bayern-Ticket — purchase separately at Stock harbour
Return ferry ticket approximately €12.50 in 2026 (check chiemseeschifffahrt.de for current prices)
Ferries run approximately every 30–45 minutes in season

Palace entry: From the Herreninsel ferry landing, it is a 15-minute walk through the palace park to Herrenchiemsee Palace. Entry costs €11 for adults in 2026.

Total day cost (approximate, solo, Bayern-Ticket included): Bayern-Ticket €29 + ferry €12.50 + palace entry €11 = approximately €52.50

Practical tip: The last ferry back from Herreninsel is typically in the late afternoon (check chiemseeschifffahrt.de for the day’s last crossing). Missing it means waiting for a scheduled service or negotiating a water taxi. Check the return times when you arrive at the island. Herrenchiemsee Palace and boat trip day tourCheck availability Herrenchiemsee Palace private excursion by trainCheck availability

Route 3: Munich to Linderhof Palace

Linderhof is the most logistically challenging of the main Bavarian castles by public transport. It is worth knowing the constraints before you plan.

Train: Munich to Oberammergau

Route: Munich Hauptbahnhof to Murnau (RegionalExpress, Bayern-Ticket valid, approx 55 min), then Murnau to Oberammergau (Regionalbahn, Bayern-Ticket valid, approx 45 min)
Total Munich to Oberammergau: approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
Frequency: roughly hourly from Munich with connection at Murnau

Oberammergau to Linderhof: This is the difficult leg. Linderhof is 12 kilometres from Oberammergau by road, through the Graswangtal valley.

Bus 9622 (operated by RVO, Bayern-Ticket valid) runs Oberammergau–Ettal–Linderhof–Plansee direction, but with very limited departures — typically 4–6 per day in each direction in peak season. Check rvo.de for the current timetable before you go. There is no substitute for checking specific departure times — a bus that leaves Oberammergau at 10:30am may not return from Linderhof until 2pm, giving you under 4 hours at the palace.
Taxi from Oberammergau: approximately €20–25 one-way, taking about 20 minutes. Pre-book with a local taxi company or ask your hotel to arrange. Taxis are not always immediately available at Oberammergau station.

Practical recommendation: If you want Linderhof on public transport without a car, plan the bus schedule first, build your day around the bus times, and have the taxi company’s number as backup. The bus 9622 timetable changes seasonally.

Alternatively: Organised day tours from Munich that combine Neuschwanstein and Linderhof handle the Linderhof logistics for you at the cost of less flexibility. Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castle full-day tripCheck availability

Route 4: Munich to Nymphenburg Palace

The simplest castle route from Munich — no trains, no buses beyond the city tram network.

Tram 17 from Munich Hauptbahnhof:

Tram line 17 departs from directly outside the Hauptbahnhof (main entrance) on Bayerstrasse
Direction: Amalienburgstrasse or Romanplatz (both reach the palace stop)
Stop: Schloss Nymphenburg
Journey time: approximately 18 minutes
Frequency: Every 10–12 minutes in peak hours
Ticket: Any MVV day ticket, the Bayern-Ticket, or a single journey ticket (€3.70 in zone M in 2026)

Nymphenburg is covered under the Bayern-Ticket (as Munich local transport is included). If your only castle visit of the day is Nymphenburg, a standard MVV Tageskarte (day ticket for Munich inner zones) at €9.20 is cheaper than the €29 Bayern-Ticket.

Planning your day trips: scheduling considerations

Combining castles in one trip

Neuschwanstein + Hohenschwangau: Easy — same location, single day from Munich. See Neuschwanstein vs Hohenschwangau for scheduling.

Neuschwanstein + Linderhof: Possible by organised tour or car. By public transport, the bus connection between the two (via Füssen or Reutte area) is impractical for a day trip. Organised tours handle this directly — coaches run the 45-km route as part of the day.

Herrenchiemsee + Chiemsee region: The ferry also stops at Fraueninsel, a small island with an active Benedictine monastery. Adding Fraueninsel (free to walk around) makes the lake day feel complete. Budget an extra 30–60 minutes.

Nymphenburg + Munich city: Nymphenburg works naturally as a morning visit before or after the Altstadt. It is the one castle that does not require leaving Munich.

Getting help with connections

Deutsche Bahn’s DB Navigator app handles all regional train timetables in Bavaria with real-time updates. Enter your journey as a regional train (filter for RB/RE) and it plans the connections. The Bayern-Ticket can be purchased directly in the app.

For bus connections from Füssen (lines 73/78) and regional buses around Oberammergau, the RVO website (rvo.de) has current timetables. Google Maps and Apple Maps are generally accurate for Bavarian bus routes but sometimes miss seasonal changes.

For more on public transport across Bavaria, see Munich public transport guide and getting around Munich.

Guided tours: when they make sense

Independent public transport travel is cheaper and more flexible. Organised guided day tours make sense when:

You want Neuschwanstein + Linderhof in a single day (the logistics of combining them independently by train and bus are genuinely difficult)
You prefer not to plan connections and handle the Füssen bus yourself
You want an English-speaking guide at the castle rather than an audio guide
You are travelling as part of a group where one or two members have mobility constraints

For a comparison of the main guided day-tour options from Munich to Neuschwanstein, see Neuschwanstein day trips from Munich.

Frequently asked questions about Bavaria castles by train

What is the Bayern-Ticket and is it worth buying?

The Bayern-Ticket is a day pass for all regional trains (2nd class) and local buses in Bavaria, valid from 9am until 3am the following morning. In 2026 it costs €29 for one person or €49 for a group of up to five. For most castle day trips from Munich, it saves money over standard single tickets.

How long does the train to Füssen (for Neuschwanstein) take?

From Munich Hauptbahnhof, regional trains run direct to Füssen approximately every 2 hours. Journey time is 1 hour 58 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes. Buses 73 and 78 run from Füssen train station to Hohenschwangau in about 10 minutes.

Is bus 73 or 78 included in the Bayern-Ticket?

Yes. Both bus lines 73 and 78 are covered by the Bayern-Ticket. No separate bus ticket is needed.

How do I get to Herrenchiemsee by public transport?

Take a regional train to Prien am Chiemsee (approximately 1 hour, Bayern-Ticket valid). From Prien, take the local bus or vintage steam train to Stock harbour. Then take the ferry to Herreninsel (approximately €12.50 return — not covered by Bayern-Ticket).

Can I reach Linderhof Palace by train?

Partially. Take a regional train to Oberammergau (Bayern-Ticket valid, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Munich). From Oberammergau, bus 9622 runs to Linderhof but infrequently. A taxi from Oberammergau costs approximately €20–25 one-way.

How do I get to Nymphenburg Palace by public transport?

Tram 17 from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Schloss Nymphenburg stop, about 18 minutes. Valid with any Munich MVV day ticket or the Bayern-Ticket.

Should I book a guided tour or go independently by train?

Going independently by train is cheaper but requires planning connections. Guided day tours handle logistics — transport, ticket queues, and often include a guide. Independent trains suit visitors comfortable with DB connections; guided tours suit those who want an organised day without planning.

Top experiences

Bookable activities with verified prices and instant confirmation on GetYourGuide.

From Munich: Neuschwanstein Castle full-day trip by train

From Munich: Herrenchiemsee Palace and boat trip day tour

From Munich: Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castle full-day trip

Munich: Herrenchiemsee Palace private excursion by train

Bavaria's castles by train: day trip logistics from Munich