#164 | NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE

BAVARIA, GERMANY

While we were putting together our itinerary for Munich, we were very undecided about visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle - because it was so far away. I didn't mind the trek, but the boy wasn't so keen on it. Eventually, the beautiful pictures we saw of the castle convinced the both of us to just do it. Neuschwanstein is located on a hill in Hohenschwangau Village, near the town of Fussen. To get there, we took a 2.5 hour Regional Bavarian train to Fussen, and then hopped on a local bus that took us to the village in about 15-20 minutes. So now you know what we meant by 'far away'. Tickets can be booked ahead of time or purchased on the spot at the Visitor's Centre, but because visits are are only allowed via a guided tour (i.e. you can't walk around the castle on your own), it would be best to buy tickets online in advance to make sure you actually get your preferred time and day. There's another castle nearby - Hohenschwangau - which is about a 20 minute walk away, so you can make use of your day trip and add this to the itinerary as well. Just a word of advice for those planning the travel times, the local bus drops you off at the Visitor's Centre, which is where you'll need to be to collect tickets (including those purchased online), and this has to be done at least 90 minutes before your scheduled tour. After tickets are collected, you have to actually make your way to the castle, and there's a few options available. There's the 30-40 minute uphill walk, a shuttle bus that takes you there and back for around €3, or to make the experience even more unique, the horse drawn carriage which is the most expensive option. Now, once you get up there, there's another 10 minute walk to the actual entrance. So just make sure all these extra times are factored into the plan. The castle was so beautiful, and nothing like what we've ever seen before (but it was our first trip to Europe after all!). It was a long day, and a very long journey back to Munich, but we had no regrets visiting!