Day trips
Füssen and the Royal Castles: Getting There, Walking and Lead Times
The train ends in Füssen, the castles are five kilometres on. What lies between, and how much lead time the day really needs.
Prices and opening times last checked
Füssen is where the railway line ends and the way to the royal castles begins. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau do not stand in Füssen itself but 5 kilometres away in the village of Hohenschwangau, and those last few kilometres are what wrecks most day plans, because no timetable shows them as effort.
From the Ticket Center to Neuschwanstein Castle it is 30–40 min, about 1.5 km, steep climb. If you take the entry time on your ticket literally and set off then, you will miss it.
Getting there
From Munich to Füssen and on to Hohenschwangau
The train gets you to Füssen: regional trains of the Bayerische Regiobahn leave Munich Central Station from platforms 27 to 36. From Füssen station buses RVA 73 and RVA 78 run to the Alpseestraße stop in Hohenschwangau, a ride of about 15 minutes; a taxi takes about 8 minutes. The Ticket Center, where every ticket is issued, is in Hohenschwangau.
If you come by car, one restriction matters: in Hohenschwangau there are only paid private car parks, P1 to P4, and the Neuschwansteinstraße is closed to cars and bicycles.
| From | To | On foot |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket Center | Neuschwanstein Castle | 30–40 min, about 1.5 km, steep climb |
| Ticket Center | Hohenschwangau Castle | 20–30 min |
| Car park P4 | Marienbrücke bridge | about 45 min uphill |
The gradient is the part timetables do not show. If you would rather not walk it, there are two options. The shuttle bus from car park P4 to the Jugend viewpoint near the Marienbrücke costs 3.5 € uphill and 5 € return. From the drop-off it is five minutes on foot to the bridge and fifteen down to the castle, on a gradient of 12 to 19 per cent. The catch: no fixed timetable, no reservations, and no service in snow or ice.
The horse carriage to Neuschwanstein leaves from the Hotel Müller on Alpseestraße, and it does not reach the gate either: from the turning point it is another 450 metres, or 10 to 15 minutes uphill.
2
hours before your entry time you should be in the village, not at the castle.
Timing
How much lead time the castles need
The palace administration states the lead time itself, and it differs between the two castles: for Neuschwanstein 1.5 to 2 hours before the entry time, for Hohenschwangau 1 hour. In both cases that means arriving in the VILLAGE, not at the gate; the climb comes after that.
Both castles can only be seen on a guided tour at a fixed entry time. There are no reservations, no waiting lists, no changes and no refunds. Remaining tickets go on sale at the desk from 8:00 each morning and are often gone by late morning. If you are coming from Munich and only reach Füssen around midday, book in advance; the booking fee is 2.5 € per ticket.
What costs nothing in Hohenschwangau
2 of the 5 sights here are free to visit: the courtyard and garden of Hohenschwangau Castle, and the Marienbrücke. The bridge carries the view of Neuschwanstein everyone recognises, and it costs nothing, but it is not always reachable in winter: it closes in ice and snow.
The walk there is the longest of the three: about 45 min uphill from car park P4. With the shuttle bus it comes down to five minutes on foot. So if you only want the view and not the interiors, you need no ticket in Füssen at all, only time and decent shoes.
Foto: C.Stadler/Bwag (talk / email) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What the season changes
The summer season runs 28. March to 15. October, the winter season 16. October to 27. March. In practice: in summer Neuschwanstein opens 9:00–18:00, in winter 10:00–16:00, two hours less on a journey from Munich that takes exactly as long either way.
Hohenschwangau closes earlier than Neuschwanstein even in summer, at 16:30. So if you want both in one day, start with Hohenschwangau. Prices and the full day plan are in Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.
Common questions
Common questions
How far is Neuschwanstein from Füssen?
The castles are 5 kilometres from Füssen, in the village of Hohenschwangau. From the Ticket Center there to Neuschwanstein Castle it is 30–40 min, about 1.5 km, steep climb.
How early should I arrive?
1.5 to 2 hours before your entry time for Neuschwanstein, 1 hour for Hohenschwangau, measured on arrival in the village, not at the castle gate.
What does the shuttle bus cost?
3.5 € uphill, 5 € return. There is no fixed timetable, no reservation, and no service in snow or ice.
Can I see the castles without a ticket?
From outside, yes. The courtyard and garden of Hohenschwangau and the Marienbrücke are freely accessible, and at Neuschwanstein you can walk up to the gate but not into the courtyard.
Routes, prices and times from the Bavarian Palace Administration and the Hohenschwangau administration, retrieved 2026-08-17.