Day trips from Munich by train: castles, lakes, Alps
Within about two hours of Munich lie a fairy-tale castle, Germany's highest mountain, a lake with an island palace and three historic cities. All six can be done by train, and for a group the Bayern-Ticket makes the regional trains cheap, even as far as Salzburg.
Train times are timetable times from München Hauptbahnhof on weekday mornings in winter 2026/27, with the fastest and slowest connections. Car times are routing estimates without traffic; allow more at weekends and in holiday periods.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Photo: Gildo Cancelli / Pexels, Pexels License
about 2 h 3 min to 2 h 23 minregional train to Füssen, direct or with one change, then the bus to Hohenschwangau
about 1 h 42 min
King Ludwig II began his castle above the Pöllat gorge in 1869 and never saw it finished. Inside, the tour takes in throne hall, singers' hall and the king's rooms; outside, the setting between the Alps and the lakes is what most people come for.
Tip: The castle can only be seen on a guided tour of about 30 min with a fixed entry time. Book online (€21 plus a €2.50 booking fee); visitors under 18 enter free but still need a ticket. The Ticket Center in Hohenschwangau opens at 8 am, but same-day tickets often run out.
Allow for the climb: the walk up from the Ticket Center takes 30 to 40 min, and the shuttle bus and the horse-drawn carriages are the alternatives; the castle's travel page explains each. Opening hours are 9 am to 6 pm from 28 March to 15 October and 10 am to 4 pm in winter. On a cloudy day the castle stays impressive inside, but the views from the Marienbrücke vanish.
about 1 h 30 min to 1 h 53 mindirect regional or long-distance train to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, then a twenty-minute walk or a bus across the river
about 1 h 39 min
Mozart's birthplace, just across the Austrian border: a baroque old town of domes and narrow lanes squeezed between the Salzach and a rock face, with the Hohensalzburg fortress on top.
Tip: Take an early train and walk the Getreidegasse before the shops fill, then ride the funicular to the fortress for the view over the rooftops. Carry a passport or ID card, as there are checks at the German border. The Salzburg tourist board lists opening hours and the Salzburg Card.
about 1 h 3 min to 1 h 51 minICE or regional express to Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof, just outside the old town walls
about 1 h 51 min
A walled city of red sandstone below a castle on a ridge, carefully rebuilt after the Second World War. Albrecht Dürer's house stands under the castle walls, and on the edge of town the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds confront a darker chapter.
Tip: The ICE is about twice as fast as the regional train, so it is worth the fare if your day is short. Walk up through the old town to the Kaiserburg, then decide between Dürer's house and the Documentation Centre at the Rally Grounds; both in one day is a rush. The local lunch is Nürnberger Rostbratwürste, finger-length sausages grilled over beechwood and served on a pewter plate, or three in a bun with mustard if you are eating on the move. The Nuremberg tourist office lists what is open.
about 1 h 23 minregional train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then the Zugspitze railway from the station next door
about 1 h 7 min
At 2,962 metres, the Zugspitze is Germany's highest mountain. A rack railway climbs from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and a cable car rises from the Eibsee, a green lake at the foot of the north face.
Tip: The view is the whole point, so let the weather decide the day: look at the Zugspitze summit forecast the evening before and go only if the top is expected to be clear. Clouds tend to build over the summit by midday in summer, so take an early train.
A return ticket costs €78 at the ticket office; for winter 2026/27 it is €70.50 online. Go up by rack railway and down by cable car to the Eibsee, and save the flat walk around the lake for the afternoon. Bring a warm jacket even in August. Tickets and live webcams are on the Zugspitze site.
about 54 min to 1 h 9 minregional train to Prien am Chiemsee, then a walk or the summer steam tram to the harbour and the boat to the islands
about 1 h 4 min
Bavaria's largest lake, with the Alps along its southern shore. On the island of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig II built his own version of Versailles, complete with a hall of mirrors, and ran out of money before it was finished.
Tip: Allow a full day for both islands. The Chiemsee boat from Prien to Herreninsel and Fraueninsel and back costs €13.40. On Herreninsel, the island ticket for €14 covers the palace tour of about 40 min, the King Ludwig II Museum and the old monastery. Fraueninsel, with its fishermen's houses and abbey, needs no ticket. In windy weather the crossings can be choppy; the regional tourist site has more.
about 1 h 23 min to 1 h 30 minregional express to Regensburg Hauptbahnhof, about fifteen minutes' walk from the old town
about 1 h 24 min
A medieval trading city on the Danube whose old town survived the war almost intact and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The twelfth-century Stone Bridge and the twin spires of the Gothic cathedral frame a maze of lanes and tall patrician towers.
Tip: Cross the Stone Bridge for the classic view back to the cathedral, then eat at the sausage kitchen beside it, which has been grilling for centuries. The cathedral is free to enter. Regensburg is a good choice for a rainy day, as the sights are close together. The city website has guided walks.
