My wife and I started a 39 day European trip in Munich. Day 1 was a castle tour to Schloss…read moreNeuschwanstein and sister castle. We met our group tour (through Viatour), a short walk from the hotel and began the journey here. The ride over was a history trip learning all about the idea, turning into the dream. Here is a small piece from Google: " Neuschwanstein was built for the Bavarian king Ludwig II (1845 - 1886); it was begun in 1868 but never fully completed. The king saw his castle as a monument to the culture and concept of monarchy prevailing in the Middle Ages, which he greatly admired and wanted to recreate." He grew up across the way in the "yellow castle." His vision was amazing. I was a little surprised to read the 2 and 3 star reviews. Everything about this tour went well. Our guide took us through the castle and we visited about six rooms. He explained everything and happily took questions. I was happy that this castle lasted through the war and if you see the movie; "The Monuments Men," they show all the stolen artwork that they found here. I was told that it was approximately 8,000 boxes. I walked up, which was a little long and some people take a horse and carriage up then walk the rest of the way. We wound up taking that horse and carriage ride down. We also stopped for a sausage and beer at one point before getting back on the bus. All in all... an amazing experience. KUDOs to the team at Schloss Neuschwanstein.

My wife and I were on a five day trip to Munich and took a day trip to the castle via Radius tours…read more They were a great tour group and the bus ride was great with the freeway with no speed limits with Porsches flying by us and the countryside with lots of mustard growing. The castle is beautiful and you can go to a high bridge. The tour guide was a little robotic, but nice enough. The tour is about thirty minutes and the views are spectacular. A few castles are nearby to look at as well. Check out Mary's Bridge. It was WAY high up but with nice and high railing, I am afraid of heights but I wasn't bothered. Lots of people on it though.

We made reservations for both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castle tours and I preferred the…read moreway the Hohenschwangau tour was run. We were told to arrive 1 hour before our reservation but 30 minutes would have been plenty of time. We were in a small group and our guide made sure that all of us were settled in each room before starting. She gave us a brief overview before starting the prerecorded audio narration. I left feeling more knowledgeable about King Ludwig's childhood and family life at Hohenschwangau. The tour took about 30 minutes and there was not much to see afterwards. We had thought we needed 3 hours for this castle but the walk up was short, but 2 hours for everything was plenty of time for us.

This was our second favorite castle of our stay…read more Again, ticket times are precisely as stamped. You need to scan before 5min is up or you'll be denied. The tour was full & it was rushed again. You listened via a remote device. Our guide was good about making sure everyone was getting the info via their equipment but nothing more. It was kind of odd having someone silently tag along and avoid eye contact called a guide. You can't take pictures inside & it really isn't what I'd call kid friendly. I would do this tour again if I were with someone who wanted to,

MARIENBRUCKE BRIDGE IS A MUST VISIT WHILE AT NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE…read more============================================= It is also known as Queen Mary's Bridge. It is supposed to provide an amazing view of the castle, but we were having a serious torrential mist problem when my husband and I were there. I was glad I brought the Bandolier lanyard that attaches to my phone, so I didn't worry about dropping it while leaning over the edge. The bridge spans the Pollat Gorge. When we were at the castle the sky cleared a little bit and we could see the bridge from there.

My 1,000th review is dedicated to Marienbrucke (Mary's bridge). This is a bridge built about 300…read morefeet above the Pollet Gorge and provides that jaw dropping view of Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration behind Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle. Getting to the bridge is about a 1 hour hike up an inclined road from the visitor center, or you could do what I did and take a shuttle bus from the visitor center (10 minute ride for €3,50 = $3.85 USD). The bus leaves every 20 to 25 minutes, starting at 8am and they take cash only. From the bridge it's only about a 10 minute walk down to the castle. Only 200 people are allowed on the bridge at any given time, and there is a counter at the start of the bridge keeping track. I've heard lines can get pretty lengthy during the day. If you walk further along the 115 foot long bridge it's less crowded and you have unobstructed views of the castle. Overall, I can say that the view from here was the highlight of my summer trip to Germany and Italy. If you are visiting Munich or anywhere in the southern Bavarian Alps, you have to see Neuschwanstein Castle. The views are breathtaking.

It's nice to hike around this area. Also it's fun to walk down to play with water as well. (Just…read moredon't go too far. Water is running pretty fast)