Lunch Over the Austrian Border at Reutte, and a Route That Changes as You Go

Munich Central Station

Pickup at 8am from the lobby of your hotel or apartment, anywhere within five miles of Munich Central Station.

Schloss Hohenschwangau

Hohenschwangau stands at the foot of Neuschwanstein, so both castles are in front of you at once. The inside of this one is not usually toured; it is seen from the outside.

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Schloss Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein sits on a rocky hill above the Bavarian Alps, a 19th-century palace commissioned by Ludwig II. The romantic medieval architecture, the turrets and the interiors, is what Walt Disney borrowed for his castle. Ludwig meant it as a private retreat; it opened to the public shortly after he died. Getting up there: On foot, the cheapest way, a steep but well-surfaced paved walk of about 20 minutes. By shuttle bus, which leaves every 20 minutes, with tickets sold on board. From the bus stop it is another 10 to 15 minutes downhill to the castle entrance.

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Reutte

A stop in this village for lunch in a small restaurant run by Marty, a friend of the operator. Schnitzel, or fish caught locally.

Plansee Lake

The road passes this lake in the Austrian Alps. On a hot day you can swim in it, though the water is cold.

Schloss Linderhof

Linderhof was the most private of Ludwig II's palaces and the only one finished in his lifetime. It is modelled on the Petit Trianon at Versailles, with Rococo interiors, and it says plainly how much the king admired the French monarchy. Outside is the Venus Grotto, an artificial stalactite cave built after Wagner's Tannhäuser, with a lake inside it, a gilded shell boat, and lighting effects that once reproduced the Blue Grotto of Capri. The castle tour and the grotto are not included in the tour price. Both can be bought on site, with no need to book ahead.

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Alpine Coaster Oberammergau

For the adventurous, one of the regular stops (Ettal or Oberammergau) can be swapped for the alpine coaster. You control the speed with your own brakes, up to a maximum of 25 mph, or take it slowly. It starts with a 20-minute chairlift up to the summit, with the town and the Alps below. Tell the guide on the day. The chairlift and the coaster are not included in the tour price.

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Oberammergau

Oberammergau is known for the Passion Play its own residents stage every ten years. The rest of the year the village trades in woodcarving and Christmas decorations, and the houses along the streets carry painted facades, the Lüftlmalerei.

Ettal Abbey

Ettal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the valley, founded in 1330 by the Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian. The Baroque basilica, with its dome and frescoes, is the reason most people stop. It is still a working monastery, where monks live by the Benedictine rule of Ora et Labora, pray and work, and it runs a brewery and a distillery among its other businesses.

Romantic Road

A stretch of the Romantic Road, with the Alps alongside.