Munich / Bavaria first time tour

[loulou]

Hi,
Its my first time on here and I'm planning a cycle trip based on the popular bike tour companies but without paying their prices.
We are starting in Munich then onto Garmisch Partenkirchen, Wallgau via Scharnitiz, then Bad Tolz and back to Munich.
I have an ADFC map of the are and a route planned out but would appreciate any tips and advice, especially if there are better routes to take than others.

Also does anyone have any experience of hotels transporting luggage onto the next hotel? Is this possible and worthwhile?

As a first timer any help would be good. I am of course scrolling through the forums and google but can't find advice on the route i'm taking.

Thanks!

[MickTheCyclist]

Hi and welcome
Can't help with luggage question.

What route are you planning from Wallgau, Bad Tolz, Munich?
I've toured there a few times and might be able to advise.

[foxyrider]

Can i come?

More seriously, the ADFC maps are great but be aware that some of the Cycle routes (around Bad Tolz for example) can be diabolical if its wet, unsurfaced and prone to flooding. Also the roads around Garmisch can be very busy as its one of the regions honeypots.

A useful route for crossing the German Alpine region is the Deutsche Alpine Strasse - its shown on your ADFC map, you can get a Bikeline guide, its in German but that needn't be an issue.

You might consider taking in Prien on Chiemsee and maybe head down to Austria from Bad tolz, nice scenery. Ettal, Oberammergau, Mittenwald, Linderhof aren't far away from Garmisch and are all worth a visit.

There are some longer climbs but you can easily avoid the steepest.

Have a great trip, learn a few simple phrases - please, thank you, beer and you'll go far!

[danfoto]

I can second the suggestion that you use the Deutsche Alpenstrasse. Marvellous scenery most of the way along it, but do watch out for the bikers showing off to their mates parked up on some of the hairpins! Personally I'd avoid Garmisch-Partenkirchen itself if only on the grounds of the cost of anything in the place, but some of the nearby villages nearby are worth a detour for a photo, if only for the signage ...

[loulou]

Hi and thanks for the replies, and foxy rider come along!
I've looked at the Deutsche Alpenstrasse and have decided to change the original route to go through Oberammergau and Ettal from Murnau to Garmisch-Partenkirchen! Looks a much more interesting route than the direct one I had planned, so thank you!

I have already booked the hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen so will expect the high prices when we're there and brace ourselves! Going on a day trip from there without the bikes to Fussen and the castles, another tourist trap!
After that we travel up to Scharnitz (on a train) and then work our way to Wallgau through Mittenwald forrest.
The next day to Bad Tolz follows the Isar and parallel with Deutsche Alpenstrasse so hopefully that will be a nice route.
After a stay in Bad Tolz a day trip loop of Lake Tegernsee and back to Bad Tolz.
And finally back to Munich via Wolfratshausen and Grunwald.

I'm looking at some decent luggage storage on the bikes now rather than trying to arrange them being delivered from hotel to hotel.
I currently have a Topeak rear rack with a Topeak bag and separate rear panniers, do you suggest anything better? I'm looking at an Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Plus Bar Bag for an extra storage and usable day bag.

Thanks again!
P.s danfoto, love the picture!!

[MickTheCyclist]

Your pannier and bar bag plan sounds fine. It's fairly standard setup. You'll want to keep the weight down as you'll be carrying everything but as you're not camping that shouldn't be a problem.

My only advice on your route is not to use the Isar Radweg from Bad Tolz to Munich. Its fine once you get close to Munich but there are sections that are very rough, particularly around Grunwald if I remember from last summer. I wouldn't use it again with a loaded bike. Plan your own route using minor roads.

[Geriatrix]

Bikes are allowed on the excellent overland train services in Bavaria so these are convenient services if you want to make spontaneous changes to your tour agenda. Just remember to buy a bike ticket or you could pick up a fine.

Almost all Germans speak excellent English which makes it one of the easiest places to tour.
I hope you like beer.
Enjoy yourself.

[Geriatrix]

but some of the nearby villages nearby are worth a detour for a photo, if only for the signage ...

They choose their names don't they. Just over the Austrian border is another: http://tinyurl.com/d68yc52
(deliberately embedded as a link not a image because of the forum code of conduct).

[mg2012]

I'm from the area and it sounds like you picked a nice route. The Isar Radweg can be a bit bumpy/ muddy in places, depends on the weather as well but there are usually plenty of minor routes to choose from. Anything except motorways and B roads (the equivalent of UK A roads) usually has very little traffic except perhaps near tourist places like Garmisch where it's better to stick to cycle routes. I personally don't like the river routes because they are often in deep forests which means the view isn't very good and it can get a bit boring. It's good in Munich though, easy to follow and takes you right into the centre.

Keep it flexible, the whole area has great views over the Alps (without the climbs!) and a Biergarten around every corner especially around the lakes. If you want cheap food, any restaurant/pub in a small village should be much cheaper and sell large portions of pork. If you get bored of Bavarian food, there is usually an Italian in most towns and probably Turkish take-aways. Bakers (cakes+pretzels) and butchers (ask for any fish/meat/ sausage you fancy in a bread roll) are good for little snacks on the road (again most villages have one or the other).

Trains and bikes are easy. Just buy a ticket for you+bike and hop on. Never been on a busy train in that area, except Munich at rush hour of course.

If you're going in summer and it's hot, try to get the cycling done in the morning. There are often thunderstorms in the afternoons. If it rains a lot take a train north a few hundred miles - because you won't see anything of the Alps and it probably won't stop raining for a few weeks.

Despite it's name Mittenwald isn't actually in a forest (well, not more or less than any other place in the area) and people in W a n k have very strong hands

[foxyrider]

I'd love to come ----- but i'm hitting Switzerland this year!

Hope you have a good trip oh and watch out for the huge molluscs on the trails - seem to recall a lot of escargot on the move heading up to Tergernsee a couple of years ago!

[bigjim]

Almost all Germans speak excellent English which makes it one of the easiest places to tour.

I've found that not to be the case.
It's mostly the younger Germans that speak English. Over 40s do not seem to be that good with English. I learnt to stop asking older people for directions etc. The younger end were most happy to practise their English.
I was suprised how many small hotel owners and staff had little or no English.

[danfoto]

Almost all Germans speak excellent English which makes it one of the easiest places to tour.

I've found that not to be the case.
It's mostly the younger Germans that speak English. Over 40s do not seem to be that good with English. I learnt to stop asking older people for directions etc. The younger end were most happy to practise their English.
I was suprised how many small hotel owners and staff had little or no English.

One thing's for sure. The probability of older Germans, small hotel owners and their staff speaking English in Germany is far, far greater than that of older Brits, small hotel owners and staff speaking German in England.

[bigjim]

One thing's for sure. The probability of older Germans, small hotel owners and their staff speaking English in Germany is far, far greater than that of older Brits, small hotel owners and staff speaking German in England.

Very true, but German is not really an international language is it?
How many pop songs in German do you know or how many German films have you sat though?
Most of the european continent are exposed to the English language from an early age. Our education system does not teach German by default. The most common is French or Spanish. In German schools English is on the curriculum.
I speak better French than Spanish for some reason though it is the harder language. That is either because of enforced French lessons at school or my French ancestors in the very, very distant past. My German is terrible but I do get by.

[goosegog]

I see you are going to Fussen to see the castles . I recommend you visit the castles very early (open 1000) or late afternoon they are busy with day trippers! The castles are 5kms from Fussen if going by train you will need a taxi. Fussen is worth a visit on its own.
Scharnitz is a bit quiet there are some good Cyclepaths (CP) through the woods upto Seefeld.
Mittenwald- Wallgau follow the the Isarwanderweg along ridge wih good views (marked on ADFC map)might be hardto find on road uphill to Klais.(avoids CP along main road)
Wallgau-Bad Tolz 2 routes- 1 Isarradweg tollroad vordereiss -road (noCP) to Sylvensteinsee -Fall -CP -Lenggreis -CP/footpath along west side of river to Bad Tolz.
2 CP along main road to Walchensee toll road south side of lake -Jachenau-road to Lenggreis -west side river to Bad Tolz.
Bad Tolz-Tegernsee follow Bodensee-Konigsee radweg signs to Marienstein-Gmund (avoids busy main road ) CP around lake, Various swimming places from Gmund to Bad Wiessee (no access to NW side of lake)
Bad Tolz - Munich Dont follow the river go cross country rolling hills quiet villages Dietramzell- Thanning-Grossdingharting-Strasslach Grunwald join river path into Munich.

[foxyrider]

At Neuschwanstein / Hohenschwangau the castle ticket office opens @ 8am and the first English tours are @ 9.10am!