Train vs car for exploring southern Germany, Austria

We are planning a 12 night trip to Germany, Austria, Czech Republic in mid-September.

Originally I was thinking about traveling by train from Munich to Innsbruck, rent a car to explore lower Austria and drive to Salzburg and Vienna, return the car in Vienna then take a train to Prague and back to Munich.

However, I'm now trying to fit in a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, but it doesn't appear to be an easy train route between the castle and Innsbruck.

Thus, to avoid backtracking as well as the surcharge for returning the car across borders, I'm now considering renting a car for the entire trip. It looks like the rental fee would only be ~$70 more for the extra 7 days.

I was kind of looking forward to the experience of rail travel across this part of Europe, but I also like the freedom that a car affords.

Also, here's our tentative itinerary:

Sept 10 - Arrive 10 am in Munich
Sept 11 - Munich -> Innsbruck (Optional: Neuschwanstein Castle)

Sept 12- Innsbruck --> Penk (staying at a horseback riding farm)

Sept 13 - Penk
Sept 14 - Penk--> Salzburg

Sept 15 - Salzburg --> Vienna

Sept 16 - Vienna
Sept 17 - Vienna to Czechy Krumlov (or directly to Prague)
Sept 18 - Czechy Krumlov --> Prague (or extra day in Prague)

Sept 19/20 - Prague
Sept 21 - Prague--> Munich

Sept 22 - Return home

Welcome any thoughts/suggestions!

On this site there aren't too many lovers of car travel between cities, because we all know that it is much easier and usually quicker to travel inter-city by train and you don't have to find somewhere to leave the car (safely) either.

As always your assistance for travelling around Europe by public transport is the German railways site http://www.bahn.de . If you must visit Neuschwanstein and then go to Innsbruck you will have to go round a mountain somewhere. Even by car you'll be lucky to do this is much under 2 1/2 hours. By public transport you will find a connection every couple of hours by bus from Füssen to Reutte (in Austria) then by train via Garmisch Partenkirchen. Just to complicate matters I believe there are temporarily no through trains from Garmisch to Innsbruck (I think there are some sort of engineering works under way) at present and a further change is necessary in Mittenwald.

A car for Salzburg - Vienna doesn't make much sense to me and I believe (haven't checked recently) there are reasonable bus / coach connections between Vienna and Cesky Krumlov. From CK to Prague there are frequent bus or train connections usually involving a change in Ceske Budejovice (which is also well worth a call, particularly if you like proper Budweiser)

Yeah, the trip via public trans from the castle to Innsbruck doesn't look ideal. Plus, I've been reading that the drive from the castle to Innsbruck is supposed to very scenic.

I'm actually now wondering if perhaps after Salzburg we drive back to Munich to return the car then grab a train directly to Vienna from there? We'd lose about 2.5 hrs, but then we wouldn't have to worry about driving and parking for the second half of the trip when we don't need a car as much...

Alternatively, it looks like we can maybe return the car in Rosenheim and take a train to Vienna from there, which would shave off ~40 mins.

Edited by: jcc813

Yes but ..... - if you could manage with one of King Ludwig's other castles, the schloss on the Herreninsel in the Chiemsee at Prien, a 20 minute walk plus a ferry ride from Prien train station which is on the Munich - Salzburg train line about 30 minutes east of Rosenheim

I'm actually now wondering if perhaps after Salzburg we drive back to Munich

You could also return the rental car in Freilassing or Berchtesgaden. Both towns are close to Salzburg just across the border.

Assuming you're from N America, have you budgeted for the fact fuel is about 2.5 times N American prices? :) Use http://www.viamichelin.com as your route planner because it has realistic fuel burn calculations.

Also, if you're in Austria, you need a vignette for some (most) of the motorways. Ditto Switzerland (which you don't currently intend to go to, but, you know, hey.

You could visit Cesky Krumlov between Prague and Munich. It's more or less in between.

Vienna - Prague -Cesky Krumlov - Munich, perhaps add on Linz or Passau for a couple of hours as these are on the ways from CK to Munich, unless you take a direct shuttle bus.

@abalada - Thanks for recommending Freilassing or Berchtesgaden. Will look into those as options for returning car.

@Fwoggie - Yep, we've rented cards in Denmark and UK, so are definitely familiar w/ the gas pump sticker shock. Still, in general we've found it to be worth the freedom of not being tied to train schedules and stop locations. We're planning to bring a GPS (and will also have phone w/ data service) so hopefully that will help w/ navigation. Although I am now leaning more towards a car/train combination as detailed above, so most of the driving will likely just take place around southern Germany and between Innsbruck/Salzburg.

@Attila451 - Thanks for the suggestion! That does appear to be a slightly better route. Will update itinerary accordingly.

Edited by: jcc813