Garmisch-Partenkirchen Travel Forum

I'll drive a rental car from from Berchtesgaden to Garmisch-Partenkirchen within one day. Could someone please compare the following two routes in terms of the scene, time to be taken, ease-of-driving, chance of getting lost, etc:

a) Alpine Road within Germany or
b) Highway in Austria stopover Innsbuck

Moreover, is driving through the Germany-Austria border a hazzle-free process, how long it normally takes?

Moreover, any good recommendation for accomodation around Garmisch-Partenkirchen?

a)
http://www.deutsche-alpenstrasse.de
-> English

> Moreover, is driving through the Germany-Austria border a hazzle-free process, how long it normally takes?
There is no process at all.

There are no formal borders any more in western Europe so you won,t be aware when you have crossed from Germany into Austria. A Hotel I have often used in Garmisch is the Hotel Bavaria, Partnachstrasse 51, I recommend it.

There is however one difference between Austria and Germany.
You need a sticker (vignette) to use the Austrian autobahns. There are stiff fines if cought without.

AND one of the controll-points for the Vignette/ highway-sticker is just a few Km before you get to Innsbruck. All cars have to leave the highway and their stickers will be checked by police...
The cheapest Highway-stickers are for 10 days : 5 Euros, when I remember correctely.
Drive through Germany and get to Innsbruck from Garmisch - no need of a sticker, because there is no highway, NO hassle at the border anyway

"There are no formal borders any more in western Europe"

Not quite. You still face passport control entering Switzerland, although that should change soon. It won't change, however, for the UK. So if you definitely WILL need your passport getting on a train or ferry to the British Isles. Same for Ireland, although moving between Ireland and the UK only requires that you have some form of photo-identification.

The autobahn from Salzburg to Munich is probably the quickest way. Turn off after Rosenheim for Bad Tolz and the road to Kochel and then Garmisch is signposted. Berchtesgaten to Lofer and St Johann will be more interesting and will take you to the Innsbruck autobahn. Go past Innsbruck and look for the signs for the Fernpass. The road is very steep at first as it climbs out of the Inn valley but the view from the top is worth it. That's the hardest part of the drive. The Bad Tolz route should take about 2 hours 30 to 3 hours whilst the Innsbruck route is at least an hour longer. Both of them are well signposted and can be checked on a map so you shouldn't get lost. I wouldn't bother with Innsbruck. As for hotels in Garmisch their website is very useful and is your best bet. I liked the Roter Hahn, Aschenbrenner and Frauendorfer.

I agree with PaulKirk in that Autobahn A8 toward Munich is your best bet. The exit he refers to is at Irschenberg. The exit will take you to Miesbach, then over to Bad Tölz and continuing on to Bichl, where you´ll have to decide between Autobahn A95 south or B11 south. A95 is faster, but the Walchensee area over B11 is very scenic and is worth the drive as long as it hasn´t snowed too much.