Coach & Minibus Hire in Germany

Zugspitze Days from Garmisch-Partenkirchen by Minibus

Garmisch-Partenkirchen sits beneath Germany's highest mountain, with a royal palace and painted villages close by. Hire a minibus with a driver and your group can go up one way, come down another and be collected at the bottom.

The Zugspitze round trip

The classic plan: the cogwheel train from the Zugspitzbahn station in Garmisch, via Grainau and the Eibsee, through the tunnel to the Zugspitzplatt at 2,600 m, then the Gletscherbahn to the 2,962 m summit. Come down by the Seilbahn Zugspitze to the Eibsee, where your driver collects you at the valley station.

A party of 15 people or more travels at group prices, and coaches registered via the railway's online group form are parked free at the valley stations.

Sprinter minibus cabin
Sprinter minibus cabin

Beat the Eibsee queues

There is just one way in to the Eibsee by road, and in summer its parking is full early, so the railway recommends getting there before 10:00 when the weather is good. The public car park has a 2.10 m height limit, lower than most minibuses, which is one more reason to plan a set-down and a later pick-up.

For the town itself, neither Garmisch nor Partenkirchen publishes an official coach stop; the operator will tell you the set-down point nearest your hotel.

Landing near Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Favourite stops in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

  • Mittenwald — Violin-making town on the road to Innsbruck
  • Oberammergau — Village of painted houses and woodcarving, home of the Passion Play, performed every ten years; the next is in 2030
  • Ettal Abbey — Benedictine abbey on the B23 between Oberau and Oberammergau
  • Schloss Linderhof — Palace of King Ludwig II in the Graswang valley near Ettal; part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of his palaces since 2025
  • Partnachklamm — Gorge walk on the edge of Partenkirchen near the Olympia-Skistadion; tickets with a QR code; prams, buggies and rollators cannot be taken through
  • Zugspitze — Germany's highest mountain (2,962 m). Round trip: the cogwheel train from the Zugspitzbahn station in Garmisch via Grainau and the Eibsee, through the 4.5 km Zugspitztunnel to the Zugspitzplatt (2,600 m), the Gletscherbahn cable car to the summit, and the Seilbahn Zugspitze down to the Eibsee

Good places to be picked up

  • Oberammergau and Ettal for Linderhof and the Passion Play
  • Grainau (near the Eibsee and the Zugspitze)
  • Partenkirchen (Ludwigstraße)
  • Garmisch (around the Marienplatz and the station)

Linderhof, Ettal and Oberammergau

Ettal Abbey is about 20 minutes away on the B23, Oberammergau about 25 and Schloss Linderhof about 30, in the Graswang valley. Linderhof keeps 14 spaces for coaches. In summer (15 April to 15 October) the palace welcomes visitors 09:00–18:00, in winter 10:00–16:30, and in the cold months only the Königshäuschen among the park buildings stays open.

Oberammergau's painted houses and woodcarvers are worth a stroll. The Passion Play is staged there every ten years, next in 2030.

Gorges, lakes and winter roads

The Partnachklamm starts by the Olympia-Skistadion, about 5 minutes away. Your entry ticket is a QR code, and phones get no signal inside the gorge, so download it beforehand; prams, buggies and rollators cannot be taken through. Paths around it can close for works, so check before you plan around it.

Mittenwald is about 20 minutes away and the Walchensee about 30. Snow and ice make winter tyres compulsory under German law. On 1 January the New Year's ski jump brings very heavy traffic to Partenkirchen.

Questions travellers ask

How long is the transfer from Munich Airport?

It is 136 km, so allow an hour and 35 minutes or so with light traffic. From Memmingen, plan closer to two hours.

Can we visit Neuschwanstein from Garmisch?

Yes. Staying in Germany, the road through Oberammergau is about 65 km, roughly 1 h 10 min; the shortest road crosses Austria.

Is a Zugspitze day from Munich realistic?

It means about 200 km of driving plus time on the mountain. EU drivers' hours rules make the driver stop for at least 45 minutes once 4.5 hours of driving are reached, so start early.

Does Garmisch-Partenkirchen have a low-emission zone?

No, there is none.

Other trips we can arrange

Other vehicles with a driver