The Bavaria castles and palaces discount season passes give cheap access to save on admission tickets at top sightseeing destinations such as Schloss Neuschwanstein and the Munich Residenz.
Visitors to Bavaria in Southern Germany may save on admission fees to top castles and palaces by using special discount season tickets and passes. These savings tickets cover admission to more than 40 castles, palaces, gardens, and lakes in Bavaria managed by the Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung (Bavarian Palace Department). Popular sights covered by the discount ticket are major palace complexes in Munich, the fantasy castles of Mad King Ludwig including the Disney-like Schloss Neuschwanstein, and numerous historic castles, palaces, and parks in smaller Bavarian towns.
Save with the Discount Bavarian Castles and Palaces Season Tickets
The Bavarian castles and palaces season tickets give access to over 40 properties managed by the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens, and Lakes. The pass comes in two basic versions:
- the annual season ticket (Jahreskarte) gives access to all properties for a full year, while
- the 14-day ticket (Mehrtagesticket) gives admission to all properties for two weeks.
Both passes come in two versions: the standard single ticket and a partner (or family) ticket, which is valid for two adults traveling together. The current price is €50 for the single annual pass and €35 for the two-week pass. The partner passes are €85 and €66 respectively. Admission to special exhibitions and events may incur an additional fee but is often included — guided tours are included at sights where taking a tour is compulsory.
Most castles and palaces in Bavaria are great family-friendly destinations and low-budget options too as children under 18 years old enjoy free admission to all these sights.
Sights with Free Admission for Bavaria Castles and Palaces Season Tickets
The Bayerischen Schlösserverwaltung manages some of the best-known sightseeing destinations in Bavaria. (Pdf list) Some of the most popular sites with free admission for holders of the Bavarian castles and palace annual or 14-days tickets are:
- The three fantasy palaces of Mad King Ludwig – the Disney-like Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Schloss Linderhof Palace with gardens near Ettal and Oberammergau, and the Versailles-inspired Schloss Herrenchiemsee Palace on an island in the Chiemsee Lake. (These three palaces may also be seen on the combination ticket Königsschlösser (Royal Palaces), which is €31 and valid for six months.) To visit Schloss Neuschwanstein with any pass, it is compulsory to make online time-slot reservations in advance — great value at €2.50.
- Munich (München) – the Residence (Residenz) complex with palace, treasury (Schatzkammer), and Cuvilliés Theater, as well as the Schloss Nymphenburg Palace complex with gardens and museums.
- Nuremberg (Nürnberg) – the Kaiserburg imperial castle.
- Schleißheim – three palaces with a magnificent Baroque garden in the outskirts of Munich.
- Walhalla — German Hall of Fame near Regensburg.
- Würzburg – the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage-listed Residenz (Residence) and Festung Marienburg fortress.
Saving with the Bavaria Castles and Palaces Season Tickets
The Bavaria castles season tickets pay off fairly fast when visiting top sightseeing sites in Bavaria. The entry fees for most palaces and castles are generally around €8-10. However, the most popular palaces such as Schloss Neuschwanstein charge €15, while a combination ticket for the extensive Schloss Nymphenburg complex is €11.50, and for the Residenz complex in Munich €13.
It is thus easy to break even on the two-week ticket by visiting three palace complexes in Munich alone. Day trips from Munich will add further savings while many palaces and castles in smaller Bavarian towns are also covered.
Buying the Bavaria Castles and Palaces Season Tickets
The Bavaria castle and palace season tickets may be bought from any of the participating sights in Bavaria, except at Schachen. Names have to be entered on the tickets and the passes are not transferable. Also, note that special exhibitions may carry a surcharge and no refunds are given when sites are closed.
The ticket covers the admission to all sights but does not give any fast-line entrance at popular sights such as Schloss Neuschwanstein – here visitors must make online timeslot reservations in advance.
The Bavaria Castles and Palaces season tickets offer visitors to Bavaria great savings over regular admission ticket prices. Visitors can save further when traveling by local trains and buses in Bavaria by using the excellent value-for-money Bayern-Ticket, which covers almost all local trains, trams, buses, and metros in the whole state of Bavaria.