How to get to the top of Zugspitze? Top of Germany #zugspitze #munich #bavarianalps
Last time in the Bavaria video, we introduced Germany’s highest peak, Zugspitze. While researching on Zugspitze, we found that getting to the top is not that straightforward. For example, the official website mentions transportation options including regular trains, cogwheel trains, and two types of cable cars. So today, we created a separate video on how to get to the top of Zugspitze. First of all, it’s important to note that we’re discussing the route most first-time visitors take, which involves taking a train and/or a cable car to ascend and descend the peak. Those who are physically fit and want to challenge themselves with hiking routes should skip this video. First, buy your tickets. This part is relatively simple. Just visit the Zugspitze official website and purchase a round-trip ticket (Ticket Zugspitze). This ticket allows you to ascend and descend Zugspitze once on the same day. During winter, the website also sells ski tickets, but you can ignore those. Additionally, there are other tickets like Garmisch Classic, Two Peaks, Season Passes, etc., but first-time Zugspitze visitors won’t need those. Alright, tickets purchased. But how do you actually start the trip? Where do you catch the train and which one do you take? Let’s first take a look at this image from the official website. To reach the summit of Zugspitze, there are two cable car lines. One shorter one is called the Glacier Cable Car, which runs from the Zugspitze Plateau, or Zuugshpitzplatt to the summit of Zugspitze, taking just a few minutes. The other, longer one is called the Zugspitze Cable Car, which runs from the valley of Lake Eibsee below the mountain to the summit, taking about fifteen minutes. So, which cable car do most people take? And how do you get to these cable car stations? The most common route, also recommended by the official Zugspitze round-trip, is as follows. Start at the Garmisch Zugspitze train station, take the cogwheel train Zugspitzbahn, after a few stops, you’ll arrive at the Lake Eibsee Valley Station. Here, you don’t need to get off, the cogwheel train continues and passes through a 4.5-kilometer-long tunnel and arrives at the last stop, the Zugspitze Plateau station. Here, you can get off and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery and nearby glaciers. Then take the shorter Glacier Cable Car to reach the summit. When descending, take the other longer Zugspitze Cable Car all the way down to Lake Eibsee Valley. After getting off, you can stroll by the beautiful alpine Lake Eibsee, then take the Zugspitzbahn back to Garmisch. Here, it’s important to note that when boarding, ask if it goes directly to Garmisch; you might need to change trains at the next stop, Grainau. The cost of each train and cable car segment mentioned above is included in the price of the Zugspitze round-trip ticket. Actually, you can adjust the order and direction of trains and cable cars based on your needs. For example, you can reverse the route mentioned above. When going up, get off at the Lake Eibsee Valley Station and take the Zugspitze Cable Car up. Then when coming down, take the Glacier Cable Car, passing through the Zugspitze Plateau, and then take the cogwheel train down. Or if you don’t like going through tunnels, you can simply take the Zugspitze Cable Car up and down at Lake Eibsee Valley without any issues. Finally, let’s talk about driving. There’s a parking lot at Lake Eibsee Valley, so those who prefer driving can drive all the way there and then take the Zugspitze Cable Car or cogwheel train to the summit. It’s a different experience from the train as you get to enjoy the scenery from your own vehicle. As for how to get to Garmisch, it depends on everyone’s specific situation. If you’re starting from Munich, most people buy the DB Bayern ticket and take the train to Garmisch. Remember to present your DB Bayern ticket when purchasing the Zugspitze round-trip ticket in Garmisch for a few euros of discount. You can also buy a combined Bayern and Zugspitze round-trip ticket in Munich, which offers even more discounts. Alright, that’s all about how to visit Zugspitze. Hope it’s helpful for everyone. Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to get more exciting travel content first.
Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitze, is magnificent and charming, but how do you get to the top as a first-time visitor? This video shares with you how to purchase the Zugspitze tickets, where to take the cogwheel train and cable cars, which ones to take, and how to go about driving there.
#zugspitze #bavarianalps #bavariagermany #munich #munichtrip