In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 450 kilometres of official holiday road (about 535 driven kilometres across our eight stages, detours included) along the northern edge of the Bavarian Alps: Allgäu passes, royal castles, the Zugspitze, the Kesselberg, Tegernsee and the Chiemgau all the way to the Königssee – a route for drivers with time and brakes in good condition.
The spirit of the route
The German Alpine Road is a chain of federal and state roads that has run as a holiday route since 1927 from Lindau on Lake Constance to Berchtesgaden. The official length is around 450 kilometres (up to about 485 depending on how it is counted); the eight stages of this guide add up to roughly 535 driven kilometres because they include detours such as Linderhof, Sudelfeld or the Königssee. It is no high-Alpine pass, but it has gradients well above ten per cent, narrow village streets and a lot of leisure traffic in summer. Much of the land is nature reserve or national park, wild camping is strictly prohibited and the spa towns charge visitor tax. In July and August, book your nights in Füssen, Garmisch and Berchtesgaden in advance; from October snow can already lie at altitude.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Lindau (Lake Constance) to Immenstadt im Allgäu (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Lindau on the B308 through the western Allgäu via Heimenkirch and Weiler-Simmerberg to Oberstaufen and on to Immenstadt – a country road with crests and long, easily viewed bends, hardly any steep sections. Speed limit 30 km/h and speed cameras in the villages. About 1 hour 15 minutes of driving; with stops, half a day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lindau: the harbour entrance with the New Lighthouse and the Bavarian Lion, the old-town island with Maximilianstraße and the Old Town Hall, and views of the Swiss Alps on a clear day.
- Treetop walk and Skywalk near Scheidegg (a detour from the B308): a roughly 540 m wooden walkway through the forest and a tall lookout tower with views of Lake Constance and the Nagelfluh range.
- Oberstaufen with the Hochgrat cable car from Steibis, a Kneipp and Schroth-cure resort; in Immenstadt the Alpsee with a bathing beach and mountain railway.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Lindau, Park Camping Lindau am See in the Zech district lies right on the shore of Lake Constance, open seasonally (according to the operator from early March 2026 to early January 2027; check dates in advance), with electricity and sanitary facilities and a cycle path to the island. The town and its districts also designate motorhome pitches on the mainland; check location, fee and opening in advance with the tourist office. In Oberstaufen and Immenstadt, campsites and municipal pitches offer spaces for a night; check facilities in pitch apps and with the municipality beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Lake Constance and in the western Allgäu, overnight stays on many car parks are prohibited by signs, especially on lakeside promenades and hiking car parks in the Nagelfluh range. At the Alpsee, overnight parking on the shore is generally not provided for motorhomes. For transit the rule applies: one night to restore fitness to drive, without camping behaviour, where no prohibition sign stands.
- Insider tip for campers
- The old-town island of Lindau is unsuited to motorhomes: narrow lanes, height limits at the multi-storey car parks and restricted access to the island. Leave the camper on the mainland and go over the Seebrücke by bike or bus. If you want to be at the harbour entrance, come early: from midday and on sunny weekends the harbour is full. Visit the Skywalk near Scheidegg in the morning; the queue in the afternoon is longer.
2Stage 2: Immenstadt im Allgäu to Füssen (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- On the B308 via Sonthofen and Bad Hindelang to the Oberjoch (1,178 m), then down to Wertach and on via Nesselwang and Pfronten to Füssen. The climb from Bad Hindelang to the Oberjoch gains almost 380 metres over a good 10 km, with several hairpins and gradients of up to about 9 per cent (pass guides advise caution for motorhomes and combinations); drive in a low gear. Use engine braking on the descent. About 2 hours without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Sonthofen, Germany's southernmost town, with a view of the Grünten (1,738 m, the “Guardian of the Allgäu”) and the Starzlach Gorge as a detour.
- Bad Hindelang with the Ostrach valley and Hinterstein: a broad valley road along the Ostrach, plus the Baroque church of St. John the Baptist in Hindelang.
- Falkenstein castle ruin near Pfronten, at 1,277 m the highest castle ruin in Germany, with views over the Vils valley and into the Tannheim mountains; access on foot.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Füssen there are three motorhome sites on the edge of town (Füssen Mobil, Wohnmobilpark Füssen, Camper's Stop), open all year, with electricity and service points, each about 2 km from the centre; fees were most recently around 16 to 17 euros a night. A little earlier, in Pfronten and Nesselwang, there are campsites and small pitches; check opening times in advance. Halfway along, on the Hopfensee and the Bannwaldsee, there are further campsites for the transition to stage 3.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Oberjoch and in the Ostrach valley area, signs prohibit overnighting on car parks; the Nagelfluh range is a nature park and Hinterstein a protected area. A single stop without camping behaviour on public car parks remains possible in exceptional cases. On the way to Füssen (Wertach, Nesselwang), municipalities want motorhomes to use the pitches.
- Insider tip for campers
- Before the Oberjoch check brakes and coolant; gradient and descent are clearly noticeable over longer stretches, especially with a caravan or a heavily loaded motorhome. In snow or icy conditions tyres with the Alpine symbol are compulsory; from October the pass summit may already be wintry. On the B308 and in Bad Hindelang there is plenty of leisure traffic in good weather; drive before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Do water and cassette in Füssen; the pitch in Pfronten or Nesselwang is convenient for day trippers.
3Stage 3: Füssen to Oberammergau (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Füssen via Schwangau and Halblech to Steingaden, on past the Wieskirche to the Ammergauer Straße near Saulgrub and to Oberammergau. Pre-Alpine road with crests and bends; the side road to the Wies is narrow but passable for motorhomes and coaches. About 1 hour 15 minutes of driving; with the sights, a full day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau near Schwangau, UNESCO World Heritage since 2025; also the Marienbrücke and the Forggensee.
- The Wieskirche near Steingaden (UNESCO World Heritage): the Rococo masterpiece of the Zimmermann brothers in a meadow, best before 10 a.m.
- Oberammergau: Lüftlmalerei on the houses, the Passion Theatre (Passion Play every ten years, next in 2030) and the woodcarvers in the village.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Oberammergau there is the Campingpark Oberammergau with an adjoining motorhome area (Reisemobilhafen); check opening and prices in advance with the operator or the Ammergauer Alpen tourist office. For the evening before, in Schwangau, Camping Brunnen on the Forggensee lies with a view of Neuschwanstein, with electricity, service points and sanitary facilities, heavily booked in season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Ammergau Mountains hold a nature reserve and the Ammergauer Alpen protected area; overnighting on car parks there is prohibited. Around the royal castles overnighting on the car parks in Hohenschwangau is not allowed, nor on the lakeshore outside the sites; at the Wieskirche car park park only during the day.
- Insider tip for campers
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau can only be visited on a guided tour at a fixed entry slot. Reserve tickets online in advance; at the ticket centre in Hohenschwangau tickets are only sold for a visit the same day, remaining quotas from 8 a.m., often sold out early in summer and holidays. The road to the castle is closed to private vehicles; go uphill by bus, horse-drawn carriage or about 30 to 40 minutes on foot. Motorhomes may only stand at the fee-charging car park P2 in Hohenschwangau. There is no Passion Play in Oberammergau in 2026; the Passion Theatre can still be visited (tours, check dates in advance). Parking in the village centre is limited, mind the parking disc and signs.
4Stage 4: Oberammergau to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- On the B23 to Ettal and over the Ettal Saddle (around 870 m, gradients of about ten per cent), then downhill through Oberau and Farchant to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. A short stage that leaves time for Ettal Abbey, Linderhof Palace as a detour, then the Zugspitze and the Partnach Gorge. A good 45 minutes of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ettal Abbey, founded in 1330 by Emperor Louis the Bavarian: a Baroque church with a dome, plus the abbey shop and brewery.
- Linderhof Palace, the smallest and the only one of Ludwig II's palaces completed in his lifetime: guided tour only, plus park and Venus Grotto. A detour from Ettal, about 10 km each way.
- The Zugspitze (2,962 m): by cog railway from Garmisch or the Eibsee cable car; the Partnach Gorge and the Olympic ski stadium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Resort Zugspitze in Grainau (about 8 km from Garmisch, open all year according to the operator) lies at the foot of the massif and is one of the best-known sites in the Werdenfelser Land, with electricity, sanitary facilities and motorhome pitches; check opening times and booking in advance. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen itself there are pitches on the edge of town and a few campsites; check location and fee in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Werdenfelser Land, overnighting on the car parks at the Zugspitze railway, Eibsee and Partnach Gorge is prohibited; the Eibsee area is a protected area. Checks are frequent, fines painful. For emergencies the exception applies: one night, without camping equipment, where not prohibited.
- Insider tip for campers
- Zugspitze: buy tickets for the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn and the Eibsee cable car online in advance, because summer days and holidays bring long queues and waiting times; in wind, fog or maintenance, trips are cancelled. The national border runs across the summit; bring ID. The Partnach Gorge charges an entrance fee; in winter and after storms it may be closed. Linderhof Palace: tour with fixed entry, reserve tickets online in advance, opening times depending on season. In Garmisch park the motorhome outside the centre.
5Stage 5: Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Kochel am See (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- On the B2 to Mittenwald, on through the Isar valley via Krün and Wallgau, then on the B11 to the Walchensee and over the Kesselberg down to Kochel. The Kesselberg (858 m) has climbs and descents of up to about 9 per cent according to pass guides, with tight bends, a continuous 60 km/h limit and no overtaking; pass guides rate it as poorly suited to motorhomes and combinations, and we know of no general ban for them. Motorcycles are banned daily from 15:00 to 22:00 from April to October. Check current restrictions and roadworks in advance. A good 1 hour 30 minutes of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mittenwald: a violin-making town with Lüftlmalerei and the Violin Making Museum; the Karwendel cable car climbs to around 2,244 m.
- Walchensee: the turquoise water of one of the largest and deepest Alpine lakes in Germany; plus the Walchensee hydroelectric power station at the foot of the Kesselberg and the Herzogstand cable car (check operating times).
- Kochel am See with the Franz Marc Museum and the Glentleiten open-air museum in Großweil, plus Benediktbeuern Abbey.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: About 3 km before Mittenwald, on the Isar, lies Naturcampingpark Isarhorn with sanitary facilities and electricity, open in 2026 until 8 November according to the operator; booking via the online form only, not by phone (check in advance). On the Walchensee and in Kochel there are several campsites on the shore and some pitches; check opening times, fees and size restrictions in advance and book in high season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Walchensee wild camping is strictly prohibited: the lake is a landscape protection area, the lakeside car parks are partly closed at night, and checks are frequent. There are signs at the Kochelsee too. If you arrive late in Mittenwald or Wallgau, plan on the campsite.
- Insider tip for campers
- Before the Kesselberg: check brakes and drive in a low gear on the descent. In winter and on ice the road may be closed or passable only with chains. In the villages of Krün and Wallgau 30 km/h applies with speed cameras; pedestrians and cyclists from the Isar cycle path cross. The Leutasch Gorge lies just beyond the border in Austria; take ID for excursions there. Cycle from the campsite to the Franz Marc Museum rather than driving the camper into the centre of Kochel.
6Stage 6: Kochel am See to Tegernsee (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- From Kochel via Benediktbeuern and Bad Tölz (B11, B472) to Gmund am Tegernsee and on to Tegernsee. Flatter roads in the Isarwinkel with a view of the Benediktenwand; in Bad Tölz and at Tegernsee village streets with 30 km/h. About 1 hour 15 minutes of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Benediktbeuern: an abbey with a Baroque basilica; the Fraunhofer glassworks recalls the physicist Joseph von Fraunhofer.
- Bad Tölz: Marktstraße with colourful gabled houses on the Isar slope and the Kalvarienberg with the Leonhardi chapel.
- Tegernsee: palace and former Benedictine abbey on the lake, plus the Herzogliches Bräustüberl; in Rottach-Egern the Wallberg cable car.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On the Tegernsee, pitches are scarce and expensive; in Bad Tölz there are motorhome pitches and in Gmund and the surrounding area campsites, check opening and fee in advance. Visitor tax is charged per person in addition in Bad Tölz and in the Tegernsee valley municipalities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Tegernsee valley, overnighting on public car parks and on the shore is strictly regulated; many car parks carry signs or daily limits. Checks are frequent, especially in the summer months. For motorhomes the pitch is the reliable solution.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Herzogliches Bräustüberl in Tegernsee is full on summer weekends, come early; car parks in Tegernsee charge fees with a maximum stay, and motorhomes are partly excluded. The Wallberg cable car and the summer toboggan run on the Wallberg suit families but are of little use in fog. Clarify visitor tax and guest card with your host in advance.
7Stage 7: Tegernsee to Aschau im Chiemgau (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- Via Gmund and Miesbach (B472) to Schliersee and Bayrischzell, then over the Sudelfeldstraße (around 1,100 m altitude) down into the Inn valley to Oberaudorf and on through the Prien valley via Sachrang to Aschau. A mountain road with gradients and descents well above ten per cent, partly narrow; check restrictions for motorhomes and combinations in the route planner in advance. A good 2 hours of driving, better with a long lunch break. Warning: the B307 through Neuhaus am Schliersee (between Schliersee and Bayrischzell) has been fully closed since 17 August 2026, expected until the end of October 2026 (a further construction phase follows in spring 2027); the diversion runs widely via the Leitzach valley, check current traffic reports in advance.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Schliersee: the Baroque parish church of St. Sixtus and Sebastian on the shore, plus an excursion steamer in summer.
- Wendelstein: the cog railway from Brannenburg and the cable car from Bayrischzell lead to the summit church and observatory; check operation and weather in advance.
- Aschau im Chiemgau with Hohenaschau Palace and the Kampenwand cable car; a view of the Chiemsee, about 10 km away.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Oberaudorf in the Inn valley there are campsites and pitches, in Aschau several campsites in the Prien valley; check opening and fee in advance. On the Schliersee and in Bayrischzell there are municipal pitches on the edge of the village, check facilities in pitch apps.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Bavarian mountains, overnighting on hiking car parks and on the Sudelfeldstraße is often prohibited; forest and protected areas are closed to motor vehicles. Stop and park at the Sudelfeld only in designated places.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Sudelfeldstraße (B307, up to 1,123 m, gradients up to about 16 per cent) is toll-free according to pass guides and passable for motorhomes; check roadworks and closures in advance. In winter the road is closed in snow or passable only with chains; tyres with the Alpine symbol are compulsory. Shortly before Oberaudorf and Sachrang the hairpins become tight; check tall or over-3.5 t motorhomes on the map in advance. If you want to go into the Inn valley: Kufstein lies about 8 km away, but across the border in Austria.
8Stage 8: Aschau im Chiemgau to Berchtesgaden (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- From Aschau via Marquartstein and Reit im Winkl to Ruhpolding and Inzell, on the B305 via Schneizlreuth to Bad Reichenhall, then over the Hallthurm Pass (B20) to Bischofswiesen and Berchtesgaden. Country roads with crests, 30 km/h in the spa towns; on the B305 between Ruhpolding and Inzell often lorries. A good 2 hours of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Reit im Winkl and the Winklmoosalm at 1,160 m: a panorama over the Kaisergebirge; the access from Seegatterl is a toll road (recently around 10 euros per car, 4.2 km, gradients up to 18 per cent), check the toll in advance.
- Ruhpolding with the Rauschberg cable car and the Frillensee near Inzell; Bad Reichenhall with the Old Saltworks and the Predigtstuhl cable car.
- Berchtesgaden: the salt mine with miners' clothing, the Königssee with electric boats to the church of St. Bartholomä, the Obersalzberg with its documentation centre and the Kehlsteinhaus.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Berchtesgaden and at the Königssee there are several campsites, including Camping Grafenlehen and Camping Allweglehen; check opening times and booking in advance, book early in high summer and the autumn holidays. In Reit im Winkl lies Camping Seegatterl; pitches are also offered by Bad Reichenhall and Ruhpolding, check fee and opening in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Berchtesgaden National Park and at the Königssee overnighting outside campsites is prohibited, as is camping on the car parks of the cable cars. The car parks at the Königssee are also not released for camping at night; use only the designated sites.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Königssee boats run exclusively on electric motors; buy tickets at the boat station, allow for waiting time at peak periods. The trip to the church of St. Bartholomä takes about 35 minutes one way, with a trumpet echo at the Echo Wall. The Kehlsteinhaus can only be reached by bus from the Obersalzberg, season 2026 from 7 May to 31 October according to the operator, buses from the Obersalzberg car park, weather-related cancellations possible. The Roßfeld-Panoramastraße (about 16 km, up to roughly 1,560 m, gradients up to about 13 per cent) branches off the B305 near Berchtesgaden and is a toll road (most recently 9.50 euros per car according to the operator); pass guides rate it unsuitable for motorhomes and combinations, and overnight stays are banned along the whole road – check fee and vehicle restrictions in advance with the Staatliches Bauamt Traunstein.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- In Germany a motorhome on public roads and car parks counts as a parked vehicle if it only stands “to restore fitness to drive” – in practice one night, without camping behaviour (no chairs, tables, awning, stabilisers or wedges, no grey water on the ground). Anyone who stays several nights or sets up is camping – and that is not allowed outside campsites and motorhome pitches.
- In Bavaria the Forest Act and the Nature Conservation Act prohibit driving and overnighting with motor vehicles in forest, open country and protected areas; in the Berchtesgaden National Park, at the Königssee and at the Walchensee wild camping is strictly prohibited. Signs “no overnighting” or with a crossed-out motorhome take precedence; fines are set by districts and municipalities.
- The spa towns on the Alpine Road (for example Oberstaufen, Bad Hindelang, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bad Tölz, Tegernsee, Bad Reichenhall, Berchtesgaden) charge visitor tax per person and night, mostly in the low single-digit euro range (Berchtesgaden 2026: 3.10 euros per adult according to a tax overview), also at motorhome pitches; guest cards often bring benefits on cable cars and buses, check conditions in advance.
- Useful aids: park4night, Campercontact and the printed German motorhome pitch guides; user details on fees and facilities are often out of date – check the situation on site.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Service stations stand at almost all municipal pitches and campsites; many run on coins or card, some on tokens. Fresh water is usually available in 100-litre portions for a fee.
- Drain grey water only at the station, chemical toilet only into the marked openings – not into drains or public toilets. Sanitary additives based on formaldehyde are unwelcome at many stations.
- Tap water in Germany is drinking water throughout; mind signs “not drinking water” at cemeteries and fountains. In the mountains, springs and fountains at alpine pastures should not simply be used.
- Gas: grey 11 kg and 5 kg exchange cylinders are available at many petrol stations, DIY stores and campsites; refillable cylinders and gas tanks are filled at autogas (LPG) stations, which in Germany have ACME connections – bring a suitable adapter from countries with a different system. Foreign exchange cylinders are not exchanged. LPG stations are rare in the mountains; fill up in Lindau, Kempten or Garmisch before the Alpine Road.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t drive like cars – 50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside, no general limit on motorways (recommended speed 130 km/h). Motorhomes over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t: 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on motorways; over 7.5 t: 60 km/h outside, 80 km/h on motorways. Caravan combinations: 80 km/h, 100 km/h on motorways only with a 100 km/h approval. In villages on the Alpine Road 30 km/h often applies, with speed cameras.
- Environmental sticker: as far as is currently known there is no low-emission zone on this route; if you arrive via Munich or Augsburg, you need the green sticker there. Whether individual cities lift or change zones, check beforehand with the Federal Environment Agency.
- Tolls: there is no vignette for cars and motorhomes. The lorry toll applies to goods vehicles over 3.5 t; according to the operator Toll Collect, motorhomes are generally not liable. Private toll roads in the mountains, such as the Roßfeld-Panoramastraße near Berchtesgaden, charge a fee and may limit vehicle sizes; check fee and restrictions with the operator in advance.
- The Sunday and public-holiday driving ban and the summer holiday travel ban on July and August Saturdays apply to lorries over 7.5 t; motorhomes registered as motorhomes are generally not affected, but those with a lorry registration are – check the vehicle registration document.
- Winter tyres apply situationally: in black ice, snow, slush or frost, tyres with the Alpine symbol (mountain pictogram with snowflake) are compulsory, M+S alone is no longer sufficient. In the Allgäu, at the Kesselberg and at the Sudelfeld snow can lie as early as October; individual pass roads are closed in winter or passable only with snow chains. Rear carriers: the number plate and rear lights must remain visible. Alcohol: 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for novice drivers and under-21s. Mobile phone at the wheel only hands-free.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Winter tyres with the Alpine symbol or suitable snow chains: in the Allgäu and the Berchtesgadener Land snow can lie from October, and the Kesselberg and Sudelfeld demand chains in an emergency.
- A supply of euro coins: many pitch machines for electricity, water and parking fees take no card; plus a parking disc for free zones in Bavaria.
- A long mains cable (at least 25 m) with CEE plug and adapter to Schuko – the pillars at the pitches often stand far apart.
- A folding bike or e-bike: the paths around the Forggensee, Walchensee, Tegernsee and Königssee connect pitches with old towns and lakes without hunting for parking.
- Printed or offline-saved ticket confirmations for Neuschwanstein, the Zugspitze and Linderhof Palace with entry time – the mobile network in the valleys is overloaded at peak times.
- Hiking shoes with tread and a rain jacket: mountain weather changes quickly, and gorges such as the Partnach Gorge are wet and slippery.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
