We stayed at a great hotel near Fuessen called the Hotel Bergruh. The drive takes about 20 mins & there is plenty of parking. The views from the hotel are amazing and they speak some English.
A good tip about visiting Neuschwanstein if you have a few days is to look out of your window. If it's sunny, go for it as early as possible!
We're fairly fit walkers and the walk up the hill took about 20 - 30 min. If you want to visit Marienbruke take the bus up the hill as the bus stop is closer to the bridge than the footpath route.
There are a few places to eat that are not overpriced and free toilets both within the castle grounds and by the gift shops.
The tour does feel rushed and can be bad if you get a guide who lacks enthusiasm for the tour as we had when we did it the 1st time.
If you are doing a couple of castles of Ludwig's or within Bavaria consider buying a state castles pass which will save you money.