Biking Lake Constance – Cycle along the lush border of Switzerland, Germany and Austria

Lake of Constance borders three countries. Yet, not only for that reason biking Lake Constance is a great idea for a short get-away. First of all, you are very active the whole time. Whether you are cycling along the shores or through vineyards, swimming in the lake or strolling through parks in cute towns, it will be a treat for your body. I assume it usually is locked inside an office all day. Secondly, the region is very much used to hungry tourists and no matter where you go, you will eat good and plentiful. Plus, who can say that he has passed Switzerland, Germany, and Austria on a bicycle in two or three days? Now you only have to hope for good weather since you will be outdoor all days.

 

Biking Lake Constance in two or three days

 

When to go?

We had amazing weather at the last weekend in May. Therefore, we didn’t have to worry about long clothes to stay warm. In the late afternoon, it was even almost too hot to cycle on. Luckily the lake was already warm enough and lots of people were swimming in it. Therefore, I think the end of May and early June or the end of September are the best times to cycle around the Bodensee. Only if there is no rain of course.

Where to start?

You can start and end anywhere around the lake but if you arrive from further away by train, it’s probably easiest to start in a bigger city. In Switzerland, this would be Rorschach, Arbon or Romanshorn. In Germany, you can start in Konstanz, Überlingen, Meersburg, Friedrichshafen or Lindau and in Austria in Bregenz.

We started in St. Gallen, reached the lake in Arbon and rode towards Konstanz from there. So, clockwise around the lake and that’s also the direction I’d recommend.

 

Do I need my own bike?

No. In Switzerland, you can rent bicycles at every bigger train station for about $25 per day. e-bikes are a bit more expensive. In Germany, we saw signs for e-bikes for 18 Euros per day. Generally, Germany and Austria are cheaper in everything compared to Switzerland.

 

Where should I spend the night?

The complete tour around the Bodensee and Überlingensee without any ferries is about 190km. After Konstanz, you will also cycle along the Untersee for a while but if you want to go around this one as well, you definitely need more than one night. So, calculate yourself how much you want to cycle in one day and how much time you want to go swimming or even visit one of the fun parks around the lake or hike on one of the mountains? You can easily stretch the lake tour into a one week trip.

We spent the night in Hagnau, which is a very cute little town with only a few guesthouses, restaurants, and two gelaterias. If you do a two-day tour, start in Switzerland and take the ferry from Konstanz to Überlingen, this is a good place to stay. It was pretty hard to find a place to stay on this long weekend and we were very lucky to find a room in such a lovely place as Gasthaus Stengele. 2 people in one room with a good breakfast was very reasonable at 60 Euro.

More sites to find a place to stay:

• Booking.com
• Bodenseeurlaub
• Directly contacting the campsites on google maps

My favorite town along the water was Meersburg but actually, everything was so lovely that each time it was a shame to only be passing through so quickly.

 

How fit do I need to be?

You can plan the journey accordingly to your fitness. If you are very fit, don’t take any ferries and grab your racing bike. If you like to take it easy, take a ferry or a train once in a while (you can get combined tickets for trains and ferries with your bicycle). I was surprised how much time we spent cycling away from the lake. Doubtless, it was very pretty with all the vineyards but contrarily to the flat shore, you will cycle up and down all day instead of on flat terrain. The cycling paths are very well kept though and make the tour agreeable.

Can I do it with kids?

You know your kids and what they can do. There are some cycling paths along roads with cars but you can avoid them if you only do parts of the lake. We saw many families with kids of all ages because the areas surrounding Lake of Constance offer many more attractions than only the lake.

 

What’s your favorite city around Lake of Constance? Which tours in the world can you recommend to do on a bicycle?