Travel report: The classic Lake Constance cycle tour

Our guests from Münsterland opted for the classic Lake Constance cycle tour. The tour took them on five stages in Germany, Austria and Switzerland through a number of towns along Lake Constance that were well worth seeing. Even though the three were not always lucky with the weather - and the odd (animal) obstacle literally got in their way - they look back fondly on this wonderful and eventful time.

Day 1: Journey to Lindau-Schönau

The journey was a bit tedious. We traveled by car from Münsterland via Düsseldorf, where I (Annette) got on, to our first stage in Schönau. Unfortunately, there were a lot of traffic jams due to the traffic on Friday, the many roadworks and a truck accident. We hadn't expected such a delay, but we were very happy to reach our destination in Schönau safe and sound. The Hotel Schönau is in a very quiet but somewhat remote location in the district of Lindau-Schönau. By now it was 8.55 p.m. and we were naturally very hungry and there was not a restaurant or chip shop in sight. But we were so lucky that the kitchen was open for another five minutes and prepared us an excellent dinner. It was funny that there were also guests from our neighboring town back home. We could hear that from the accent and then asked about it. It was another nice evening.

We can also only mention the friendliness of the staff. The hotel's furnishings are very modern and just perfect for feeling at home. We would give the hotel at least four stars! We all slept wonderfully and are already looking forward to staying here again on our return journey.

Day 2: Lindau-Schönau - Rorschach

Our cycle tour was due to start today - but the problem was that we had to leave the parking lot for other guests. Radweg-Reisen recommended a paid parking lot about 3 km away. This was a bit annoying, especially as my cousin Beate broke her wrist four weeks ago and had her own electric bike with her. Incidentally, Radweg-Reisen was very accommodating and credited the cost of the rental bike back to us! We were worried for a while that we would have to cancel our vacation, but with Beate's bike it was possible to go on the trip after all.

We solved the parking problem differently. For a crate of beer, we were allowed to park the car at a bike dealer for the duration of the round trip - so we could avoid the back and forth with the bikes. That was super convenient. The guy looked like the painter Hundertwasser and was really happy about the crate of beer he got as requested.

Our tip

If you are traveling in Switzerland, you should make sure you have your cell phone in flight mode - otherwise you could incur huge phone charges.

On the way to the hotel, we cycled past the Würth family museum, which we wanted to visit the next day. After checking into the Hotel Mozart, we looked for a nice place for dinner, as we thought the hotel was a bit on the classy side. There wasn't much going on in the town for a Saturday evening. We found an Italian restaurant and then went down to the lakeside promenade for a drink. At 10 p.m., the restaurant had to close its outdoor area due to noise pollution and it was time to get a good night's sleep to be fit and alert for the next day.

Day 3: Rorschach - Constance

The night wasn't great, with the first train rattling past at 05:00 in the morning - unfortunately, we lost our sleep. Luggage is always dropped off at reception by 09:00 at the latest, after which we had breakfast. The hotel is somewhat playfully furnished and the staff are very friendly. It was a pity that after we had almost finished our breakfast at 10.00 a.m., the most amazing dishes were also served. We tried a little of it, but unfortunately, we couldn't have any more.

We continued on to Arbon, past a small harbor. Along the way, there were small works of art on trees everywhere or knitted hands surrounding a tree trunk - very imaginative artists were at work. The old town is very historic and its facades are well worth a stop. On our onward journey, we passed a vintage car museum. Again, there was not enough time for a longer visit. One interesting exhibit was a replica of a Porsche made from screws.

We then continued via Romanshorn and Kreuzlingen, where we crossed the border, to our destination of Constance. Cats kept crossing the cycle path and we had to brake frequently to avoid causing an accident. So always keep an eye out for cats sneaking around. The weather was excellent, so we headed for a beer garden in Constance and kicked off the Oktoberfest with an Augustiner beer. The view of the ships and the hustle and bustle was simply wonderful. We would have liked to stay longer, but we still had to visit our Hotel Barbarossa.

Because of small roadworks, we turned on the navigation system with our cell phone, which then led us directly to the hotel in the city center. A very interesting, historic and modernized hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful. My single room was also a nice place to sleep, which is not always the case with single rooms. So I had the room reserved for the return leg of the trip. The restaurant was unfortunately closed, as the kitchen is closed on Sundays. That wasn't a problem, as there are plenty of restaurants in Constance. As suggested by the hotel, we opted for a Greek restaurant not far to the right of the hotel. It was simply furnished and very busy. We had a fun conversation all evening with a Swiss couple at the next table. We learned a lot about the Swiss. It ended with a few ouzos, which is why we had the necessary bedtime energy.

Day 4: Constance - Schaffhausen

It started raining heavily during the night and there was no sign of it stopping, so we had to change our plans. There was no way we could cycle the whole route. We bought three tickets at the nearby train station. The Swiss took the money from the "living people". What we didn't know was that the elevator to the platform was broken. It was a hellish ordeal to get the loaded bikes through the underpass and up the stairs to the platform in time in the heavy rain. The conductor said that we shouldn't use the bike compartment as we had to get off early. It was a hustle and bustle with the other passengers squeezing past us. On the way, we could still see cyclists in rain gear from time to time and realized how difficult it was to cycle in the rain. But it worked out wonderfully.

Happily, the sun was shining again when we arrived in Schaffhausen. To reach our Hotel Sorell Rüden, we had to push our bikes through the middle of the shopping street. We were amazed at how beautiful the city center is with its many and varied corners. We felt like we had been transported to the modern Middle Ages, especially when we checked into our hotel. I liked my single room, but a window at the head end and the crooked view of the TV prompted me to change rooms. Everything went very smoothly and in a friendly manner and I then had a great room.

On our onward journey, we caught the German side of Lake Constance and cycled towards Mainau. In between, it rained heavily again, which is why we didn't go to the island of Mainau. We then continued to the boat landing stage in Wallhausen, where we were able to redeem our voucher. The Seegold ferry is equipped to a very high standard, which is not the case with some ferries.

After docking in Überlingen, we cycled on to Uhldingen. This is where the interesting pile dwellings are located, which can be visited for an entrance fee. As we were feeling hungry again, we took a break at a kiosk. We had some delicious homemade onion tart with Suser. Just then it started to rain again. So the break lasted a little longer and we didn't visit the pile dwellings. The rest of our cycle tour took us through the small town of Meersburg, where the Meersburg Castle could be seen from afar. The town center is also very historic. There was a lot going on, with many winegrowers offering their wines. However, we cycled on through the wine region, via Hagnau and Immenstaad, so as not to arrive at the hotel so late.

Bike puncture

But then it happened, we had a bike puncture. The tire on Beate's e-bike went flat from one moment to the next, 4 km before our destination. At a petrol station, we asked around for a bike repair shop. My husband had to push the bike back 3 km because my cousin couldn't push the heavy bike that far with her operated hand. The bike mechanic said that as it was already so late, he would give us an e-bike on loan and we could pick the bike up again the next morning. No sooner said than done - so we arrived late at our hotel, the Hotel Waldhorn, in Friedrichshafen-Manzell.

After freshening up, we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner and tried the good home-style cooking. We were very satisfied, but after the scare we first had to drink a fruit schnapps to process the excitement.

Day 6: Friedrichshafen - Lindau-Schönau

After breakfast, Hermann took the rental bike to the workshop to pick up the e-bike. We waited in the hotel lobby because it shouldn't take too long and Beate could only ride her e-bike anyway. He should have been back by now, but then we got the call that the tire was flat again halfway down the road. This time it was a shard of glass. The bike mechanic immediately set about repairing it, as we still had quite a long way to go.

Animal obstacle

After the museum visit, the rain had finally stopped and we were able to continue our tour. Through beautiful and idyllic areas, we reached a stretch of road bordered by meadows and pastures belonging to some farmers. Unexpectedly, a woman stood around a bend and waved excitedly to get us to dismount.