Travel report: The Obersee cycle tour on the tandem
From our guests Doreen and Chris
My son Chris lives with Down syndrome and its challenges in everyday life. Chris learned to ride a bike at the age of nine and extended his radius of action many times over. From teenage years onwards, the route to the playground was no longer sufficient and the hurdles of road traffic could not be overcome independently.
This is how we came to tandem cycling - for us a great freedom and a lot of fun.
After two summers with our tandem, it was clear: we wanted to go on a bike tour!
It should be an easy, clear round trip without climbs. Just to test whether it was the right thing for us. So we set off on a search through the vastness of the internet and found Radweg-Reisen. That seemed to be the right provider for us. It should be the Lake Constance cycle route. We opted for the easy Obersee cycle tour.
Doreen & Chris
Anticipation
Now there were just a few questions to be answered: Does the ferry from Wallhausen also transport tandems? To what extent is the start hotel suitable for parking a car with a tandem on the roof? All questions were answered competently and friendly on the phone. The solution for the start hotel was also given straight away. The start hotel is also our destination hotel, located outside the city center and not far from the Radweg-Reisen headquarters, where there is a fenced parking lot.
We immediately booked our cycling trip during the Whitsun vacations and the anticipation was great. About six weeks before the start of our trip, we received a thick letter from RADWEG-REISEN with all the important documents. Everything was wonderfully organized and perfectly arranged in a ring binder. I was very pleasantly surprised at how many useful tips and information we found for our trip.
Our tandem
Journey to Constance
So we set off on a sunny Monday morning in the direction of Lake Constance. After just a two-hour drive, we arrived at our hotel in Constance. A modern B&B Hotel. Unloading is quick and easy. Now we take our car to the RADWEG-REISEN parking lot. We are greeted by friendly staff. This is also where the huge bike rental shop with workshop is located. Everything is very clean and tidy. The air pressure on our own tandem is checked again to make sure it is rolling well.
It is still quite early in the afternoon and so we warm up by cycling to the island of Reichenau, which is not actually included in the booked tour. We cycle through a beautiful avenue, past lush fruit and vegetable plantations. A beautiful first day of our vacation comes to an end.
On the avenue to the island of Reichenau
Day 1: Constance - Friedrichshafen (approx. 50 km)
In the morning, we hand in our suitcases at reception and I promise my son that they will be at the next hotel in the evening. But he doesn't really trust it.
Today we first head to the island of Mainau. There are plenty of bicycle parking spaces and large lockers right at the entrance, which is very practical for saddlebags. The island of Mainau with its abundant flowers and plants can be reached quickly on foot via a bridge. After a little refreshment, we continue to the ferry to Wallhausen, which takes us to Überlingen. There are plenty of spaces for bikes on the ferry and there are no steps to get on. Everything is perfect for getting a tandem onto the boat. At 28 degrees, it's a very warm day for cycling.
On our onward journey, we visit the pile dwellings in Unteruhldingen, see Meersburg Castle from the outside as we cycle past, and take a dip in Lake Constance. At the Cityhotel in Friedrichshafen, a large room and a great bike garage await us. Our suitcases are already there and my Chris is visibly relieved that everything has worked out.
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On the island of Mainau
Pile dwellings Unteruhldingen
Day 2: Friedrichshafen - Lindau-Zech (approx. 35 km)
Today we start with a great breakfast at the hotel. Well fortified, we visit the Zeppelin Museum and the observation tower in the port of Friedrichshafen. There are great views and insights.
Then we set off on beautiful cycle paths along vineyards and orchards. It's another very warm day. We take advantage of a few swimming spots to cool off in Lake Constance. We play a round of mini golf in Wasserburg before reaching our destination for today in Lindau-Zech. The hotel is nicely furnished and has an adjoining pizzeria, which my son is particularly pleased about.
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Friedrichshafen, harbor pier
Bathing break
Day 3: Lindau-Zech - Arbon (approx. 55 km)
Our penultimate day of cycling starts with sunny weather again - so we have a wonderful view from the Pfänder in Bregenz. If you like, you can also take your bike up the Pfänder and enjoy a speedy descent. We saved ourselves the extra kilometers and took the cable car back down to the valley.
The weather is now a little rainy, but pleasantly cool. We cycle mostly along Lake Constance, on wide cycle paths, through forests and fields. It is a beautiful area. On the way, we visit the Hundertwasserhaus in Altenrhein. In Arbon, a very nice hotel with great cuisine awaits us for dinner. It was the best hotel on our trip.
View from the Pfänder
Day 4: Arbon - Constance (approx. 35 km)
On what is unfortunately our last day of cycling, we head back to Constance. We cycle quickly along well-maintained cycle paths through orchards, forests and vegetable-growing areas. We take many breaks with great views over Lake Constance. In the port of Constance, we visit the Imperia and set sail on a pedalo. The harbor is beautiful, but unfortunately also very crowded. So we continue on to our hotel quite quickly.
Show more Show lessDeparture
On the day of departure, the room does not have to be vacated until 12.00 noon. This allows us to pick up and load our car in peace. Then we head home again. We cycled a total of 201 km.
Now we have completed our first cycle tour. Proud of our joint achievement, we realize that this will not be our last cycling trip. We'll do it again as soon as possible!
Thank you very much for the excellent organization by the RADWEG-REISEN team.
