Take a two, three or four day trip with your bicycle around Lake Constance!

Lake Constance Is a beautiful lake to cycle around. There is almost always a path right next to the Lake with breathtaking lake views.
In 2019 on my birthday I was looking for a place to go and do what I love for a few days: cycling. Instead of the usual birthday barbeque, I just wanted to calm down and enjoy the day with my close ones. That’s why my family and I decided spend the time on the bike, cycling around Lake Constance. My sister, mum and I did it in 3 days, my other sister and dad took only two days to finish the whole tour. We met in the middle of the trip. It is possible to do it even in one day and it taking more than four days for more relaxation is excellent too. Sometimes it is better to give oneself more time to enjoy the trip.

The destination

Lake Constance is located in the very south of Germany, bordering Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. That means, cycling around the Lake, you cross three borders in just a short time. The Lake is 536 km² big and has a length of 63 km and has beautiful scenery anywhere you are at around the Lake. The shoreline in Germany is 173 km and 72 km in Switzerland while 28 km in Austria.

The route

Day 1: Cycling around Lake Constance – from Oberuhldingen to Lindau

We started in Oberuhldingen at the bike shop. There, my mum rented an e-bike to have it easy keeping up with us having a road bike. Having a road bike is excellent around lake Constance but with a trekking bike being able to cycle on all surfaces is better actually as there are some beautiful directly at the shore that is a gravel road. The first day we did 48 km and finished in Lindau. The elevation profile is very flat as in every day during the trip. On the way is Meersburg and Friedrichshafen, which is very pleasant for a stop and many seaside areas to take a dip in the sea. Find the route on my komoot: LINK.

Day 2: Day 1: Cycling around Lake Constance – from Lindau to Arbon

The next day, we rode 41 km from Lindau to Arbon in Switzerland. We crossed Austria and ended in Switzerland. On the way, we stopped in Bregenz, a lovely little city to have a coffee on the road. This trip is also very flat, except for one steep part that is quite challenging. But once you reach the top, watch out for a little bakery. Sit down for a coffee, snack, or other drink. It has a breathtaking view of the Lake. I believe that was at the Buchberg, but honestly, you will know what hill I am talking about once you ride it. The ending in Arbon was great. Here, we were walking through the little city and enjoying the evening. The town is charming and old. In a small café, we got some fantastic cake, and it seemed like this one was one of the very few that are there. At least we didn’t see any other café. At the Lake, there was an open-air cinema with an incredible location right at the shore of the Lake. Link to komoot is here: LINK.

Day 3: Cycling around Lake Constance – from Arbon to Stein am Rhein

The third day we rode to Stein am Rhein. This trip was 56,3 km. This tour is not along the Lake, and the elevation profile is a bit more challenging than the one from the days before. It is 460 m uphill and has a little mountain at one stage. From there, the view is stunning, overlooking the whole Lake. Ending in Stein am Rhein, we checked in the Hotel and met my dad and my sister, who did the entire tour in only two days. Then we had a great dinner in the city center. There are quite some rustic style places to have dinner. The link for the third day is here: LINK.

Day 4: Cycling around Lake Constance – from Stein am Rhein to Oberuhldingen

The last day was the trip back to the car to Oberuhldingen. On the way, we stopped and took a swim in the Lake, which was beautiful. In the summer the water is not too cold. This latter route was also a bit hilly having one mountain in the beginning. The rest is mostly flat, though. Especially the end of the trip is only flat, which gives it a pleasant and smooth ending. And finally the last day trip on komoot: LINK.

Where to stay

Our first night we spent in Lindau. We wanted to have a low-cost night and checked in the HI Youth Hostel Lindau. I have been there before, and it is nice to stay at if you don’t mind not having a private shower and restroom. Also, I have to admit the breakfast is diverse. They also have a shed for bikes that they lock at night. So your bike is safe (LINK to the hotel).
The second night we stayed in the Hotel Rotes Kreuz in Arbon. This Hotel, unfortunately, didn’t have a proper place for the bikes to be stored, but the owners let us put it in the shed. But the location was amazing, directly at the lake and the breakfast is delicious and had lots of variety. From eggs to all kings of cheese and fruit, you can find everything. The Hotel is very close to the sea (LINK to the hotel).

The last night we spend the night in the Garni-Hotel Mühletal in Stein am Rhein. That was a nice little hotel with a delicious breakfast. You could feel the swiss atmosphere with cute decorations in the breakfast room. We were able to lock the bikes in the backyard. Besides the mentioned, there are a lot of other great places to stay. You can check out the website showing exactly the hotels that are preferably for bike tourists (LINK to the hotel).

Tipps for your trip around Lake Constance

• As you will be crossing country borders, don’t forget to have your ID with you.
• In Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein, you can use the EU roaming service at no extra charge. In Switzerland, though, additional charges apply to use your phone.
• Don’t forget that Switzerland and Liechtenstein use Swiss francs (CHF). If you don’t have any on you, ask before purchasing whether the shop accepts Euros as well. As the area around Lake Constance is quite touristy, many shops do accept Euros. It is not something mandatory for shops to do, though.
• If you don’t feel like cycling on a day but want to move to your next destination, check bus connections as you may take your bike in most buses around the Lake. If you’re going to take your bike on a boat, this is possible but requires a separate ticket. You can buy a single-trip, multi-trip, day, annual or multi-trip ticket. (Check ship tickets here: https://www.bsb.de/en)
• If you want to make a more extended trip and go for five days, I saw this route on Komoot. Check it out and see if that’s for you 😊 (LINK)
• And last, but not least, I want to say that it is very easy to find all the cycling paths along the lake. Just look out for signs or follow the many cyclists. I personally recommend to do the trip during the week (Mo-Fr), if possible for you, as it can get very crowded on the paths on weekends. Especially when the weather is sunny and warm, there are some very crowded spots along the way.

There’s nothing better than a cold beer with a view after a tiny hill climb 🙂