Lake Constance/Bodensee

I think 6 nights is probably too much. I. would stay in Meetsburg but the train doesn’t go there. .the bus transportation is pretty good

www.bodensee.eu

You know me Andrea, I’d take as many nights as I could get on Bodensee and I’m considering going again this August for a week or so after almost 2 months in this area previously. For ease of getting around (ferry, bike, train, etc), a beautiful city, lake promenades you can’t beat Überlingen or Lindau. There is only one place I can think of that might interest you and especially Jim where a car is necessary. I can tell you about that and show you some pictures at the January travel meeting.

Thank you Stephen and Mona. My challenge with such a long trip is to not move too fast, but then again not spend too much time somewhere. We already have a full week in Murren and Budapest, and almost as long in London (me & my daughter), Krakow, Paris and an unknown as of yet location where we will be spending up to a week with my German family.

Mona, sadly we will be missing the meeting this month. We will be in LA visiting our daughter and granddaughter. I’m hoping to nail her down to a plan for our trip. We leave tomorrow to fly to Seattle to visit the other daughter and grandson. Maybe we can get together otherwise. I’ll text you.

Hi Andrea, I think that maybe 6 nights is a long time but it all depends on what you want to do.

If it were me I would probably stay on the German or Austrian side of the lake just to cut down on lodging and food, and trip over to the Swiss side as needed. Carol and I would spend a full day at the gorgeous gardens at Mainau - we love it there and could probably enjoy two days, easily accessible from both the Swiss and German sides of Konstanz. We might wander again through Stein am Rhein and down to the Rhinefalls near Schaffhausen (a few centuries ago I stayed at the Youth Hostel in Schaffhausen and loved it) (best views and access to the falls at Neuhausen imho) and wander up into the Black Forest and over to St Gallen.

Maybe I could spend 6 nights. Maybe I could. Bet I could...

I forgot about the zeppelins. Maybe with Jim's history he might be interested in them, maybe even a ride? They are in the middle of the German shore at Friedrichshafen. Then there's Lindau..... yeah prob could do 6 nights....

Plenty of trains to do all these, but maybe car would help. If you're on Swiss A- roads remember your Vignette...

Nigel, thanks for all your suggestions and I think Jim would love the zeppelins. I would definitely be interested in the German or Austrian sides after spending about 10 days in Switzerland. Maybe 6 days is just right. You know me, I don’t mind driving when a place would be enhanced with a car, but I’m totally fine with public transportation. P.S. When I was in Cologne a few weeks ago my cousins inquired about how you are both doing and send their regards.

Hi Andrea,

All of these places are amazing. For me, there is nothing as special as the Bernese Oberland area so I'm glad you've reserved a place in Murren. My wife and I stayed four nights in Wengen on the other side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. How many nights are you staying in Murren. I would highly recommend adding some time in two places in that region - Thun and Bern. Thun is an absolutely stunning town on the Thunersee (Lake Thun). If you google it and look at the photos, you'll be stunned. For me personally, I'd take Thun over Lucerne...but both are certainly worth seeing (Lucerne is amazing). And if you're in Thun, then you're not far from Bern and that's also a fun place to explore. You could actually stay one night in Thun and the next night in Bern and not feel rushed, IMO. Those two towns are just enjoyable to walk around and enjoy the views and buildings. If you wanted to see some museums and other cultural aspects in Bern, you'd probably need two nights. But for me, if I was in that region again, I'd spend four or five nights in Lauterbrunnen area (Murren is great) and then three nights split in some way between Thun and Bern. Some might say that Thun is close enough to Lauterbrunnen to just make it a day trip...but you're staying at the far end of the valley in Murren so I think Thun is best for it's own night.

By the way, I'll be in the Bodensee for six nights this July. Lots to do there too as I'm learning. We're staying in Uberlingen. By the time you get to the Bodensee (November) you can expect some cold fog and dreary weather on the lake. Visibility won't be great but you can still enjoy the towns. I know not everything lines up to at the ideal time...but the Bodensee is probably best in the summer to showcase all it has. We visited the flower island of Mainau several years back and that was fantastic but it might not have much going on in November. Are you flying back from Zurich...or Munich?

lexgrecu, welcome to the forum and thank you for your thoughts. We will have a week in Mürren before we go to Überlingen for 5 nights. My husband and I are flying into Zurich independently of each other since I’ll be coming from Dublin after two weeks in England and Ireland. My husband will be flying from the west coast and I know he will be tired, so I chose Lucerne for 2 nights because it’s not too far from Zurich. To try to get to the BO from Zurich would be too much for him in a jet lagged state. We will arrive in Switzerland on September 3, so I’m hoping for good weather. This is a very long trip and we will fly home from Paris on November 2.

Andrea, sounds like a great trip. If we discover any hidden gems in Uberlingen or the Bodensee to see or do or eat, etc... that haven't been talked about in the message boards, I'll message you in early August. Tschuss!

Vielen Dank, I always appreciate any advice I can get.

When we were in Germany, I struck up a conversation with one of the hotel owners (as you do), and I asked what her favorite place to visit in Germany is. She said Lake Constance and so of course, now I want to go. I need to look up the Bodensee though as I have not heard of that area.

Tammy, Lake Constance and the Bodensee are the same thing. We stopped for lunch there 18 years ago as we were driving from the Black Forest to Bavaria and ever since we have been wanting to return. I can’t wait to explore the area.

We spent five nights in that region and loved it. Definitely did not feel like too long. Counter to some of the advice here, we actually did stay on the Swiss side in Ermatingen. It was lovely, but certainly more expensive. How we filled our days:

• Diessenhofen and Stein Am Rhein, both fantastic
• Zeppelin Museum, which I agree is 100% a must. Really a first-rate museum
• Reichenau -- ugh. My Wallyworld! Everything was closed when we got there. Was ready to find a bb gun and John Candy. (All Vacation references, btw) If things are open and it runs like it is supposed to, I think this is still a great place. It is UNESCO World Heritage after all. But we had rotten luck that day
• St. Gallen. Also worthy of its World Heritage status. My only gripe is that they don't allow photography
• We also spent a lot of time in Konstanz, which we really loved. Kind of a sleeper in my opinion.

So, as you can see, it is easy to fill the days.

Add Meersburg and Salem to the above. We stayed a few nights in a B&B on the border of Meersburg and Hagnau (a flattish walk between the two). Another time, from the bottom end of the Black Forest we visited most of the places (by car) which History Traveller mentions.

There's no one location to hit everything easily, timewise. I'd gravitate to Überlingen without a car, especially if you are considering visits to Konstanz/Insel Mainau/Reichenau. Lindau and Friedrichshafen can be reached by ferry/train. Meersburg (no train station) has brunch and dinner ferries at certain times.

"Maybe Bern?" - I was a teenager when I visited but I doubt it's got any worse. A super place.

Thanks Gunderson. I’m not planning on a car, but I’m not opposed to one if it will enhance our time in the area. The apartment I booked has parking, so I will keep in mind that driving is an option.