I don't know how to go about finding an inexpensive apartment in Constance, Germany or somewhere near the Bodensee to have as a base for using a 2 month rail pass to explore in various directions for day trips or overnights in Germany, Austria, Switzerland - and maybe further. I need a kitchen to save money on food.
Also, it should be accessible by public transportation from the rail station. Got any ideas? I want to go Sept and Oct 2013.
Jan, I did a check for vacation apartment rentals in Konstanz. I found several (see this website: http://www.konstanz-tourismus.de/suchergebnis.html) but I'm not sure I would call them inexpensive for a couple of months' stay. Perhaps you could contact the tourist office directly or even check with the university if they have anything to offer. Maybe you could rent a "Zimmer" - room - instead and negotiate use of the kitchen for certain times of the day. It would help if you spoke German. The downtown area is walkable from the rail stations (Swiss and German) and very attractive. Also, you probably ought to try and negotiate a lower overnight rental rate for a long-term stay in a vacation apartment.
do you own a home? You could consider home exchange. We had an exchange on the Bodensee two years ago that was wonderful and just 500m from the train station. Exchanges are free, but of course you have to have a place to trade. Check home exchange.com and other similar sites
Check out airbnb.com. They have a lot of options in that area (I'd base out of Konstanz, as it will be cheaper than Lindau probably and is in a better location for catching trains). The good news is by Sept high season will be mostly over and if you look now you should be able to find something.