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Shores of Lake Constance

Orchards, vineyards & panoramic slopes
 
Enjoy varied routes and ever-changing views on this leisurely, self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking holiday, with luggage transported. Be sure to try the delicious local lake fish, to visit the famous gardens of Mainau, and to sail across Bodensee’s calm, shimmering waters.
Shores of Lake Constance. 6 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Shores of Lake Constance. 6 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday around Lake Constance

Invisible, the borders of Germany, Austria and Switzerland converge in Europe’s third-largest lake. Instead, the eye beholds shimmering waters, a shoreline fringed with orchards and vineyards, and panoramas stretching towards the mountains at the very heart of Europe.
Therein lies the attraction of this holiday: the hard-to-come-by yet very appealing combination of easy walking and far-reaching views. Not only do they stretch for miles, but they evolve over the course of your holiday, opening out along the length of the lake – also known as Bodensee – towards the Alps, which are still cloaked in snow at the start of the season.
There’s plenty to discover, too: gardens, churches and museums, plus stately towns whose prosperity reflects the importance of Lake Constance, just as its mirror-like waters reflect everything surrounding it. Linking all this is a network of boats, trains and buses, meaning you can do very little walking if you so wish, often free of charge thanks to the guest cards provided by each welcoming hotel. The abundance of apple trees – which blossom in early May – gives rise to pop-up fruit stalls along the trails, and such is the choice of restaurants that all stays are on a bed-and-breakfast basis. Be sure to try the delicious lake fish – trout, pike, perch, whitefish and more – often accompanied by vegetables grown on the lake island of Reichenau.
 

Book with confidence

What we’re doing so you can book and travel with confidence >
Our flexible booking policies >
Check the destination entry requirements >
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on almost any day of the week, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 3 5 9 14 19 22 24 23 20 14 8 3
    mm 55 53 51 74 95 114 123 112 82 63 72 55
  • Arrival in Bodman
    Night 1: at Hotel Anker (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.

    Unless specified otherwise, the journeys by bus and train are free of charge thanks to the guest card you are given by each hotel. In some cases, in high season only, it is possible to take a boat instead of a bus. All boats (except the trip to Mainau) should be paid for locally.
  • Free day in Bodman

    Explore Bodman
    For an easy start to your holiday, you could explore your immediate surroundings, including the 18th-century Schloss Bodman and its parkland (open Monday to Friday) and the village’s small pebble beach, from which you can swim in warm weather.

    Circular lakeside route: 8km, 2.5hrs
    Alternatively, to stretch your legs, you could stroll southwards, via the marina, along the lake’s leafy shores.

    Circular 'ruins' walk: 5.5km, 2hrs
    This second circuit climbs through woodland up above the village to visit both the ruins of the 14th-century Bodman family castle and also the small monastery of Kloster Frauenberg.

    Linear walk from Ludwigshafen to Bodman: 5.5km, 2hrs
    A fourth option is to take a bus or boat to Ludwigshafen and, after a leisurely lunch in the town and a quick look at the historic Customs House, walk back to Bodman through woods and protected wetlands which are home to a variety of birdlife. This route is steep in parts, so we also provide notes for a slightly shorter, low-level version.
    Circular lakeside route: 8km
    On the lakeside route around Bodman
    Circular 'ruins' walk: 5.5km
    Linear walk from Ludwigshafen to Bodman: 5.5km
  • Bodman to Überlingen: 8km, 3hrs
    The day starts with a bus or boat ride to Ludwigshafen, from where a short ascent brings you above the south-facing orchards and vineyards, to a fabulous path which undulates gently through woodland, passing numerous vantage points looking right across the water towards the Alps. One even has a restaurant with panoramic views over the lake, making it an ideal lunch stop before the gentle descent into Sipplingen. From here you take the train for the six-minute journey to Überlingen, where you spend two nights at the Hotel Villa Rosengarten.
    Bodman to Überlingen: 8km
    Descending into Sipplingen on the route from Bodman to Überlingen
  • Free day in Überlingen

    Explore Überlingen and its surroundings
    You may wish to take things easy by exploring Überlingen’s cathedral, town hall and, above all, its colourful public gardens (we provide a town trail). Other options involve taking a boat to visit either the picturesque medieval town of Meersburg, whose name means ‘castle by the sea’, or the fascinating open-air museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Unteruhldingen – complete with replica houses built on stilts in the water – where you can find out about life in the Bronze Age (closed in October).

    Linear walk from Sipplingen to Überlingen: 9km, 3.5hrs
    However, we highly recommend returning to Sipplingen by train (pay locally) and walking back to Überlingen. Choose between a lower route through a wood with seven curious rock pillars and across an open plateau, or a higher, more strenuous route which rewards you with far-reaching views and a variety of scenery.
    Linear walk from Sipplingen to Überlingen: 9km
    UNESCO World Heritage Site in Unteruhldingen
  • Überlingen to Konstanz: 9.5km, 3.5hrs
    Leaving Überlingen, you catch the boat to the island of Mainau. It is home to one of the largest butterfly houses in Germany, but is better known for its botanical gardens – it is often referred to as the Blumeninsel  (‘flower island’) and boasts hundreds of different varieties of tulip, rose, dahlia and azalea alone, not to mention other types of flower, depending on the season. After strolling amid the vibrant flowerbeds and mature trees, you follow an easy path alongside the lake to eponymous Konstanz. (Alternatively, you can catch a bus from Mainau to Konstanz; pay locally.) Here, you spend a final two nights at the Hotel Barbarossa.
    Überlingen to Konstanz: 9.5km
    Near Überlingen
  • Free day in Konstanz

    Explore Konstanz
    To help you discover Konstanz, we provide notes for a self-guided walking tour of the town.

    Circular walk on Reichenau: 7.5km, 2.5hrs
    If you would like a final walk, our recommendation is to head by bus, train or boat (pay locally in all cases) to the island of Reichenau – listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site owing to its 8th-century frescoed monastery – for a gentle circuit amid market gardens, wineries and landmark churches.

    Visit Friedrichshafen
    Or, for a very different end to your holiday, take a boat to Friedrichshafen to visit its museum (closed Mondays in April) about airships in general and, more specifically, the Zeppelin, the iconic ‘flying cigar’ which often drifts languorously above the lake.       
    Visit Friedrichshafen's Zeppelin museum
    Circular walk on Reichenau: 7.5km
 

Accommodation

You stay in three hotels which, although quite different in character, all offer a warm welcome.

Please note: most beds in German hotels are normally one large base with two mattresses/duvets. We refer to these as 'Austrian Twins' and they are locally regarded to serve requests for both double and twin bedded rooms. Separate twin beds or traditional double beds with one large mattress are rare and cannot be guaranteed.
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter

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  • 6 nights: 23 April 2022 - 09 October 2022 & 20 April 2023 - 10 October 2023

    Start any day except Wednesday | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    23 Apr - 21 May 2022 £780 £200
    22 May - 30 Sep 2022 £815 £205
    1 - 3 Oct 2022 £780 £200
    20 Apr - 21 May 2023 £860 £220
    22 May - 30 Sep 2023 £895 £230
    1 - 4 Oct 2023 £860 £220
    3rd & 4th person discount £0
    Single traveller supplement £0

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

    6 nights: 23 April 2022 - 09 October 2022 & 20 April 2023 - 10 October 2023

    Start any day except Wednesday | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    23 Apr - 21 May 2022 £1220 £200
    22 May - 30 Sep 2022 £1260 £205
    1 - 3 Oct 2022 £1220 £200
    20 Apr - 21 May 2023 £1345 £220
    22 May - 30 Sep 2023 £1390 £230
    1 - 4 Oct 2023 £1345 £220
    3rd & 4th person discount -£35 to -£40
    Single traveller supplement £35 to £40

    Includes all elements in the 'walk price', plus standard-class travel by Eurostar from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International to Lille or Paris, with onward travel as described below.

    Included travel from the UK: UK–Paris (Eurostar), Paris–Konstanz (TGV/regional rail), approx. duration 10h plus 0h30 taxi transfer. Home, Konstanz–Paris (TGV/regional rail), Paris–UK (Eurostar), approx. duration 10h plus 0h10 walk from hotel.
    > More about 'by rail' prices
    > The 'rail experience': what to expect

    If you book your holiday less than 10 months in advance of your travel date, seats may no longer be available at the tariffs on which our prices are based, but we may be able to offer you seats on the same services at a supplement.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel Anker, Bodman
    XL with balcony: 23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £15
    XL with balcony: 20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £18
    Hotel Villa Rosengarten, Überlingen
    Deluxe: 23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £8
    Deluxe: 20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £10
    Deluxe 'Reine Viktoria': 23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £20
    Deluxe 'Reine Viktoria': 20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £22
    Deluxe 'Romanze': 23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £18
    Deluxe 'Romanze': 20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £20

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Hotel Anker, Bodman (B&B) Double room Single room
    23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £88 £134
    20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £98 £150
    Hotel Villa Rosengarten, Überlingen (B&B) Double room Single room
    23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £105 £130
    20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £116 £144
    Hotel Barbarossa, Konstanz (B&B) Double room Single room
    23 Apr - 09 Oct 2022 £100 £118
    20 Apr - 10 Oct 2023 £110 £130
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Zürich
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Zürich. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Zurich (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Aberdeen - Zurich (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Zurich Swiss 
    Birmingham - Zurich (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Zurich Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Zurich British Airways,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Zurich easyJet,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Zurich British Airways,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Zurich easyJet,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Zurich Swiss 
    Manchester - Zurich (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Zurich (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Newcastle - Zurich (via Paris CDG) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Norwich - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Zürich. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above except those operated by Ryanair. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Zürich

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Zürich Airport to Konstanz HB (1h10), taxi Konstanz HB to hotel (0h35) £74-£82 1800
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    walk to station (0h10), rail Konstanz HB to Zürich Airport (1h10) £30-£34 1200
What is included
  • 6 nights
  • 6 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • guest cards giving free use of some buses and trains
  • boat to Mainau
  • entrance fee to Mainau’s botanical gardens
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 5 reviews
  • Anon
    09 June 2022

    Beautiful locations with endless walking possibilities. Hotel Hotel Villa Rosengarten was particularly stunning. Calm and peaceful, very close to the lake and lovely friendly service. Despite a very steep climb up from Sipplingen it was worth getting up high to see the views.

  • Mrs J Rawnsley
    Chichester
    21 May 2022

    This was our first walking holiday and our first with Inntravel. Very reassuring to have everything arranged for us, but really enjoyable to be a bit independent too. It's worth learning a few words of German, as not everyone spoke much English. The people were friendly and we had a laugh getting by with pigeon German/English.

    Pretty surroundings and a stunning view of the lake and distant snow capped mountains from the Haldenhof restaurant, where we ate our packed lunch of chicken schnitzel sandwiches, as the restaurant was closed that day. The whole area is so clean, neat and fresh. Paths are well maintained; ideal for walking and cycling. Late May is a lovely time to go to appreciate the beautiful wildflower meadows and enjoy some warm sunshine.

    We were amazed by the gardens in Uberlingen, which were Chelsea standard, plus the cliffs of the old town moat created drama and atmosphere. In fact, most private home gardens were stylish and well looked after.

    One of our many highlights was seeing a beaver swim near the shore. Twice! Other wildlife included plenty of black kites and buzzards, courting grebes, deer and the sound of a cuckoo. We also saw several foxes in Swiss fields from the train.

    Bodensee wine is definitely worth a try, as are all the cakes and excellent icecreams. Zander was delicious at the Hotel Barbarossa.

  • Anon
    09 August 2019

    I would use Inntravel again as a trusted source for a walking holiday. Our experiences paralleled exactly with each day’s description of events and places that was provided in the packet. 

  • Mr A Poole
    Burton-on-trent
    16 July 2019

    Brilliant holiday.  Excellent choice of walks and scenery was magnificent.  Plenty of choices for evening and lunch time meals.  Insect repellent would be useful especially in the forests.  Hotels were all different and up to Inntravel's normal high standards.

  • Mr F Whitmore
    New Zealand
    13 July 2019

    We were pleased to discover the attractions of a hitherto unexplored part of Germany.  Really enjoyed the lake fish served in the restaurants.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If your holiday plans go awry because of Coronavirus, rest assured that we’ll do right by you. Since the start of the pandemic, our flexible booking policy and prompt issuing of refunds to customers who prefer not to defer their holiday have earned us high praise in the national press.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety, not least proving your vaccination status or taking a test in order to travel.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
    Entry requirements for non-UK destinations & for re-entering the UK >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from A to B, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines (but not, currently, with Ryanair). As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out a policy with our recommended provider (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Germany, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The official language is German. The currency is the Euro. German time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Last fetch time is : 7/2/2022 3:08:23 AM