Lake Constance Cycle Path: The Classic Way
- Visit Switzerland's world-famous Rhine Falls
- Easy-going cycling through Austria, Germany and Switzerland
- The 'Bavarian Riveria', with its magnificent castles and enchanting gardens
- Medieval towns of Stein am Rhein, Constance & Überlingen
- Enjoy lakeside beaches & Alpine mountain views
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive ConstanceYour cycling trip will begin in Constance, the largest town on Lake Constance and the town which gave the lake its name. It is a thriving university town and the unofficial capital of the region. You can spend the afternoon exploring the maze of little alleyways and squares or relax at its Mediterranean style harbour.
Stay at Hotel Halm, along the shores of the beautiful Lake Constance landscape with its rich culture. Built in 1874 stay in one of the town's most historic hotels. Today, history and modernity are combined in the Hotel Halm with its comfortable rooms, suites and the historic Hall - the heart of the hotel.
Hotel Alte Post is located near the landscape of Lake Constance and the lake can be reached on foot in a few minutes. The hotel is a place to enjoy the culture of the city of Constance and is in the middle of the old town of Konstanz, surrounded by restaurants, cafes and shops.
Sleek rooms come with flat-screen TVs. Suites add terrace access and separate living rooms with pull-out sofas. High-speed Internet is available.
There's a hip bar that serves light bites. There's also a roof terrace with lake views, plus direct access to scenic cycle trails and free parking.
Your first day’s cycling takes you from Constance to the island of Reichenau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its historic monastery and market gardens. From here, take the boat across to Gaienhofen with your bike before continuing along the Höri peninsula towards the picturesque town of Stein am Rhein. Leave Lake Constance behind for a while as you follow the Rhine towards Schaffhausen, where you can spend the evening exploring the charming old town.
The hotel is situated northeast of the historic district of Überlingen on the premises of a 70-hectare park close to Lake Constance. The view from the terrace will impress you.
The hotel is located in the centre of Überlingen, direclty on the Badgarten and Lake Constance. They offer a sun terrace with a view of the lake and park where guests can relax. The historic centre and ship landing stage can be accessed by taking a short walk through the park. The hotel has comfortably furnished rooms, some of which offer panoramic views of Lake Constance, the Badgarten or the city centre.
Your route begins with a boat trip from Schaffhausen to Stein am Rhein, giving you a different perspective of the Rhine before you get back on your bike. From here, cycle around the Höri peninsula and continue through Radolfzell, passing meadow orchards and the Bodanrück peninsula. You’ll then reach Bodman and Ludwigshafen before continuing along the lakeshore towards Überlingen, where the impressive St. Nikolaus Minster can be seen from afar.
Hotel City-Krone is ideally located just 100 metres- or a two-minute walk - from Lake Constance, making it perfect for sightseeing and lakeside strolls. The rooms are cosy, modern, and designed for comfort. Guests can enjoy convenient amenities such as a laundry service, a small indoor pool, and a wellness centre offering relaxing massages. The continental buffet breakfast is both healthy and generous.
On the 5th floor, the rooftop terrace offers stunning panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains - an ideal spot for an evening aperitif.
Stay at Seehotel Friedrichshafen, located on the lakeside promenade of Lake Constance. Experience the incredible views from their roof terrace over the lake and Friedrichshafen. Sample the creations of their chefs in their restaurants "Bodega" and "Uferlos".
Stay in one of the oldest hotels in Friedrichshafen, Hotel Buchhorner Hof is steeped in tradition and the roots of the hotel go back to the 19th century. Located along the Lakeside promenade it is ideally situated for a post cycle stroll.
Today’s route follows the Lake Constance Cycle Path along the northern shore towards Friedrichshafen. Along the way, pass through Unteruhldingen, home to the famous prehistoric pile dwellings, before continuing to the picturesque town of Meersburg with its historic old town and castle. From here, continue along the lakeshore to Friedrichshafen, where you can visit the Zeppelin Museum or Dornier Museum and enjoy views across the lake towards the Alps.
Stay in a comfortable, modern hotel in the heart of the city. It is only 100 yards from Lake Constance and a 5-minute walk from the Festival Hall. Treat yourself to a visit to its sauna after your cycle.
Located in the heart of the city of Bregenz, the Hotel Germania is only a stone's throw away from Lake Constance, and boasts a sophisticated bar and restaurant in-house.
Hotel Lamm is located a few minutes’ walk away from Lake Constance and the Bregenz Festival Theatre. The hotel offers ammenities such as a beer garden, which is open in the summer, a restaurant serving traditional Austrian pub food, and a terrace.
Leaving Friedrichshafen, cycle through orchards and along the lakeshore towards Langenargen, passing its distinctive Montfort Castle. Continue onwards to the Bavarian town of Lindau, where the historic old town sits on an island in Lake Constance. Depending on your overnight location, continue a little further around the lake to Bregenz in Austria.
Hotel Romerhof is located just a few steps from Lake Constance, in the old village centre of Arbon in a renovated historic building. Enjoy its gourmet restaurant and terrace and the wines from its wine cellar.
Stay in a typical Swiss half-timbered house. Gasthof Brauerei Frohsinn is located on the shores of Lake Constance in Arbon. The Frohsinn also has a brewery on-site and offers homemade Frohsinn Beer in the traditional beer cellar or on the terrace, which boasts lake views. Three on-site restaurants serve hearty local cuisine and drinks in the beer garden surrounded by 100-year-old chestnut trees.
Hotel Seegarten is located in Arbon and offers views of the countryside from each room. Free Wi-Fi, private bathrooms, parking and an on-site restaurant are all available.
Your route continues from Lindau towards Bregenz, where you can take the cable car up Mount Pfänder for panoramic views across Lake Constance. Back on your bike, continue through Höchst and cross into Switzerland before reaching Rorschach. Depending on your overnight location, continue a little further along the lakeshore to Arbon.
Stay at Hotel Halm, along the shores of the beautiful Lake Constance landscape with its rich culture. Built in 1874 stay in one of the town's most historic hotels. Today, history and modernity are combined in the Hotel Halm with its comfortable rooms, suites and the historic Hall - the heart of the hotel.
Hotel Alte Post is located near the landscape of Lake Constance and the lake can be reached on foot in a few minutes. The hotel is a place to enjoy the culture of the city of Constance and is in the middle of the old town of Konstanz, surrounded by restaurants, cafes and shops.
Sleek rooms come with flat-screen TVs. Suites add terrace access and separate living rooms with pull-out sofas. High-speed Internet is available.
There's a hip bar that serves light bites. There's also a roof terrace with lake views, plus direct access to scenic cycle trails and free parking.
Your final day’s cycling follows the southern shore of Lake Constance, passing through Romanshorn and along the lakeside back towards Constance. The route is generally flat and easy-going, with plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy views across the lake or take a refreshing swim along the way. Finish your cycling trip back in Constance, where you can spend the evening exploring the old town or relaxing by the harbour.
Situated in the heart of the historic district, the hotel dates back to the 15th century. Renovated in the 1990's it features characterful rooms and has an inhouse restaurant.
Ride to Europe’s largest waterfalls, Rhine Falls. From here, cycle back along the Hori to the Swiss town of Stein am Rhein, with its picturesque old town. A must-see, with well preserve fresco’s decorating the town walls. Finish the day with the boat to Reichenau, and then the final ride to Constance town.
Total ascent/descent Schaffhausen to Gaienhofen: +262m (+860ft) / -205m (-672ft). 39km/24miles
Total ascent/descent Reichenau to Constance: +52m (+170ft) / -53m (-170ft). 17km/11miles
Stay at Hotel Halm, along the shores of the beautiful Lake Constance landscape with its rich culture. Built in 1874 stay in one of the town's most historic hotels. Today, history and modernity are combined in the Hotel Halm with its comfortable rooms, suites and the historic Hall - the heart of the hotel.
Hotel Alte Post is located near the landscape of Lake Constance and the lake can be reached on foot in a few minutes. The hotel is a place to enjoy the culture of the city of Constance and is in the middle of the old town of Konstanz, surrounded by restaurants, cafes and shops.
Sleek rooms come with flat-screen TVs. Suites add terrace access and separate living rooms with pull-out sofas. High-speed Internet is available.
There's a hip bar that serves light bites. There's also a roof terrace with lake views, plus direct access to scenic cycle trails and free parking.
This trip has a carbon score of 17kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 17kg is equivalent to 100 cans of coke. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?Cycling through Germany, Austria and Switzerland made easy! Following Europe’s most popular cycle path, this near-free traffic route is predominately flat with an occasional hill here and there. Cycling along the shores of Lake Constance is perfect for first-time or seasoned leisure cyclists looking to experience medieval towns, lakeside beaches fuelled by regional culinary delights.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This cycling tour is graded easy to moderate. The grade is determined on the basis of the entire trip. Individual days may vary in terms of difficulty, i.e. some rides may be slightly more difficult or easier than the overall grade. The first stage in the areas around Hörli is moderately hilly, otherwise the route is mainly flat along dedicated tarred cycle paths and is very well signposted all the way around.
This cycling tour is perfect for occasional riders seeking to discover a region from the saddle, and comfortable riding up to 45km each day over a few consecutive days. Shorter daily mileages allow time to stop and take in the scenery, stop for a long lunch before arriving at your destination. The length of the daily rides varies between 30-55 km and the difference in daily elevation gain/loss lies between +13m/+476m and -9m/-205m.
The accommodation on this cycling trip consists of small charming, often family-run 3 ans 4-star hotels. Many are renowned for their excellent cuisine and all offer a warm welcome to cyclists, traditional hospitality and an authentic experience. The differing distances each day reflect the fact that the accommodations are located in different areas within a certain region/town area each night. We work with a number of accommodations along the cycle path, so all distances are an approximation of the recommended routes and all accommodations listed are examples of some of the hotels we work with.
Please be aware that German ‘twin rooms’ (Doppelzimmer in German) are typically 2 single mattresses side by side in one double bed frame with two separate duvet covers and pillows.
Single Rooms & Solo Cyclists
Single rooms are available subject to a supplementary payment. This trip is also available to solo cyclists and is perfect as the route is popular so there are plenty of people to chat with every day.>
Navigation is straightforward using the Macs Adventure App which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone.
- 8 Nights in 3 and 4-star hotels
- 8 Breakfasts
- Entrance to Rosgarten museum in Constance (with a coffee)
- Baggage transfers
- Boat trip to Rhine Falls rock
- Detailed trip info and mapped tracks, via the Macs App
- 24/7 telephone support from our UK office and local partners
- Boat trip from Gaienhofen to Reichenau (incl. bike)
- Travel to and from Constance
- Dinners and lunches
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal Equipment
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Bike Hire
- Bike Helmet
- Additional nights at the beginning or end of your trip
- Bike hire
- Airport transfers or travel with Deutsche Bahn
This trip is available to start on any day from late April to early October.
Your cycling trip will begin in Constance, the largest town on Lake Constance and the town which gave the lake its name. It is a thriving university town and the unofficial capital of the region.
By Air & Train
Zurich is the closest large airport. Constance is an easy direct 1hr train journey from Zurich Airport (see www.bahn.co.uk). Alternatively, you can fly into Friedrichshafen Airport and take a 40 mins ferry across the lake.
By Air & Train
Zurich is the closest large airport. Constance is an easy direct 1hr train journey to Zurich Airport (see www.bahn.co.uk). Alternatively, you can take a 40 mins ferry across the lake and use Friedrichshafen Airport.
Daily door to door baggage transfer is included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person (maximum weight 20kg/44lbs).
The following bikes are available for hire:
Touring Bike: Speedsters, 27 gear derailleur, unisex with low step-through for 1.45m-1.90m / men’s bike from 1.75m
Hybrid Bike: Sporty seating position, 30-speed Shimano XT derailleur gears, Hydraulic disc brakes, Suspension seat post, Trapezoidal frame: suitable for body sizes from 1.60 m to 1.80 m, Diamond frame: suitable for body sizes from 1.80 m to 1.95 m
e-bike: 8-speed with freewheel and hub gears. Unisex frame, suitable for heights from 1.45m.
Tandem bikes: Reinforced frame. (Only available on the Constance Highlights tour)
Brand and model may vary depending on availability. Minimum age for ebike hire is 16yrs.
Please provide the following information on booking:
- Your height for bike size
Bike Hire Inclusions:
- Repair kit
- A pannier bag
- Handle bar bag with map holder
- A lock
- Water bottle holder
- Battery charger (ebike only)
Please note that you must bring your own helmet.
Many people choose to hire an e-bike, as the battery-powered assistance can be helpful when needed. Please note that e-bikes are heavier than standard bicycles. For more information on how ebikes work click here.
Gravel/Road bikes are only recommended for experienced cyclists who understand the riding position and have the physical fitness needed for this style of biking.
It is advised that you secure adequate travel insurance.
This cycling tour is graded easy to moderate. The first stage in the areas around Hörli is moderately hilly, otherwise the route is mainly even and along tarred cycle paths. Daily distances are between approximately 20-55 km / 12-35 miles.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as this trip is extremely popular especially during peak season from July to August.
Spring at Lake Constance is from around May to June. Flowers quickly blossom and timbered houses over spill with colourful flower boxes. July and August is the best of the weather but can be busy. September is just in time for end of the wine season and can also have superb weather without the crowds.
You will need comfortable sports shoes, comfortable clothes for cycling, waterproof jacket and trousers, a helmet and a sunhat. We supply a detailed packing list in the Trip Info.
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