Last Updated on 13/09/2024
Lake Constance is large, and the road that goes around it is narrow and there is only one. The speed there is severely limited almost everywhere, and for those who are too fast, not noticing the signs, there are radars. There is almost always a traffic jam from may to september, because of too many people.
Public transport can help, but it is not cheap. This page is about what public transport around Lake Constance is available. Read more about guest and tourist cards – Tourist and guest cards of Lake Constance
Germany:
Lake Constance map of attractions
Lake Überlingen
Mainau Island of flowers
Meersburg attraction, Lindau, Konstanz
Austria:
Vorarlberg attractions. From Bregenz to Ischgl
Switzerland:
Swiss side of Lake Constance
Rhine Delta Bodensee, Appenzell attractions
Rhine Waterfall, Stein-am-Rhein, Sankt-Gallen
Lake Constance family holidays
Tourist and guest cards of Lake Constance
Ticket prices, routes, timetables and guest cards are information that changes regularly. I cannot track all the changes at once, so all the data is designed to help you navigate and cut off unnecessary information, but does not guarantee accuracy to the euro!
From May 2023 you can buy a German ticket for 49 euros. It is monthly subscription, therefore you should read the conditions and do not forget to cancel it. German ticket is also for tourists available.
More about German ticket: German ticket for regional public transport Deutschland-Ticket
Public transport around Lake Constanse
Lake Constance has a well-developed infrastructure. Where there is no railroad, there is a bus. However, the buses do not run as regularly as we would like. Favorite German takt – once an hour. At some sites during peak times it can be twice an hour. More often it is only intracity transport of large cities. Therefore, do not forget to study the schedule in advance.
Before purchasing guest cards or large area day tickets, check local day ticket prices. If this is a short trip within the same transport system, then a local ticket will be cheaper.
With the introduction of a 49-euro all-German ticket, the situation with tickets and cards may change.
On Lake Constance, you should not forget about such a form of transport as a bicycle. On the websites of cities in the sections Sport / Freizeit (Radfahren) or from A to Z, addresses where you can rent a bike are indicated. If you did not find this information on the site, the tourist information will always tell you.
Public transport from Konstanz to Friedrichshafen
www.bodo.de – transport in the region from the western end of Lake Überlingen to Lindau
www.erlebnisbus.de – information about Erlebnisbus
www.stadtverkehr-fn.de – transport in Friedrichshafen
https://www.stadtwerke-konstanz.de/ – buses and ferries in Konstanz
https://www.vhb-info.de/ – transport from Konstanz to Singen and Stockach
Switzerland
www.thurbo.ch – rail in East Switzerland
www.ostwind.ch – transport in Thurgau
https://www.regio-öv.ch/ – buses around Kreuzlingen
https://www.postauto.ch/en/timetable-and-network/route-network – maps of routes Postauto (you need East Switzerland)
The map shows only the main tourist routes. There are much more non-tourist local buses.
The railway next to the shore (train 731 Radolfzell – Überlingen – Markdorf – Friedrichshafen – Lindau) on the German side is interrupted on the section from Unteruhldingen to Friedrichshafen – on this section the railway goes deep into German territory, as you can see on the map (black line). It is replaced by buses 7395 and 100. The schedule can be downloaded from the website www.bodo.de.
Several attractions in the Überlingen-Salem-Meersburg triangle link the Erlebnisbus tourist routes. With a guest card can be free or at a discount.
Konstanz has its own transport system. Here you need to pay attention to the cheaper Handyticket and the circular route 4/13 to Mainau (from Konstanz and the ferry you need number 4, and in the opposite direction – number 13).
Tickets
In the Bodo system, the price depends on the segment and follows the fare rules of Baden-Württemberg bwtarif, with the exception of the segments located in Bavaria. bwtarif prices can be calculated here: https://www.bwtarif.info/preisauskunft/.
They may not coincide with local prices if the prices of the local transport association apply on this route. Therefore, do not be surprised if the driver or the machine will ask you for a slightly larger amount.
Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the guest card you received (if any) from the hotel. Often they give free bus rides in the area.
Tickets types and how to buy them – in the post Trains in Germany
Prices in Konstanz (2023)
Prices at the VHB transport union (western end of Lake Constance). Bus route 200 from Radolfzell to Stein-am-Rhein was not included in the my route map. Both Stein am Rhein and other attractions in Switzerland are in most cases accessible by train. How to get to the Rhine Falls, see the corresponding page.
Rhine Waterfall,
Stein-am-Rhein
Public transport from Friedrichshafen to Bregenz
www.sw-lindau.de/ – transport in Lindau
www.landkreis-lindau.de – transport around Lindau
www.stadtverkehr-fn.de – transport in Friedrichshafen
www.bodo.de – transport in the region from the western end of Lake Überlingen to Lindau
Austria
www.vmobil.at – transport in Vorarlberg
https://www.stadtwerke-bregenz.at – city buses in Bregenz
On this section, the railway returns to the coast, but you may still need lines 200 Friedrichshafen – Lindau and 7567 Friedrichshafen – Kressbronn
What attractions there are in the mountains (bus 18) read in the post Attractions in Allgäu.
Tickets
Prices for Lindau city buses. (2023)
Tickets in Friedrichshafen
Tickets in Bregenz
Public transport on the Swiss side
www.thurbo.ch – rail on the Swiss side
www.ostwind.ch – transport in Thurgau
https://www.regio-öv.ch/ – buses around Kreuzlingen
https://www.postauto.ch/en/timetable-and-network/route-network – maps of routes Postauto (you need East Switzerland)
In Switzerland, you will only need a bus if you are not settled by the coast. In the cities along the coast, everything is reached on foot or by rail. Lines to non-shore tourist attractions are shown on the map.
Ticket prices vary by zone, see ostwind.ch for details. If you’re going on a car-free holiday, it’s a good idea to set your destinations in advance and consider purchasing local or Swiss passes, as transport in Switzerland is beautiful in its network and terrible in its price, especially if you’re traveling as a family. Spontaneous trips in Switzerland are very expensive!
Guest cards of Lake Constance
Transport in Switzerland
Ships
https://www.bsb.de/de – pleasure ships all over the lake
www.gunzo.de – Held company, ships from Überlingen to Mainau
www.bodenseeschiff.de – Heidegger company from Überlingen
www.bodensee-personenschifffahrt.de – ships from Überlingen to Wallhausen
www.motorbootgesellschaft-bodman.de – ships Bodman – Überlingen
www.schifffahrtbaumann.de – ships from Allensbach to Reichenau Insel
www.der-katamaran.de/ – speed catamaran Konstanz – Friedrichshafen
www.moewe-konstanz.de – sightseeing tours in Konstanz
Austria
www.bodenseeschifffahrt.at – ships from Bregenz
www.ms-bayern.de – sightseeing tours from Bregenz
Switzerland
www.bodensee-schiffe.ch – ships on the Lake Constance
www.urh.ch – ships on the Untersee (from Konstanz in the directions Stein-am-Rhein) and the Rhine
www.sbsag.ch – ships between the Swiss and German shores
Pleasure ships go along the entire lake from two sides – German and Swiss. The two shores are linked at Friedrichshafen and Meersburg by a ferry crossing.
The ferry in Meersburg runs from 6 am to 8 pm 4 times an hour, the rest of the time, including at night, once or twice an hour.
The largest company is Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe (BSB). If you are going to get on the pleasure ship of this company to the island of Mainau, or the aquarium in Konstanz, or the archaeological museum in Unteruldingen, the cable car in Bregenz, the airship museum in Friedrichshafen, and you do not have discount cards, then it makes sense to buy a kombiticket (boat + entrance) . The discount will be different (the farther you go, the more), approximately one or two euros.
But there are also smaller companies serving part of the lake. Their prices may be more attractive.
So, in Überlingen, you can take a Held ship to the island of Mainau, and the ticket will be cheaper than BSB. But if you bought a round-trip ticket, you need to board the ship of this company again for the return trip. The same company offers excursions on certain days of the week, for example to Reichenau Island.
The Heidegger company (Uberlingen, Unteruhldingen) operates trips to the island of Mainau, Konstanz, Stein am Rhein – Reichenau Island (on certain days) and even a route around the lake for the whole day.
Giess & Giess transports from Überlingen to Wallhausen. From where you can take a bus to Konstanz or the island of Mainau.
Bodman operates on the route Bodman – Ludwigshafen – Sipplingen – Marienschlucht – Überlingen. Like everyone else, it has special offers during the peak season.
A high-speed catamaran takes you from Konstanz to Friedrichshafen in 50 minutes.
From Konstanz on the ships of the company Schifffahrt Untersee und Rhein you can trip to Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen.
Tourist and guest cards of Lake Constance
Trains in Germany
Transport in Switzerland
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