Lake Constance Bicycle Path Bike Tour Reviews page 2
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★★★★★ nunn
Wunderbar
The tour was as described. The ferry came in handy one of the days. Directions were a problem. Once we got our of Konstanz and figured out what we were to follow it went better. Thanks to all the people who helped us along the way. Very helpful and friendly. The lake was delightful to swim in and cycle along. The scenery was delightful. We had ebikes and that's the way to go.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/30/19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ aaoptics
Discover Lake Constance
We hired e bikes and the tour was easy -we are relatively fit but this was a holiday and we wanted to make sure it was fun-few hills but no issue with e bikes
I would recommend adding an extra night in Lindau as it such a pretty place and gives an opportunity to check out the city- What was the date of your tour?
- 13th June 2918
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ umcam256
Excellent first cycling trip - beautiful countryside and learned a lot
Background: My friend and I are from Winnipeg MB. It is extremely flat where we live. This was also our first cycling trip. We paid the extra to have our overnight bags delivered to the next hotel. We started the cycling trip on August 25 and finished August 30 2017.
We booked the 5 day, 6 night self-guided cycling tour through Radweg Reisen. You receive a .pdf of maps and hotel logistics about a week before you arrive. Ideally this would be provided at time of booking so that you can download your own offline maps and determine where you will stop for the day. Although, in hindsight, with a little bit of effort we probably could have done this ourselves with a bit of research.
We started our tour in Constance, Germany. The company was most professional and very attentive to detail when we picked up our bikes. We were given a coiled booklet with the maps, written instructions on how to fix a bike tire, reattaching a bike chain and how to adjust your bike.
Please note, the bikes do not come with water bottle holders. First hand experience has taught me not to put your water bottle in the front basket with your phone unless you put your phone in a waterproof container (drowning your phone on day 1 puts a damper on how proud you should be of yourself for cycling all those hills!).
We were advised to cycle in 3rd or 4th gear when it was "flat" and in 1st or 2nd gear when cycling on an incline. Because where I live is extremely flat, and I'm short (5 foot), I ended up cycling in 5th or 6th gear most of the time, dropping down to 4 at my lowest. My friend who is average height was able to cycle in 4th gear and able to drop down to 2nd gear at her lowest.
The first day we cycled from Constance to Reichenau Island (to sightsee) and then on to Stein am Rhein. I would recommend visiting Reichenau Island on your own if you have a day in Constance. Cycling from Constance to Reichenau Island required us to cycle out of our way and back almost all the way to Constance to get back on the trail to Stein am Rhein. While it was an excellent place to visit, it wasn't worth expending energy that could be used elsewhere. The first day was mostly uphill, and included a hill with a 13% incline. If I were to do this trip again (and hopefully I will!), I would recommend taking your bikes on the train from Constance to Stein am Rhein. Dropping your bike off, and catching the train to the Rhein Falls. We desperately wanted to visit the falls but after all of those hills we were too tired to get there. This leg of the trip is mostly through farmers' fields so if you took the train, conserving your energy for the remainder of the trip, you aren't missing too much. Your legs will thank you and it will give you more time to visit the town of Stein am Rhein and/or the falls.
The rest of our journey was as follows:
Day 2: Stein am Rhein to Überlingen Note: you will end up cycling through Constance again (with stop in Arenenberg at the Napoleonic Museum and in Constance for a swim in the Rhine). SHOW MOREThe hotel that was booked for us by Radweg Reisen is at the top of a very large hill. The view was spectacular from our room! However, it was hard to enjoy because our legs were ready to commit mutiny. In hindsight, if we hadn't doubled back the day before and/or took the train to Stein am Rhein, the uphill cycle to our hotel in Überlingen wouldn't have a been so arduous.
Day 3: Überlingen to Kressbronn (with stop in Meersburg for the Old Castle and then took a shortcut on the ferry from Friedrichshafen (I think?) the rest of the way to Kressbronn)
Day 4: Kressbronn to Rorschach (with stop in Bregenz to take the cable car up to Mount Pfänder). Contrary to everything we read, Bregenz was the easiest city to navigate to, around, and out of, compared to any of the other towns/cities we cycled through.
It was in Bregenz that we found out from two British couples who were also completing the self-guided Radweg Reisen Lake Constance tour that you can request that the booking company give you an extra day in the middle of your trip. This gives your legs one day to rest, one day to sightsee a little bit more than the days you are on your bike and one extra night at one of the hotels. When I do this trip again, I will likely book my day off for Bregenz. There were lots of day trips you could take in that area or alternatively stick around in the town.
Day 5: Rorshach to Constance (with a stop in Arbon for a beach day).
Besides taking the train the first leg, booking a day off in the middle to rest your legs/sightsee a little more in depth, the only other thing I would recommend is to download offline maps to your smartphone for each of the cities you will be staying in and how to get to the hotels. The path itself is very easy to follow but when you enter the cities it becomes quite challenging to navigate to your hotel. We frequently found ourselves using the map provided as well as finding a local map once we entered the city and still often had to ask for directions.
If two flatlanders can cycle this, you can too! The scenery is stunning and it's honestly not too hard of a cycle if you are smart about it. There are plenty of things to see and do, but you will need to plan a bit in advance of booking if you want to take in certain things. Each day you are cycling about 75 km per day (hotel to hotel) and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it does take a full day to do. We found one sightseeing thing was all we could fit in a day, hence why next trip we will be booking a day off in the middle so we can visit more of the places we had hoped to see! That being said, you could tell who the locals were because entire families were on the trail (although I think most of them were just out for the day!).
Don't be afraid to hop off your bike and walk it uphill if you need to. You should note however that the bikes are quite heavy. (I ride a fixie and even compared to my little hipster bike, these touring bikes were quite bulky and heavy.)
On a final note, the hotels that were booked for us were much nicer than anything we would have booked on our own! And the breakfasts provided at each of them was delicious. I recommend picking up some snacks at the grocery stores in the town so you have something to munch on throughout the day.
You can drink the water in Switzerland from any fountain unless it says you can't. Even still, I would recommend bringing 2-3 water bottles with you because of how hot the weather can get.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- August 25 - 30 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Mountain GaGa
Beautiful lake with great trails!
We really enjoyed the extensive bike trails. Loved see families of all generations biking together.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ JannieB
Great family trip
A wonderful adventure for us with our adult children. Beautiful scenery, awesome food, nice people!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 13-19,2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Mick
Three Countries, One Lake
A relaxing tour with some good cardio the second day getting to the hotel. Plenty of scenery for us photographers and lots of cafes for morning coffee breaks and afternoon beers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 4-10
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ MarcieB
So good the first time, we repeated the Bodensee circuit a second time!
Two years ago, we opted for the 11-day self-guided Bodensee Bike Tour . . . complete with museum vouchers, boat rides and suggestions for side trips. We enjoyed it so much, we decided to look at the 6-day self-guided tour because it followed a slightly different itinerary. We were not disappointed! We discovered new towns, restaurants and bike paths. Truly a cultural patchwork between Germany, Austria and Switzerland!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 21-27, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was bike tour #7!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson, Founder and president
Thanks for the great report and photos, Marcie! We love repeat clients, but it's especially gratifying when clients like a tour so much they do it again!
-
★★★★★ Beanz
First Bike Adventure
The bikes were very good and the bike company most helpful. Accomodation and breakfasts were also good. Only issue is the maps provided especially around towns and attractions were not very good - definitely could be improved. In summary great trip, with the locals very helpful when we were lost.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5th September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Richard 69
Gute fahren
Let me begin by saying that we had an amazing time. The lake is very scenic with many interesting stops along the way. The Hotel Halm in Konstanz was lovely and across the street from the train station. It also has one of the most amazing breakfasts we've ever had. We had to take a bus to the tour company where we picked up our bikes. The people there made sure that our bikes were adjusted perfectly and off we went. Passed through many interesting towns and villages along the way. For us Mainau Island was a real highlight of our journey. Although it was mentioned in our tour book, it should have been listed as a total must see. The hotels we stayed at were all very comfortable. We especially enjoyed the Park Hotel St. Leonard. However we had to ride up an absolutely soul crushing hill to get there. The hotel at the marina seemed a little out of place near a working boatyard in the middle of nowhere. However we took a short walk and found an absolutely lovely restaurant and had a spectacular meal. In Bregenz we rode the cable car up the mountain for amazing view and a fantastic lunch. One thing that would have been helpful, that we've had on other tours, would be recommendations for restaurants that feature local foods. Overall this was a great trip and we were very glad we did it, but it didn't rate quite as high as the other tours we've taken along the Danube and the Mosul.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 26 - May 31
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Marta72
Perfect family trip
Very recommended trip for families with kids that can bike. Km per day were not demanding (around 30km). You can stop to visit, to have a bath in the lake, to take a boat...very nice environment, very safe and relax way to travel. All roates are well indicated.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6-12 August
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Female solo traveler
Incredibly scenic
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Anita Bhinge
Best Cycling paths
This was our fourth cycling tour with biketours and each experience has been only better !
The cycle paths are excellent, mostly dedicated , along the lake and at places through towns with marginal traffic. The views were breathtaking. The hotels were fantastic, and were right in the main town at most places (Stein am Rheine, Lindau and Konstanz) All the hotels had good garages and charging points.
The ground handlers and the biketours company people were extremely helpful when we made a special request to them on a day that I was unwell and couldn't bike.
This time, we rented e-bikes, which made cycling a breeze . The bikes were sturdy and did not give us any problem.
The road signs were good except at a couple of places in Austria. Downloading the Bikers App should be a good idea and would ease navigation.
The stage 3 was a bit long and should be broken up into two segments. It would be a good idea to complete the 260 kms tour in 6 or 7 days instead of the 5 days as per the itinerary. That way, one would get more time to explore each place at leisure. We missed seeing the Rhine falls and some castles because we were short of time.
I would highly recommend extending your stay at Konstanz ( as we did on our return) to explore the beautiful city. We enjoyed this trip so much that we plan to repeat it again next year, with more friends joining in.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Four
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Sterling Speirn
Outstanding Bike Path & Landscape
In most location there were separate bike paths and no possible danger from automobiles. Only challenge were the directions. Just not clear for a first timer on this trip. Scenery was magnificent: bucolic countryside dotted with charming old villages. Hotels varied. Delivery of forwarded luggage excellent and timely. Most hotel breakfasts were fresh and first class.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Ingrid Mahoney
Solo and Sublime
My first longer bike trip and I was a solo 59 year old woman in Europe. I loved it. The scenery, physical activity and options for exploring all the wonderful cultural aspects Europe has to offer was a perfect balance for me. The hotels were all nice and more than 1/2 were really excellent. The bike was well equipped and in top shape. I had only one day of rain but the public transportation is so amazing and bringing your bike is not a problem I had no worries. I would recommend this trip to all my friends. If they are not very active I would recommend the electric bike it is a perfect option.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Excellent
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Donna Ehlers
Fantastic journey!
We did a self guided tour. We had so much fun in the villages with great food and accommodations, most were in the center of the towns. Great breakfasts and service in general. Felt fantastic to ride on the safe bike trails about 3/4 hours daily. We took time off to swim in the lake and get ice cream and relax in the many parks. Great history and a way to immerse more authentically in the vulture. I give this type of holiday my highest recommendation.
Staff was always available for our concerns and questions.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Mary
60th Birthday Ride!
Just returned from our ride around the Lake and it was the best way to celebrate my 60th birthday! The ride as outlined is pretty accurate with regards to level of difficulty, with the first two days of the ride the most challenging - only because of the two "hills" as we approached our hotel - we ended up having to walk the bike. The bikes were great and in top notch shape and there was more than enough storage for our 'stuff'. Each day, we started off with a healthy breakfast buffet which included options for everyone (even gluten free). Hotels were wonderful (however, if you like having a washcloth or hair conditioner; I'd suggest you bring your own as these are a little on the rare side). The trip book given to you at the start gives some wonderful 'to see' sights and is very much worth taking the time to read and review before each day's journey. Terrain was varied, as was the ride, itself. We went through villages, farm lands, the lake, campgrounds and monasteries. I felt very safe on the ride with both my personal safety and property. Very bike friendly countries and tour. Pictures show some of the sights we rode past. Enjoy the ride!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September/October 2106
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
-
★★★★★ Joanne Hamilton
An Amazing Experience
We did the self-guided tour around Lake Konstanz. It was a wonderful trip. Right from the moment we got to Constance, we were impressed the attention to the details that made our trip very enjoyable. Tour operator was such a great bike rental company. They also had a very impressive book with maps and hotels that was detailed just for us. So it had all the updated info on our trip. We loved our bikes. They ran very smoothly. They were quite heavy..... and the only time that was a challenge was a couple of times when we stopped to walk our bikes up a hill. We rode through two days of rain and the paniers and map pouches stayed dry. The hotels were so, so nice. We stayed in 5 different hotels and 4 out of the 5 were, for us.... 5 star! The breakfast at each hotel was complimentary and all very tasty, extensive buffets, so we could fuel up for the day ahead. We found so many cute places to stop along the way for snacks and drinks and little breaks.
The one thing I would encourage bikers to do, is to figure out your GPS/data service for the road. There were a few times we lost the trail and our GPS's failed us because our data wasn't working. Gratefully people like to help out and we found some people who spoke English. By the third day we really had the GPS thing figured out. I will say that the company did give us EXCELLENT maps! So that too helped us find our way.
We had three days of sun, two days of rain, and one day of threatening rain (but did not rain). It was all great! We really felt like it was all part of the adventure. We cycled 30-60 km a day. Gratefully, the one day we were SOAKED and all our clothes and shoes were soaked, our hotel had radiators that worked and a towel warmer so we were able to dry out clothes. Another hotel had a towel dryer and radiator that did not work, so we would have really been challenged to dry out. All in all it was a great trip and we totally plan on using BikeTours.com again!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 19-24, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ LINDA LYNCH
Stunning Lake, country and villages
Our first bike tour introduced many picturesque villages, as well as kind hotel staff. The hotels were nicely spaced along Lake Constanze with great breakfasts each morning. First moment, I recognized the absolute quiet of our peaceful settings. The villages and country were not just charming, they were calming and quiet. Day 4 we switched to Ebikes, as they allowed us to visit more of the Historic and UNESCO sites along the route and facilitating the hills. Suggest better cell phone research, as our "just change to new sim card" did not go to plan. It is 3 different countries, so 3 sim cards by the number of phones... Alte Post in Constanze front desk manager was amazing in her ability to answer our many questions, as well as Nadia at the bike company.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ LINDA LYNCH
Surpassed all expectations
Though we "trained" for this trip, (this trip is rolling hills and a relatively level course), there are several long ride days. And in truth, we are more tourists than competitive bikers, so wanted to sightsee the villages, which are rich in history and architecture. So, we connected with Caroline and Natasha at the BikeTours bike partner and were very fortunate to switch to ebikes midway. Truly suggest this option to begin with, as it made the journey more pleasant and our time well spent learning about UNESCO sites, ancient Churches and the area surrounding Lake Constanze. Simply, all the hotels were superior, they provided peaceful settings, clean accommodations and tremendous breakfasts, though Alte Post front desk and breakfast staff and St. Leonard Park Hotel were true overachievers. The Hotel front desk staff in all were great and answered our many questions. At present, we are reading about and studying countries for our next trip with Bike Tours!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Brian
Spectacular scenery - through sun & snow.
A fabulous ride even through two days of snow showers.
We found the 7 night tour very well organised. Accomodations were very comfortable and buffet breakfasts more than adequate.The bag transfers were seamless and bikes were good for casual riders like ourselves. Overall a fantastic tour and excellent value.- What was the date of your tour?
- April
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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