Lake Constance Sightseeing Boats
and Car Ferries

Lake Constance boat photo

ABOVE: The Swiss lake steamer Zürich on the Bodensee. INSET BELOW: A boat to Mainau, bicyclists boarding a steamer in Friedrichshafen, and the car ferry Euregia.

Lake Constance, a.k.a. the Bodensee, is the third-biggest lake in Europe, and--as you might expect--it's well-equipped with excursion boats and ferries for residents and tourists.

Mainau boat photo The "White Fleet" of lake steamers makes it possible to travel easily from point to point along the lake, or to spend pleasant hours of sightseeing while your boat picks up and drops off passengers.

Alternatively, you can book lunch, dinner, or music or dance cruises, some with special themes (such as an "Country-Western Ferry" or a "Fondue Ship" culinary excursion). Other boats cruise into the neighboring lakes of Untersee and Geller See. You can even charter a boat for a wedding and reception.

Car ferry photo Car ferries serve two routes between the south and north sides of Lake Constance: the quickest and most frequent is from Konstanz to the resort village of Meersburg; the longest (with a 41-minute crossing) connects Romanshorn with Friedrichshafen, the largest town on the northern side of the lake and home to the Zeppelin Museum.

Bringing a bicycle

Bodensee boat photo Most boats allow bicycles. Declare your bike when you purchase a ticket, since you'll need a special ticket for your two-wheeler. (On some routes, day tickets are available.)

For more information on boat services, see the annotated Web links to steamer and ferry companies on page 2.

Next page: Boat and ferry links

In this article:

Lake Constance Sightseeing Boats and Car Ferries

Boat and ferry links

Also see:

Mainau - The Flower Island

Meersburg

Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen

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