Lake Constance Sightseeing Boats
and Car Ferries
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.
 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
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
 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
| 
Durant
& Cheryl Imboden's