Has anyone taken their caravan to Lake Constance (Germany/Austria)?

[PacificDogwood]

We are considering doing this this summer (from Scotland - madness, I know).
Any recommendation wrt to sites?

I would like to be right at the water if possible and/or have a swimming pool on site.

TIA.

[givemeaclue]

Definitely get a pool as there isn't much swimming at the lake or wasn't at the twoqplaces in Germany and Austria on lake Constance we went to and it wwas very very hot.

We weren't camping so can't recommend a site

[PacificDogwood]

Gosh, that was quick, thanks, givemeaclue.

I am hoping for a hot summer, so water in some shape or form will be required .

[givemeaclue]

We were roasting and desperate to get in the water but it was murky rather than swimming water, there must be swimming places on the lake though somewhere!

[Slubberdegullion]

This is the campsite we stayed at on Bodensee. It was our favourite stay on our 6 week tour of Germany . The site has its own private beach (plus a marina) and I think we swam from there a couple of times, water crystal clear!
The site was lovely, big, with good restaurant and a supermarket selling fresh bread, pasties and coffee. No pool or play area though.

However the best, best bit about the site is that it is linked to the gorgeous town of Imenstaad by cycle path. Took us about 20mins by foot (much quicker by bike) along the lake edge and passing lovely homes, some selling their own fruit from their gardens and home make fruit liqueurs (omg the pear schnapps...)

In Imenstaad you have a ferry terminal and can travel all over the lake form there and THE BEST thing ever was the towns own swimming pool / leisure area with lifeguards on the beach into the lake, plus pontoon, big swimming pool, lovely big play areas, cafe and excellent excellent showers . We bought a week long Bodensee pass which gave us free access into the leisure complex, ferry rides and access into lots of attractions around the lake.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

There was also a wine festival while we were there which was also rather pleasant [hic]

[PacificDogwood]

Slubber, that looks brilliant, thank you so much .
I cannot wait to show it to DH tonight.

[Slubberdegullion]

Must correct own error that the shop sells pastries NOT pasties. There are no pasties in Germany.

It really was lovely Pacific. I have very find memories of the walk along the cycle path into the town, stopping off to buy a bag of plums and more schnapps before we got on the ferry or went to the town beach/pool.

More than happy to give you ideas of all the places we visited around Bodensee, there is lots to do.

[PacificDogwood]

How did you come across this site?

Part of our problem trying to plan this trip (apart from the extended family being just plain awkward ) is the shere number of possible sites along the Bodensee.

How on earth can one decide from so far away which one to go for??

Thanks, Slubber, I got the pastry thing. I am German, not from that region, mind, and I have never come across a German pasty. Nor a decent steak pie

[Slubberdegullion]

We chose it by way of it being the first campsite we stopped at which had
a) an available pitch for our tent
b) direct Lake access.

We had no problems finding spare pitches at all the sites we turned up at along the Rhine, but as soon as we got to Bodensee everywhere was rammed. We spent a full morning driving from site to site to site trying to find somewhere to stay. Struck lucky in the end.

[PacificDogwood]

Thanks again - I think DH would have a nervous breakdown if we did not secure a booking before we set off - as we are travelling with 4 children, he has a point... .

So, busy in the summer then, yes? Thought so... MUST get organised.

[PacificDogwood]

This looks nice too

[NorbertDentressangle]

hello folks!

Do you mind if I gatecrash this thread and join you please as we're going to Lake Constance this summer (just a little further up the coast from the campsite in your first link Slubber, although we'll be in an apartment not camping or caravaning ).

I'd be interested to hear of any tips of places to go etc. Loved the tip about the houses selling homegrown fruit and homemade liqueurs !

[Slubberdegullion]

hello Norbert

If they are still doing it the bodensee pass (or called something similar) saved us loads of money as we used the ferries most days.

Trying to remember waht we did..

The flower island of mainau was just lovely, well worth a visit with a good play area, and um, a butterfly house iirc. twas v flowery.

Barbary monkeys at salem, you can feed them by hand, which was different they gave me the freaking heebyjeebies but the dc liked them

Sealife at Constance was pretty good for a wet day's outing

Meersberg, medieval town ,with a castle, was lovely. I do remember the icecream cafe on the lake front.

cable car up the mountain on the austrian end of the lake, with falconry show.

this place was extremely cool and well done

[monkeywrench]

i was living on the Bodensee a while ago, in a village called Litzelstetten which has a campsite with lake access for swimming, and was nice, though small so would def need booking. it was about 10 mins to Konstanz. can only find address and number for it on this website, but also has othercampsites too (www.konstanz-tourismus.de) another place with a nice campsite again with lake access and a bit bigger so maybe better for families, more facilities etc was Allensbach (www.camping-allensbach.de) . Near there is a cool Freizeit park with loads of deer, wildboar, even bears to see plus a big play area for kids, can't remember name of it though. Would second the monkeys, sealife (don't let dogs in but will take them into their office and feed them treats till your done ) meersburg and insel mainau, plus there are loads of Freibads around the lake for swimming too. its a very nice area loads to do. if i remember anything else will let you know.

[NorbertDentressangle]

Wow, lots of tips - thanks both.

can I ask another question....I am vegetarian.

Are my options going to be:

a) eat ice cream morning, noon and night
b) have a liquid diet of schnapps and beer
c) starve
or (hopefully) d) be OK and eat some lovely vegetarian food

[Slubberdegullion]

(e) kuchen + the word for pastries

Er

I reckon you could probably survive on beer and cake for a couple of weeks, if you had to [sadface]

[Slubberdegullion]

The cakes have lots of fruit on them so that's OK.

[PacificDogwood]

Oh, lots of general tips - great !

One has to concede that German hosteleries often do not cater well for the not-so-keen-on-wurst - sorry!
Lots of Kuchen and Kaffeestuecken, and you'll be fat fine.

[NorbertDentressangle]

Oh bugger.

Cakes and beer it is then.

Makes France look positively and practically a vegetarian nation in comparison then.

[PacificDogwood]

There is lots of lovely fruit and veg to be had, it's just the concept of a meat-free meal being an actual meal that is eyed with suspicion.

Also: it's Cakes and Koffee.
And Beer and Crisps. Known as 'Chips'. And must be Paprika flavour .

I wonder how many MN are going to be around the Bodensee this summer??

[NorbertDentressangle]

Well I'll be easy to spot - I'll be the one sitting down to a plate of crisps for dinner, the one who is a stone heavier than she was when she arrived.

You're so right when you say "a meat-free meal being an actual meal that is eyed with suspicion" - its strange how a lot of European countries can't grasp the vegetarian concept.

[PacificDogwood]

Oh, but you could get lots of lovely salads with really rather yummy dressings.

My dad needs meat/sausage/cold meat for breakfast... . His cholesterol is high - do you see a connection?? (He's also 80 - must've done something right).

I'll be the one with 4 noisy boys, all beating each other up

[monkeywrench]

being veggie in Germany is tricky but you can survive 2 weeks!! Käse Spatzle is nice! But in Touristy areas you can get veggie food and of course there is pizza, plus a lot of takeaway places are Turkish so there is falafel etc too.

Also thought of some other nice places to go for days out, there is the waterfall just over the border in Switzerland at Schaffhausen, and there are loads of great lakes in Switzerland than could make a free day out, I think it was the Walensee we went to, which is south of the Santis mountain which is also beautiful, and has a cable car, though we didn't go on it. If you are Konstanz you can walk in 5 mins over the border into Switzerland along the lake edge and there is an AMAZING free playground and a some animals to feed (the swiss do playgrounds even better than the germans if that is possible!) Anything else comes back to me, will let you know!! The Bodensee is VERY popular in the summer so get booking though!

[PacificDogwood]

Well. I jolly well hope that the Bodensee in July will be a mite warmer than Loch Lomond in May . That is all.