Overall:
This is undoubtedly a beautiful part of the world with much to see and do, even if, as in my case, you don’t happen to get the best weather. Staying an extra day is recommended if you want to be able to take in the sights of Konstanz as well as perform your ’Wanderings at Lake Constance’.

If you want to circumnavigate the entire Lake Constance (Bodensee), German, Austrian and Swiss sections, this tour is not for you. However, if you’re happy to explore mainly the German section, the islands of Lindau, Mainau and Reichenau, have a half-day foray into Switzerland, and do not want the hassle of having to unpack and re-pack your bags on a daily basis, or, perhaps, don’t want to have to cycle every day, this fixed centre tour of Lake Constance, based in the city which, to English-speakers, gives the lake its name, could suit your needs.

Highlights

• Lindau Island (’Lindau Insel’).
• Mainau (Island/Insel).
• Schloss Salem
• Herman Hesse house and garden.
• Stein am Rhein (Switzerland).
• Boat trips.
• Generous locals encountered during the trip.

Niggles:

• The route descriptions are very brief; essentially, you find your own way, with reference to the maps provided and to cycle path signs along the route.
• The documentation could have explicitly noted that the sailing from Lindau Island to Konstanz takes around three hours, the last sailing is surprisngly early (at least in autumn), there’s little in the way of refreshments on board, and the arrival port in Konstanz is not the one you departed from (on the ferry to Meersburg earlier in the day).
• The Rad & Reisen web site says there are many restaurants within 10 minutes’ walk of the hotel, but I found few (just kebab and pizza outlets). Presumably, they are in Zähringerplatz, which is in the opposite direction from the centre of Konstanz. (Looking at Google Maps, it?s still not clear to me where these restaurants are.) It would be useful to have received information showing locations of restaurants.
• Mine was a late booking, about three weeks before departure. I noticed what a huge difference it makes to the cost of flights if you?re booking them so close to departure. If possible, make your booking early, make sure it?s secured and then book flights as soon as possible.

Regrets:

• Didn’t see anything of Konstanz itself; booking an extra night’s stay could have remedied this. The tour operator might consider making the tour a day longer to allow for this, which could be ’a day off’ from cycling, and would allow more flexibility over whether to cycle on any particular day if the weather is not congenial.
• Could have stopped off at some of the Swiss villages along the way when returning from Stein am Rhein.

Photographs
Four days of cycling, but only two photos allowed ? this is a tough task! I’ve decided my two photos shouldn’t both be from the same day, so given that I want one of them to include Stein am Rhein, that rules out anything from Reichenau.

After some deliberation, I’ve decided the second photo will be of Schloss Salem, because this day’s cycling requires the most effort, and I hope people will see a reason to put in the effort to visit it.

So, the two photos are, firstly, one of the first glimpses I had of the main square in Stein am Rhein and the Schloss at Schloss Salem; there’s much else to see there as well, just try to avoid entering the school buildings!