I forgot to answer your questions hildebrandt.

We'll rent a car and stay in small places ferinwohens etc.

Have you been to Burg Hohenzollern? It's another fabulous castle that is a bit off the beaten path. Great restaurant too, right at the castle.

hausfrau, I don't think so but my husband swears we have. This is why one should write a trip report! ;0

You fail to cite ANY interests or dis-interests, but anyway...

you might check out the Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, where Josef Haydn was in residence as a young musician/composer.

Thanks tomboy. It drives me crazy when people don't cite interest too but I wasn't planning to go to Austria. The palace looks lovely and I like the weapon collection.

Basically, I'm interested in art and architecture and not in some vague sort of way that people are when they say that.

One practicality if you decide to stay in Meersburg. When travelling across the lake to Konstanz, we found the car ferry had a much more extensive timetable than the passenger ferry. For the car ferry to Konstanz you need to catch a bus from the port to the town centre - if you don't have a car - takes about 20 min and is easy to do.

Ulm is a place I remember from my german lessons:

in Ulm, und um Ulm, und um Ulm herum.

Thanks for the tip about the ferry. My plan was to park the car for the day we're on the lake. It seemed we could walk. What do you think? Is it handier to have the car with parking and all?

Only a few kilometers outside of Meersburg is Birnau, a lovely Baroque pilgrimage church set next to the lake. A very beautifuly setting.

Thanks bettyk, Birnau looks lovely. And you know I'll have to ask, did your husband take pictures while you were there?
(his work really has been some of my fav photography of Germany)

LSky, my DH will be so flattered to hear that you like his photos! The first time we went to Birnau, we were staying in Uberlingen:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/575...PlKyZ?start=60

We went back to Birnau last year when we stayed in Meersburg at Gasthof zum Baeren.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/579...sZFBW?start=12

Our first trip to Meersburg was in 2007, when we also went to Mainau Island. It was gorgeous.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561...xDcvw?start=36

Sorry - wasn't as clear as I might have been. Both the passenger and car/passenger ferry are only a few steps from the centre of Meersburg but the car/passenger ferry docks about 20min bus ride from Konstanz. We didn't catch it but I believe the passenger ferry docks not far from the railway station in Konstanz.

Konstanz rail station gives ready access to Stein am Rhein, Schaffhausen and other destinations.

I can't comment on whether a car would be easier because we didn't have one but found no problems at all in using public transport - ferries, trains and buses were all fine. In September we spent 5 nights in Meersburg and could easily have stayed longer had time permitted.

Thanks dreamon. No apologies needed I can google as well as the next person but it's nice to know what (I'd put that in bold) to google.

Some things it's just nice if someone reminds you that you might need to know.