Agree with hausfrau. We stayed at the Gasthof Zum Baeren which is a lovely historical hotel (no elevator though) near the Rathaus and Castle. The Zum Baeren has an excellent restaurant and there were many other hotels and restaurants nearby as well as shops.

It is a little steep going down to the lakefront promenade and it is definitely more crowded. However, there is a bus you can take from the promenade back up to the Oberstadt. We did this on our last day there and we ended up just a block or two from the Zum Baeren. I assume you can also take it down to the promenade as well.

This is killing me. My FeWo idea is running into trouble with the Sat-Sat requirements for many of them and the fact that many seem to already be booked. :( On the hotel front, I'm encountering the same problem. Either not the right room (singles left and we're a family of 4) or everything is coming up booked already. This is on some of the bigger booking sites for even small hotels. I've looked at Zum Baeren, and I think it looks wonderful, but don't know how well it would work with small children, and I'm guessing if all these other place are already full the first week in August that such a popular spot as that will be too. Any suggestions? Am I too late already? Here I was all worried about our airfares when I should have been more worried about lodging apparently.

Definitely try contacting the hotels directly. I bet you you will have much better luck. Even though August is high season, you shouldn't have that much trouble finding rooms - especially this early in the year!

The Hotel 3 Stuben is a nice hotel around the corner from the Zum Baeren and they have a family room for 4:

http://www.meersburg.de/ceasy/module...PageId=1000359

http://www.3stuben.de/

This same website shows quite a few Meersburg hotels with family rooms that you might want to check out also.

Hi!

My name is Patrizia and I'm a student at the University of Brighton. I'm currently making a questionnaire about the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany and it's impact on Germany's image among foreign tourists. I would be very greatful, if some of you could answer my questionnaire. It will just take 3-5 minutes. The information are anonymous and are solely used for my dissertation.

Here is the link:
https://www.soscisurvey.de/worldcupger2006

If you have any questions just text me!

Thank you very much! :-)

Patrizia

Thanks Betty and Hausfrau! I have a few inquiries out to hotels and FeWos. So far two responses for FeWos have come back as having nothing available. I'm widening my search to include B&Bs, but I'm a little worried those rooms could be small for us.
Do either of you know anything about Hagnau?

Ah. After being kicked out on Virtualtourist Patrizia now invades Fodor's with her survey request. Threadjacking is not exactly good manners. Probably all current Germany threads will soon be showered with this.

Back to the original topic. I think you cannot go wrong with about any place on the shores of the lake. Some places are bigger, some are smaller. But the whole lage region is touristy enough to find restaurants and lake promenades and everything a visitor may want in any location. I have not been to Hagnau in particular but it is a known wine village. Looks good to me. Unfortunately it has, like Meersburg, no train station. Lake cruise boats stop at Hagnau, though, and there is a bus connection to Überlingen and Friedrichshafen.

Hi CG,

>Meerburg looks wonderful and Lindau does too, but the 2.5 hour boat ride ............<
It's a lot faster by train or bus.

>I'd like to see Mainau.<
very good idea.

There is direct boat service between Mainau and Meesrburg. Ferry routes, schedules and prices are at http://www.bsb-online.com/

Much as I like Lindau, I think that Meersburg will be better for you.

> What about Stein am Rhein?<
Lovely town, but I think that it will take too long and cost too much.
See www.bahn.de

The Bodensee part of my trip report might be useful to you:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-europe.cfm

Enjoy your visit.

((I))