My husband and I are planning on going to the Lake Constance area for a week in June, 2007. Would appreciate some help in planning. We would like to visit Konstanz, Meersburg, Mainau, Lindau, Stein am Rhein, Apenzell which I have read about on various threads. We are flying into Zurich. Which town would be a good base and would it be better to rent a car or can we depend on trains/ferrys?

Any other suggestions on places worth visiting in the Lake Constance area?

We will be leaving out of Salzburg for Slovenia the following week.

Thanks for your help.

FWIW if I were in the area again (I've stayed in Appenzell) I would at least consider visiting the abbey church in St. Gallen the interior of which has been described, by some, as "the most beautiful" in Switzerland. The adjoining famous library which has somewhat limited visiting hours might also be a possibility.

When I first visited the countryside around Appenzell it looked so stereotypically "Swiss" I almost thought it was fake...the cows with the cowbells, the vistas, etc.

I traveled exclusively by rail but I suspect a car would give you more flexibility depending on how much you really want to move about.

The area in northeast Switzerland is quite attractive and you don't hear a lot about it here (as opposed to the Berner Oberland which a lot of people see and then think they've "done" Switzerland).

I think you'll be very happy with your decision.

My suggestion is, to stay on the German side. just because of the alpine panorame you have, when looking in direction od Austria and Switzerland.

Meersburg is quite a favourite amongst fodorites. It is a somewhat lovely town, with pittoresque half-timbered buildings, a nice lakeside and a medieval castle. They also grow wine there, so donnīt miss the Staatsweingut (state winery estate), if youīre into wine. But, news have spread about this nice town, and it is quite crowded during summer.

If you like smaller places, you could choose Hagnau or Immenstaadt at Lake Constance, not to be confoundes with Immenstadt im Allgäu near Füssen).

You could choose Friedrichshafen to be your base, as it is a hub to all directions (they even have an airport) when you go by train or by bus. From the harbour, passenger ships are going in any direction, as Bregenz or Überlingen. There is even a speedboat line (Katamaran) to Constance.

The architectural beauty of this town doesnīt justify a detour. But they have the longest lakeside promenade, which is also a nice one, where you can have a walk in the evening and you can enjoy ein Weizen oder ein Viertele (a wheat beer or a glas of wine) at the inns located there. And Zeppelin fans know that there is to be found the museum with the largest collection of airship memorabilia.

The decision between train or car is a difficult one.

A car is expensive. The more persons you are, the cheaper is a car. A car makes you independent, you could look for your base in the hinterland (the hinterland of Meersburg in direction of Überlingen, called Deggehauser Tal offers an excellent value for the money you pay.

On the other hand, there is public transportation, trains and busses to cover the area. The best are the passenger ships offering a scheduled line service to connect the lakeside places. So, you can do there without a car.

Thanks for your wonderful suggestions.
We are going to Slovenia after Germany. If we rent a car in Germany, where is the best place to pick it up and drop it off since we will be arriving at the Zurich airport.

Possibly Friedrichshafen. From Zürich airport there are direct trains to Romanshorn, where a ferry meets the trains and then crosses the lake Constance to Friedrichshafen.
Renting a car and dropping it off in different countries will incur a huge drop-off fee, so it might be useful to rent a car only for a part of the time, to see the areas where you need one.

If at all possible I would reccomend a car. We recieved a decent rate through Auto Europe for 9 days.

As the other posters suggested I would stay on the German side. I also think Meersbrug is fabulous. The castle is one of the oldest in tact medieval castles in Germany. The hotel we staayed in is called the 3 Stuben Hotel.
I highly reccomend. www.3stuben.de
Please consider this. A coupl;e of years ago there was an antique store next to the Hotel. The owner was terrific. She loves in Texas during their winters!!
Do go to the "Beaches"/pools here! Well manicured grass lawns - they sell beer and lovely food.
There are so many little hamlets to drive through and enjoy aroudn here that I would suggest a car.
I would suggest a cruise as well. The shoreline is beautiful with little inlets that let you enjoy the ancient buildings and architecture.

have a ball!

thanks again for the suggestions. I usually rent through Auto Europe and their rates are pretty good. I agree, the drop off fee is pretty harsh. I will check out the 3Stuben hotel. Other people have recommended it also. Meersburg seems like a wonderful place.
Why is it that hardly anyone mentions staying in Konstanz? It seems like a good base also.

I do suggest you take in an opera done with puppets in the Lindauer Marionnetten Theater in Lindau. It is amazing what Germans and Austrians do with puppets!

Konstanz (Constance) isnīt located that cental as maybe Meersburg or Friedrichshafen. The same with Bregenz or Überlingen.

All three towns (Konstanz, Bregenz, Überlingen) are excellent places to visit. The best way to go there is by passenger boat, as the boat isnīt that more expensive as bus or train, and in addition you have a scenic view from the ship. Same thing with Lindau, Insel Mainau and Stein am Rhein, there are passenger boats to connect these places.

I have suggested Friedrichshafen as a base, because it is a hub in two directions of the lakeside, and the hinterland Ravensburg - Ulm (also nice towns for a day trip, btw.). If you decide to rent a car, I would suggest to stay more in the hinterland, maybe at Deggenbausertal, situated northwestern from Meersburg - there you are off the beaten track, they have accomodations of the Gasthof type (a small, family run restaurant with a hotel) there, offering that rustic charme which indicates a good ratio of prize and value. here: http://www.deggenhausertal.de/index_t.html

Many, many thanks. I'll follow up on yo9ur suggestions.
Joanne