The time to travel on Lake Constance

The southern situation, the balance provided by the water and the protected location in the lee of the Black Forest and the foehn effects from the Alps mean that the time to travel for cyclists around Lake Constance is, after Oberrheingraben, the longest!

Spring

While holidaymakers on Rügen in North Germany are still freezing in their winter coats at Easter, Lake Constance can often boast of pleasant spring-like temperatures. On Lake Constance, we celebrate the start of the cycling season at Easter!

It's beautiful to be cycling on the Lake Constance cycle path when the fruit trees are in blossom, usually from mid-April. You have the cycle path almost all to yourself and the weather is pleasantly warm. The sight of the spring blossom from your bike is stunning.
In May and June temperatures are already early summer. Perfect for cycling. On the long weekends around Ascension Day, Whitsuntide and Corpus Christi (national holidays in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Austria and in various cantons in Switzerland) the Lake Constance cycle path can get quite busy. Hotels are often booked up quite a while in advance. The best time to travel is if you avoid these national holidays.

Summer

At the end of June the temperature of the water in Lake Constance - usually at around 20 degrees - is warm enough for a swim. At peak season: Between 20 July and 20 August, Lake Constance is a busy place to be. This is when the school holidays take place in the whole of South Germany.

In summer, it can get very hot. Humidity is high, meaning it can be quite sultry. It's a good idea to avoid July if you are sensitive to the sun - as you are likely to get average temperatures of about 24 degrees. And during midsummer, temperatures hardly go down at night.

Autumn

From mid-September, things quieten down. The weather is more stable and you can even experience an Indian summer.
Towards the end of October you must reckon with quite persistent fog. At this time of year, Lake Constance is good for spontaneous trips. Or you can plan several daily tours based in one place, so that any grey days can be spent wandering around the shops or with a visit to any of the three thermal baths in Constance, Überlingen or Meersburg.

Another disadvantage of the fog in the autumn: around 15 October, the Lake Constance BSB ferries stop for the winter. Any shortcuts to your cycle rides by boat must be limited to the boats on the Wallhausen-Überlingen routes, the car ferries between Constance and Meersburg, Friedrichshafen and Romanshorn or the catamaran between Friedrichshafen and Constance. The train is also an option, which operates on the Lower Lake between Constance, Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen; along the Überlinger See between Radolfzell, Überlingen and Uhldingen-Mühlhofen; on the Upper Lake between Friedrichshafen, Lindau and Bregenz; and on the south bank, between St. Margrethen and Constance. The cycling season tends to end around the end of October / beginning of November.

Rain

Due to the varying distance of the mountains to Lake Constance - in the East, the mountains stretch from Bregenz Forest and the Appenzell Land region down to the lake. Around Constance, the highest points are much lower. This all means that annual rainfall is very specific to the region. In Bregenz average rainfall measures at more than 1500 litres per year, while in Constance it's just 950 litres.