Difficulty Rating : 7 Start: Constance Finish: Interlaken Terrain: Mostly flat, some hills, all along a cycle path Daily Average: 35-75km Weekly Average: 270km Tour Type: Sportive Teaser: Our Constance to Lake Lucern - Swiss Lakes tour starts on the western end of Lake Constance in the South West corner of Germany,
  • Overview
  • Trip Outline
  • Trip Includes
  • FAQ
  • Acommodation
  • Pricing
  • Resources
  • Travel
  • Feedback
  • Booking

Our Constance to Lake Lucern - Swiss Lakes tour starts on the western end of Lake Constance in the South West corner of Germany, in the university town of Konstanz. Konstanz is the largest town on Lake Constance but thankfully still retains a lot of medieval character.

After cycling through some smaller fishing regions along the romantic lower lake you arrive in Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, often referred to as its 'cultural capital'. It has often won the title of having the best quality of life, so immerse yourself in that lifestyle. Continuing with the cycle you will pass through beautiful quiet countryside, lively villages and cross the famous Bruning Mountain Pass, as well as enjoying the beauty of the 7 lakes from Lake Constance to Lake Thun.

The Rheinfall waterfall near Schaffhausen, the 'Hohle Gasse' in Kussnacht and the Einsiedeln monastery, along with the well preserved cities of Lucerne and Zurich are the highlights of this tour.

No details found.

A downloadable version of the itinery is available from the Resources Tab

Itineraries

Day 1

Arrival in Constance

The largest town on Lake Constance is still quite medieval in character to this day. Take the chance to visit Mainau island or take a walk through the old town of Constance. The aquariums in the Sea Life Center and the Ar¬chaeological Museum are also recommended.

Day 2

Constance ~ Schaffhausen (50 km)

Following the side of Lake Constance, you pedal to Stein am Rhein with its frescoed, medieval houses. Switching several times between Germany and Switzerland you reach the canton’s capitol, Schaffhausen. The town, whose citizens competed with each other in building gables on their houses, is overlooked by Munot fort.

Day 3

Schaffhausen~ Zürich (55 km + train journey) or 70k

After breakfast, you cycle the short distance to the Rhine Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in Europe, which you can get very close to by boat. Afterwards you follow the valley of the Glatt, which leads you to Zurich, the fascinating Swiss cosmopolitan city. At the level of ZurichKloten Airport, you can shorten the cycle tour by taking the S-Bahn (not included) from Rümlang station. The city of Zurich combines tradition and modernity and the well-preserved old town invites you to linger with its many cafes and bars.

Day 4

Zürich ~ Einsiedeln (35 km)

You cycle along the northern bank of Lake Zurich along the so-called golden coast to Rapperswil. Take a break here and go up to the old castle. From there you have lovely views of Lake Zurich and the countryside. From Rapperswil, you cross the lake across a dam and then take the train from Pfäffikon to Einsiedeln.

Day 5

Einsiedeln ~ Lucerne (75 km)

A wonderful day on the bike which includes the route’s crowning glory. On the ride to Lake Zug, you have to cross a range of hills. In Küssnacht, you can follow the traces of Wilhelm Tell. He is supposed to have shot the bailiff, Hermann Gessler, here in the “Hohle Gasse” lane.

Day 6

Beckenried ~ Lucern (50km)

Today a tour around Lake Lucerne awaits you. From the pretty little town of Weggis, which already Mark Twain called "The most charming place...", you will cross the lake by boat to Beckenried. Enjoy the view of the famous mountain Rigi before you cycle back to Lucerne, passing the Alpnach Lake

  • 6 nights accommodation in 3 star hotels with breakfasts
  • Luggage transport each day
  • Entrance to Rosgarten Museum in Konstanz 
  • Boat trip to Rhine Falls 
  • Train ride from Pfaffikon to Einsiedeln ( including bike )
  • Tour information and maps ( one per room )
  • 7 day service hotline

Bike rental is not included in our 2023 tour price. This is an additional:
€100.00 Hybrid Bike, incl. bike insurance
€240.00 Electric Bike, incl. bike insurance
€130.00 Sporty rental bike (30 gears), incl. bike insurance

Season A 24th – 29th April, 9th – 16th October

Season B 14th – 23rd April, 30th April – 14th May, 18th September – 8th October

Season C 15th – 21st May, 29th – 31st May, 19th – 30th June, 21st August – 17th September

Season D 22nd – 28th May, 1st – 18th June, 1st July – 20th August

Extra night in Lucern: €105 per person sharing / €150 single room occupancy
Extra night in Constance: €70 per person sharing / €105 single room occupancy
Extra night in Einsiedeln/Schaffhausen: €90 per person sharing / €125 single room occupancy

Due to more challenging sections, we only recommend this tour for young people in good physical condition.
The cycling routes require a basic level of fitness, which you should have acquired by steady cycling. The routes can reach an altitude of 200 to 500 meters. The daily routes, of 20 - 60 km, cover some hilly terrain and can be completed without time constraints. You will also come across some longer and climbs, where walking your bike is of course advised. The roads are mostly asphalted and there is little traffic outside of holiday periods.

- Reductions apply for accommodation in rooms with two full-paying guests.
- No reduction from the age of 18
- Multi-bed rooms are often double rooms with a camp bed or sofa bed.
- No quadruple rooms possible

CONSTANCE

ABC-Hotel An historic hotel in the heart of the town. The hotel is family run in a traditional way. A warm and friendly atmosphere with spacious rooms this hotel has everything you need to enjoy your stay 

CONSTANCE image 1CONSTANCE image 1

SCHAFFHAUSEN

Hotel Park Villa is a beautiful stone building full of history. With a warm and relaxing atmosphere and spacious rooms it is the perfect place to stay and explore the town 

 

SCHAFFHAUSEN image 1SCHAFFHAUSEN image 1

ZURICH

Sorell Hotel Rex  is only a short walk away from the old town. With a relaxing atmosphere and mode rooms makes a very enjoyable stay ( image to the left ) 

Hotel Montana is a mode hotel with spacious and bright rooms not far from the old town with lots of little cafe and restaurants for you to enjoy.   ( image to the right ) 

ZURICH image 1ZURICH image 1

EINSIEDELN

Hotel St. Georg is a boutique hotel right in the heart of the town. With stylish rooms and a relaxed atmosphere, this is a very nice place to stay  ( image to the left )   

Hotel Linde Has a roof-top sitting area and a mountain view. The rooms are bright and spacious some even overlook the Monastery.  ( image to the right ) 

EINSIEDELN  image 1EINSIEDELN  image 1

LUZERN -

Ibis Styles Luze City is a stylish hotel in the historic town centre. The rooms are very stylish and bright with city views ( image to the left ) 

Hotel Seeburg Luze is a lakeside hotel with fantastic views of the lake and mountains. With a stylish and spacious room it is the perfect place to relax by the lake ( image to the right ) 

LUZERN -  image 1LUZERN -  image 1

2023 SWISS LAKES: ( 6 night tour )  

€900 per person sharing ( Season A )
€1000 per person sharing ( Season B )
€1100 per person sharing ( Season C )
€1200 per person sharing ( Season D )

€250 Single room supplement

Season A: 30th April - 10th May, 24th September - 7th October
Season B: 11th - 16th May, 11th - 30th June, 10th - 23rd September
Season C: 17th - 26th May, 1st - 10th June, 20th August - 9th September
Season D: 27th - 31st May, 1st July - 19th August

Self Guided Tour Information

Tour can start any day from 30 April to 7 October

How to get to the tour start point: 

Travelling by air
From Friedrichshafen (25 km) by car/bus or ferry, or catamaran (40 min.)
From Zurich (75 km): hourly rail service to Constance (1 hr)
From Stuttgart (170 km): interurban train service every 20 min. to Stuttgart railway station; regular rail service to Constance (2.5 hrs)
From Munich (230 km) by rail (5 hrs) or car (3.5 hrs) to Constance
From Frankfurt/Main (345 km): direct rail service (4.5 hrs) to Constance

Travelling by rail

There are direct train services to Constance from Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Offenburg. To get to Constance from Munich, change at Lindau/Radolfzell or Stuttgart. There is an hourly train service to Constance from Zurich (airport) via Weinfelden. For more information on rail services, please call +49 (0) 800 / 1507090.

For more details please have a look at the tour dossier.

As always please contact us in the office for more information (info@cyclingsafaris.com).

We loved the Swiss Lakes tour! The route was incredible. Beautiful landscapes everywhere, quaint medieval towns throughout, and spots to swim all along the way. Switzerland was the perfect place for our first self-guided tour. The cycling routes, the infrastructure, and the train transfers were just incredible. The bikes and the gear were outstanding. The best we've ever used. The directions were absolutely clear and normally followed sign-posted routes throughout the country. The accommodation was terrific--and a great value. There were so many parks along the route, many with toilets and fresh water; we often had picnics outside during the day. The food was terrific. It was certainly more demanding than our Ireland trip, but we found it a great trip to try out longer distances and tougher climbs. The route was very well curated.
We're huge fans of Irish Cycling Safaris. I wish we'd discovered your company earlier. We recommend it to everyone we know. Thanks so much for providing such a great service at a great price. We can't wait for our next trip with you guys!

Tyler McMahon (Swiss Lakes June 2018)

I loved the e-bike. It gives me the confidence to try more challenging trips. We enjoyed the self led tour as it allowed us to spend extra time in Lucerne.

Barbara Wagner (Swiss Lakes 2015)

We realy enjoyed our trip to Lake constance. We particularly enjoyed the cycling around Meersberg and the wine area Wasserberg and Hagau.
Excellent trip 9 out of 10.

Declan Gannon & Maria Hahessy (Lake Constance 2015)

Tour Date Options

Red = booked out / not available, Blue = Limited Availability, Green = available

Book now

Booking Form

Primary Contact Details.

Section Divider

Insurance

We require you to have Travel Insurance when you book the tour. It is important that you are covered in case of cancellation due to injury as the deposit is non refundable

Section Divider (copy)

Other members of your group if applicable.

Please indicate below how many people are in your group including yourself.

Second person details

Third person details

Fourth person details

Fifth person details

 

Sixth person details

 

Seventh person details

 

Eighth person details

 

Ninth person details

 

Tenth person details

 

Section Divider (copy) (copy)

Acommodation

For single travellers, we organise accommodation on a twin sharing basis. Please note it may not be possible on all our tours and a single supplement will be applied.

Section Divider (copy) (copy) (copy)

Other Information

Section Divider (copy) (copy) (copy) (copy)

Payment Information

If you have been on a previous tour, there is a €50.00 discount on our week long tours in Ireland (unfortunately this discount does not apply to other European trips)

A €250.00 deposit is required for each person booking on a holiday. The Balance payment is required two month prior to the starting date. The deposit is forfeited in the event of a cancellation of your booking. The balancing payment is also non-refundable in the event of the cancellation occuring within 14 days of the tour starting date. All transactions are taken in Euro.

We will contact you to confirm your booking and payment details.

Please ensure that you have read the terms and conditions before proceeding.

Hide Terms and Conditions

Booking Conditions

Irish Cycling Safaris Ltd (“the Company”) accepts bookings subject to the following conditions:

  • The contract is between the Company and the client, being any person travelling or intending to travel on a tour operated by the company. The contract, including all matters arising from it, is subject to Irish law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts. A booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when the company sends a confirmation. It is at this point that a contract between the company and the client comes into existence. Before your booking is confirmed and comes into existence the company reserves the right to increase or decrease brochure prices. The company or their agents reserve the right to decline any booking at their discretion.
  • To secure a booking the Company or their agent requires a completed booking form and the necessary deposit. (Full payment if travel within 60 days). The first named client must be over 18 years of age. Clients booking by telephone, by website/E-mail or fax will be deemed to have signed the booking form and read and accepted our terms of booking. The person signing, or being deemed to sign, the booking form warrants that he/she has full authority to do so on behalf of all persons whose names appear thereon, and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these conditions.
  • The balance of all monies due, including any surcharges applicable at the time, must be paid to the company or their agents not later than 60 days before departure. In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date the Company reserves the right to cancel your booking and cancellation charges will apply. If any cheque is dishonoured we reserve the right to charge €25 to cover administration costs.
  • Travel Insurance is mandatory for all clients whilst on a tour organised by the Company. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance. Clients are responsible for ensuring that they are in possession of private Travel insurance with protection for the full duration of the tour in respect of at least medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, with adequate cover.
  • An administration fee of €25 per booking plus any additional costs incurred will be charged if a confirmed booking is changed or transferred to a different departure date or tour, up to 60 days prior to departure. Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations and subject to the relevant charges. Changes are subject to availability. For an administration fee of €25 you may request a credit voucher. This must be redeemed within 12 months of issue and must be used against a new booking. The voucher is non transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. In certain circumstances, which the Company considers reasonable, the booking may be transferred to another suitable person; however the tour arrangements must remain the same and will only be allowed if all suppliers agree to accept the name change. If a transfer is allowed an administration charge of €25 per person will be charged plus any extra charges levied by suppliers.
  • Should the client wish to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day written notification is received by the company or their agent as a percentage of the total tour price, including surcharges as follows:

    > 60 days before departure – retention of deposit

    60-14 days before departure – 50%

    < 14 days before departure – 100%

  • Clients are responsible for arranging, and must be in possession of, a valid passport and any visas and vaccination certificates required for the whole of their journey. Information about these matters or related items (climate, clothing, baggage, personal items etc) is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of the company.
  • Should the client have a reason to complain, you must immediately notify our representative and the relevant supplier. If the client’s complaint is not dealt with satisfactorily at the time, they must write to us with full details of the complaint within 28 days of the end of the tour. Failure to notify complaints entirely within accordance of this clause will diminish or extinguish the client’s ability to claim compensation.
  • The company provides all services on a “ground only” basis. The client is responsible for arranging their own travel to the designated start points of each tour. The company cannot accept any liability for any delay/cancellation in your transportation and cannot offer any refunds for lost holiday time.
  • Clients agree to accept the authority and decisions of the Company’s employees, tour leaders and agents whilst on the tour with the company. If in the opinion of such persons the health, level of fitness or conduct of a client at any time before or after departure appears likely to endanger the safe, comfortable or happy progress of a tour the client may be excluded from all or part of the tour without refund or recompense. In the case of ill health the company may make such arrangements as it sees fit and recover the costs thereof from the client. If a client commits an illegal act the client may be excluded from the tour and the Company shall cease to have responsibility to/for them. If you are affected by a condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect you or affect other people’s enjoyment or active participation of the tour, you must advise us at the time of booking. No refund will be given for any unused services.
  • The Company will use its best endeavours to operate all tours as advertised. However, it reserves the right to change any of the facilities, services, prices or itineraries described in our brochure/website. If a major change is necessary or deemed advisable, the company will advise the client as soon as reasonably possible, if there is no time before departure. A major change does not apply to a change of transport or named accommodation, but is usually considered a major change in itinerary or change in duration of a client’s holiday. If advised of a major change before departure, the client will have the choice of accepting changes (at additional cost if applicable), purchasing another available tour from the company, or cancelling the tour with a full refund.

    Provided that the major change is not as a result of situations outside the company’s control or consolidation, compensation will be paid as follows:

    Notification Period Given / Compensation Per Person

    More than 30 days: Nil

    14-30 days: €40

    Less than 14 days: €50

     
  • Force Majeure. We regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by reasons of circumstance amounting to “force majeure”. In these conditions “force majeure” means any event which we the supplier of services in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, epidemics or health risks and all similar events outside our control.
  • The company reserves the right to cancel a tour in any circumstances but will not cancel a tour less than 4 weeks before departure except for “force majeure”, consolidation, or the client’s failure to pay the final balance. Unless the client fails to pay the final balance, the company, upon cancellation will return all monies paid to it, or offer the client an alternative holiday of comparable standard if available (if less expensive than original we will refund the difference, if more expensive, the client will have to pay the difference). Compensation will not be payable (1) where the company is forced to cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) where an insufficient number of people book the clients chosen holiday and we notify we are cancelling for this reason not less than 28 days before departure. In all cases our liability is limited to offering the above choices and the compensation payments (where applicable) set out in clause 11. No compensation is payable if we notify you of cancellation more than 8 weeks before departure. We cannot be held responsible for any costs or expenses you may have as a result of cancellation.
  • Client’s bookings are accepted on the understanding that they appreciate the risks inherent in adventure travel and that they undertake the tours featured in our programme at their own volition. Our obligations, and those of any suppliers providing any service or facility involved in any travel arrangements you book with us, are to provide services and facilities with reasonable care and skill. Facilities will be provided to the realistic minimum standard recommended by the regulatory authorities responsible.
  • Bike Hire: The equipment including all accessories supplied is let out on hire. The equipment remains the property of the company and the Client will not sell, hire out or otherwise part with the possessions thereof.

    The Client undertakes not to misuse the equipment and to return it with all accessories in the same condition as when received (ordinary wear and tear accepted). The company shall be entitled to charge the client for any damages caused to equipment during the period of hire. In event of a breakdown, other than a result of the Clients misuse, the company will use its best endeavours to repair or procure repair of the equipment.

    The company will not be liable for any damage or loss whatsoever, through breakdown or other defect in the equipment or other circumstances beyond the company’s control. The Client shall indemnify the company with respect to all costs, claims, expenses and demands suffered or incurred which arise directly or indirectly out of the use of the equipment during the period of hire. The company reserves the right to charge the client for partial or full settlement of any claim. In the event of the equipment being stolen or lost, the company reserves the right to call upon the client to indemnify the company the replacement of the equipment. However, should the equipment subsequently be returned in a satisfactory condition, the company undertakes to refund the clients indemnity within 14 days.

    The Client will ensure that the equipment is adequately secured when not in use, will not use the equipment whilst under the influence of drink or drugs and will immediately notify the company in the event of breakdown or loss of equipment.

  • Clients bringing their own bikes do so on the proviso that their equipment is in a suitable condition for participation in a tour. Responsibility for maintenance of bicycles brought by clients rests with the client. The company will endeavour to accommodate such clients, but cannot guarantee that correct tools and spares will be available, given the wide range of possibilities that exist.