Starting in Friedrichshafen and ending in Lindau, Germany, Stage 3 of the Bodensee Radweg is 25 km long with 50 m ascent/descent. Entirely in Germany, this easy stage ends at the charming old town on Lindau Island. With its pretty painted buildings, cobblestone streets and beautiful harbor, it is definitely worth spending some extra time here to walk around the island and have meal at one of the many sidewalk cafes (as I did!)
Detail Summary
| Where: | Friedrichshafen to Lindau Germany |
| Train: | Zürich HB -> Friedrichshafen (Germany) – 2 hrs 15 min Lindau (Germany) -> Zürich HB – 2 hrs 5 min Note: As of 2026, you can use the SBB app to purchase tickets to points in Germany. Tip! It takes a bit longer and won’t show up as a route in the SBB app, but you can take a train from Zürich HB to Romanshorn and then take a ferry to Friedrichshafen. It adds about an hour but this ferry is included in the SBB coverage area so if you have an SBB day pass and bike pass it will be included. Both the trains and the ferry can get packed with bikers, and the ferry has more room for bikes. Whichever route you choose, check the schedule carefully before deciding, many trains here require a bike reservation. |
| What: | Bodensee-Radweg – Stage 3 Friedrichshafen to Lindau (SwissMobility) Trail Map (Swiss Mobility) Bodensee Radweg Cycle path signs consist of a black line drawn cyclist with a blue back wheel.  If you always head in the direction of Lindau and then Lindau Island, you’ll get there. Note: I found this quote from Cycling Lake Constance to be 100 percent true: “In Germany, it is easy to miss a signpost in some places and go off the bike path. Due to the green-on-white optics, the readability is somewhat suboptimal.” Note: SwissMobility is great in Switzerland but not great in Germany. Be sure to download the map before heading out. |
| Stats: | Length 25 km, Ascent 50 m, Descent 50 m Mostly asphalt but some sections are packed dirt/gravel. |
Additional Info
Photo Stories for all Stages
| The Bodensee Radweg is a 265 km bike path that completely circles the Bodensee (Lake Constance). This is an international trail that takes you through Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. SwissMobility breaks this route into 8 sections and I am following along with that plan.Photo stories for each stage I’ve done are here: Stage 1 – Konstanz to Überlingen, Germany Stage 2 – Überlingen to Friedrichshafen, Germany Stage 3 – Friedrichshafen to Lindau, Germany Stage 4 – Lindau, Germany to Rorschach Stage 5 – Rorschach to Kreuzlingen |
Getting There
While you can get there faster from Zürich by taking the trains the whole way, I decided to instead take the train to Romanshorn and then the ferry across to Friedrichshafen. The ferry is part of the SBB so I didn’t need to buy additional tickets like I would if I were taking the German DB trains. Plus, there is more room for the bike on the ferry and the view from the lake is very pretty. After getting off the ferry at the Friedrichshafen, I was right back where I left off when I finished stage 2.
I hopped on my bike and was quickly riding through the streets of Friedrichshafen and on my way.
The Route
After leaving Friedrichshafen, the route is a mix of paved roads and hard-packed dirt trail, all fine for a road bike. Some lovely vineyard and orchard views along the way. And while the lake isn’t visible most of the time, there were some stops with nice water views and even beaches where you could relax. And like in stage 2, I saw the zeppelin flying overhead.
Just before getting to Lindau, I spotted this tiny firefighter museum. It was free to take a look, so I did. Always fun to see these little spots as you go.
When I reached Lindau Island, I parked my bike and walked to the harbor for lunch. The island is a very cute old town with cobblestone streets and pretty painted buildings. While at lunch, a busker was singing mostly Beatles songs, but also some Elvis tunes and he was pretty good. Such a pleasant lunch on the waterfront. The harbor view is really fantastic!
After lunch, I walked back to my bike and continued on my way.
Getting Back
Lindau is the end of Stage 3 and after crossing back over the island bridge, it was just a short ride to the Lindau train station.
The weather was perfect and I had time, so I decided to zip past the train station and continue on with stage 4!
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