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LAKE CONSTANCE CRUISES
Scenic Lake Tours on the Bodensee
Lake Constance (Constanz) is Switzerland’s
second largest lake, called Bodensee in German, and lies on the northern
border between Germany,
Switzerland’s Thurgau Canton and Schaffhausen area, referred to
as Eastern Switzerland, and a small strip of Austria on the eastern end
at Bregenz. The lake is formed by the Rhine River which flows from the
southern Alps, before heading toward the North Sea. The lake is made
of a larger area called the Obersee and the narrow portion on the western
end, the Untersee, where the river empties across the Rheinfalls at Schaffhausen.
There are a number of cruise companies operating tourist, ferry, and
theme cruise boats on the lake, divided between the two seas and three
countries.
Schaffhausen and Untersee
At
Schaffhausen, the Untersee and Rhine Ship (Schifffahrt Untersee und Rhein)
company operates a small fleet of modern cruise boats and ferry
service along the Untersee from docks below the Schaffhausen castle,
to port stops at the ancient village of Stein am Rhein, the Island of
Reichenau, and Constance-Kreuzlingen. From Schaffhausen, bus service
runs to the waterfalls of the Rhine, Europe’s version of Niagara
Falls. Scheduled service operates from April to October. Cruise durations
for the full route: Schaffhausen to Kreuzlingen 4 ½ hours, Kreuzlingen,
Schaffhausen 3 ½ hours. Train lines run along the Swiss shore
so it is easy to combine a cruise with rail. Swiss Passes are good for
travel on the boats and the Rheinfalls bus service. Schaffhausen
UnterseeLake Constance Cruises from Romanshorn and Rorschach
Both theme and scenic tour cruises, as well as
ferry service depart from the Lake Constance shore ports of Romanshorn
and Rorschach on the Swiss
side. Ferries
cross to Friedrichshafen and Lindau on the German side. The largest lake cruise
company on Lake Constance from the Switzerland side, the Swiss Lake Constance
Shipping Co. (Bodeneeschifffarht), was once owned by the SBB Swiss National Railway
but is now in private hands. Operating for 150 years, begun as a ferry service
across the lake from where the railway from Lucerne (now the Pre-Alpine Express
route) and from Winterthur, terminated at Romanshorn, the Swiss shipping company
operates a number of cruise ships on the lake, from both Romanshorn and Rorschach.
The ferries once carried heavy cargo across the lake from the rail lines, but
now essentially the service operates as a tourist line and person vehicles ferry.
Public Day Tour Cruises calling on ports along both shores of the Lake cost from CHF 6 to CHF 51, depending on the distance traveled, with stops at Rorschach, Horn, Langenargen, Arbon, Romanshorn, Uttwil, Altnau Bottighofen, Kreuzlingen, Insel Mainau, Unteruhldingen, and Meersburg. No reservations are needed for the day cruise schedule. A variety of specialized theme and dining tourist cruises are offered throughout the year, Fondue Cruises, Sea Shanty Cruises, Whiskey and Wine Cruises, Appenzell Menu, Easter Brunch, Bregenz Festival, among others. Individual or group tickets and reservations are necessary for the theme cruises. Prices for the theme or dining cruises vary, but generally from CHF 35 up to CHF 55 for meal cruises (CHF 75 for a 4 course Murder Mystery–Dinner cruise), children to 16 are half price.
The fleet of the SwissSchifffahrt is made up of modern diesel engine ships. Stationed at Romanshorn, the company sails tourist cruise ships MS St Gallen, MS Thurgau, MS Zurichand, MS Säntis, and two ferry boats, the MF Euregia and MF Romanshorn, From the port at Rorschach, smaller boats operate – the MS Rhynegg, MS Rhyspitz , MS Alte Rhy. The ferry from Romanshorn to Friedrichshafen departs every hour and takes 45 minutes to cross the lake. A return ferry ticket costs CHF 20 for an adult. Children’s half-fare family cards are valid.
Steamer Ship Hohentwiel
The paddle wheel steam ship Hohentwiel, once the Royal
State Steam Yacht of Wilhelm II, the last king of Wurttemburg, now cruises
Lake Constance as a tourist
tour ship,
offering dinner and sight-seeing cruises, departing from Bregenz. Launched in
1913, just a year before the beginning of World War I, which brought monarchies
to a rather abrupt end, the ship is an elegant sight from days gone by, called
by some the most beautiful historic paddle wheel steamer in continental Europe,
with its white awning, polished brass and mahogany, cherry wood and teak trim.
The Hohentwiel Steamer which made an appearance in the recent James Bond film, “Quantum
of Solace” operates from the end of April to Mid-October and offers a variety
of day tours and theme cruises including Dixieland Jazz, Lunch cruises, Captain’s
Dinner, English Tea Cruises, and available for Wedding Charters. Hohentwiel
Other cruise lines operating on Lake Constance are the Austrian Voralberg Lines from Bregenz and Rorschach, and the BSB Leisure Fleet visiting mostly German side ports with connections at Romanshorn, Gottleben, and Ermatingen, with rail connection from Schaffhausen to Radoffzell. Rail service to lake Constance Cruises runs on the Thurbo Regional Line
Rail Europe
More on Switzerland By Rail:
Scenic Trains
Glacier
Express
Bernina
Express
Golden
Pass Line
Wilhelm
Tell Express
Mont
Blanc - St Bernard
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
Lauvaux Wine Train
Palm
Express
Excursion Trains
Jungfraujoch
Chocolate
Train
Gornergrat
Matterhorn
Mt
Pilatus Railway
Mt
Rigi Railway
Roches
De Naye
Lake Cruises
Lake
Geneva
Lake Lucerne
Lake Constance
Lake Thun & Brienz
Three Lakes
Hotels: Switzerland
Scenic Switzerland By Train
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