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Major city · Germany

LindauLindau (Bodensee)

Give Lindau one full day and one night on the island; two nights if you want a boat day to Bregenz or Friedrichshafen.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Mar (many sights and boats closed)
Airports
FDH · MUC · STR · ZRH
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Germany ↗Germany is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Germany ↗Nazi symbols and gestures are criminal offences, including as jokes or souvenirs.
  • Germany ↗Many city centres are low-emission zones: a car needs the right sticker (Umweltplakette) to enter.

Lindau's old town sits on a small island in Lake Constance, joined to the mainland by a bridge and a rail causeway. The island is walkable in an afternoon: harbour, lighthouse, old town hall, market square. Long-distance trains now stop at Lindau-Reutin on the mainland, so check which station your train uses before booking a bed near the water.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Lindau, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and a bakery pastry€4–7 (≈ US$5–9)
  • BeerBeer, 0.5 l in a lakeside restaurant€4.50–6 (≈ US$6–7)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus single ride€2.90 (≈ US$4) (2024)
  • Museum or sight ticketLighthouse climb / city museum entry€1.80 (≈ US$3) / €3 (≈ US$4)
  • Budget bedCampsite pitch (tent), a night, per room€20 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room€150 (≈ US$180)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room€260 (≈ US$350)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €110 (≈ US$130) · High €200 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Island old town and harbourBavarian Lion and lighthouse at the harbour mouthLake Constance boat connections to Austria and SwitzerlandLindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
Airports
FDH Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen (Closest airport; rail link to Lindau, about 30–40 min) · MUC Munich Airport (EuroCity trains toward Lindau; about 2.5–3 h by rail) · STR Stuttgart Airport (Rail via Friedrichshafen or Ulm; longer and slower) · ZRH Zurich Airport (EuroCity toward Munich stops at Lindau-Reutin; about 2 h)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Lindau: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

3°C

−3°C

10 rd

Feb

5°C

−2°C

9 rd

Mar

10°C

1°C

11 rd

Apr

14°C

4°C

12 rd

May

19°C

8°C

13 rd

Jun

22°C

12°C

14 rd

Jul

24°C

14°C

13 rd

Aug

24°C

13°C

13 rd

Sep

19°C

10°C

11 rd

Oct

14°C

6°C

10 rd

Nov

8°C

2°C

11 rd

Dec

4°C

−2°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk. The island is small and largely pedestrian, and you can cross it in about 15 minutes. City buses (routes 1–5) link the island with the mainland and Reutin; a single ticket was €2.90 in 2024. Bikes rent on the island and at the youth hostel on the mainland. Boats (BSB) run seasonal lake services April–October.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Bregenz, Austria

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min

BSB boat from Lindau harbour, 22 min, or regional train from Inselbahnhof

Boat fare was €5.70 adult one way; climb the Pfänder cable car for lake views.

Friedrichshafen

go

Door to door: About 1 h by boat

BSB boat along the lake, or bodo bus line 200 westbound

Zeppelin Museum and the airport; a full half-day.

Mainau Island

caution

Door to door: 2 h+

BSB boat via Meersburg/Friedrichshafen, or rail to Konstanz then boat

Garden island; long for a return day from Lindau, better as a stop on a lake circuit.

Rorschach, Switzerland

go

Door to door: About 1 h

BSB boat, three times a day each direction

Full crossing was €12.70 / CHF 17; take your passport.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Island old town

Everything on foot, harbour views, highest prices and the fewest rooms; book weeks ahead for summer.

Near Inselbahnhof (island station)

Regional trains only; handy if you arrive by boat or regional rail and want bags dropped fast.

Reutin / mainland near Lindau-Reutin

Where long-distance trains stop; cheaper beds, 15–25 min walk or a short bus ride to the island.

Camping and hostel belt (Eichwald, Herbergsweg)

Budget option on the mainland; lakeside swimming nearby, island by bus or bike.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€100–160 (≈ US$120–190) excl. bed
High
€180 (≈ US$250)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse or hotel double room1 × 1 night × €150€150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €110€220
City bus single ticket2 × €3 · 2024 price€6
Boat Lindau → Bregenz, one way2 × €6€11
Lighthouse climb2 × €2€4
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €10€20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€41
Trip total≈ €226 per person per day, bed included€452≈ US$550

2026 estimate in euro; long-distance rail and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and a bakery pastry€4–7 (≈ US$5–9)
Plate of lake fish or a schnitzel in a tavern€14–24 (≈ US$17–30)
Beer, 0.5 l in a lakeside restaurant€4.50–6 (≈ US$6–7)
Ice cream on the island€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4) per scoop
City bus single ride€2.90 (≈ US$4) (2024)
Boat Lindau → Bregenz, one way€5.70 (≈ US$7)
Lighthouse climb / city museum entry€1.80 (≈ US$3) / €3 (≈ US$4)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Lindau is a low-crime small town; the real issues are seasonal closures, lake weather and the two-station confusion. Watch bags at the harbour and station in peak summer.
  • Two stations: long-distance trains use Lindau-Reutin on the mainland, not the island station. Check your ticket before you book a hotel.
  • Many island sights, the city museum and the lake ferries are seasonal; outside roughly April–October expect closures.
  • Car parking on the island is limited and expensive; park on the mainland and walk or take the bus.
  • Lake weather turns fast: afternoon storms are common in summer, so keep a rain layer for boat trips.
  • Crossing to Bregenz (Austria) or Rorschach (Switzerland) means a border: carry your passport or ID card.

Emergency numbers

Fire and ambulance
112
Police
110

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

LindauLindau (Bodensee)

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Zu dieser Adresse, bitteTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Fire and ambulance112
  • Police110

Embassy

No embassies in Lindau; the US and UK have consulates-general in Munich, most other countries have embassies in Berlin.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Boat Lindau → Bregenz: €5.70 (≈ US$7) adult one way, 22 min
  • Train Bregenz → Lindau, ÖBB machine: €2.40 (≈ US$3) single (DB machine about €4.80 (≈ US$6))
  • City bus single ticket: €2.90 (≈ US$4) (2024)

Say or show

  • Grüß Gott — Hello (gruess got)
  • Danke schön — Thank you (danke schoen)
  • Die Rechnung, bitte — The bill, please (dee rekh-noong, bit-teh)
  • Eine Fahrkarte nach Bregenz, bitte — One ticket to Bregenz, please (eye-neh far-kar-teh nakh breh-gents, bit-teh)
  • Wo ist der Hafen? — Where is the harbour? (vo ist dair hah-fen)
  • Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? — Can I pay by card? (kan ikh mit kar-teh tsah-len)

Tourist-Information Lindau, Alfred-Nobel-Platz 1, opposite the island station (check hours).

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Lindau. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Mar (many sights and boats closed) · month by month →
  2. 4 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Field-check the two-station split: which trains stop at Lindau-Reutin vs Inselbahnhof, and last connections from each.
  2. Island walking route with opening hours for lighthouse, Mangturm, city museum and the old town hall.
  3. Boat timetable fixture for BSB April–October, with Bregenz and Rorschach fares.
  4. Summer vs winter page split so seasonal closures are obvious before booking.

Meanwhile

Back to Germany

Sources