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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Ravensburg
Give Ravensburg one night, two at most: the old town is a half-day walk, and the towers, museums and Weingarten basilica fill a second morning.
Ravensburg is a small Upper Swabian town with a complete medieval centre, two climbable towers and the board-game museum that carries its name. Trains from Ulm and Friedrichshafen put it 20 minutes from the lake, so it works as a quiet base or a stop between Ulm and Lake Constance. Most travellers see the centre on foot in a day and add Weingarten or the lake the next.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (grey, some sights on shorter hours)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110 · Out-of-hours doctor 116 117
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | €3–4.50 |
| Lunch, one course | €10–16 |
| Dinner, main course | €14–24 |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a pub | €4–5.50 |
| Museum entry | €3–7.50 |
| Taxi, 5 km (3.1 mi)Taxi, 3.1 mi (5 km) | €15–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FMM · Memmingen
- About 1 h by car; Ryanair and Wizz Air routes
- FDH · Friedrichshafen
- About 20 min by train to Ravensburg station
- STR · Stuttgart
- About 2–3 h by train via Ulm
- ZRH · Zurich
- About 3 h by train; check connections
Typical fares
- Friedrichshafen → Ravensburg, train
- about 20–30 min
- Ravensburg → Ulm, regional train
- about 1 h
- City bus single ride
- short-hop fare, buy on board or at a machine
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is compact and pedestrianised, with some steep lanes; walk it. City buses run from the station forecourt and cross Marienplatz. Regional trains (Südbahn and Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn) link Ulm, Friedrichshafen and the lake.
See and do
Known for
- Medieval old town with towers and gates
- Museum Ravensburger (board games)
- Museum Humpis-Quartier
- Weingarten basilica next door
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Weingarten basilica | Frequent local bus from Ravensburg centre | About 20–30 min |
| Friedrichshafen | Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn or Südbahn train | About 20–30 min |
| Konstanz | Train via Friedrichshafen, change at Radolfzell | About 1.5–2 h |
| Wangen im Allgäu | Train toward Memmingen, or bus | About 40–60 min |
| Überlingen | Train to Friedrichshafen, then boat or train along the lake | About 1.5 h |
| Reichenau | Train to Radolfzell, then bus or boat | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Old town (Marktstraße, Marienplatz)
- Hotels inside the walls; walk to everything, but expect some street noise on the square.
- Around the station
- 10 min walk to the centre; best for one night with bags or an early train.
- Veitsburg hill
- Hostel above town; about 300 steps up from upper Marktstraße, or a taxi with luggage.
- Weingarten
- Neighbouring town, frequent buses; use it if you want the basilica at the door.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallohallo |
| Thank you | Dankedanke |
| Please | Bittebitte |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel kostet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit karte tsah-len |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?vo ist dair bahn-hof |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Tower stairs are steep and narrow; the Blaserturm opens roughly late March to early October, 11:00–16:00.
- Several museums close on Mondays; the art museum is shut Mondays.
- Sunday shopping is limited; plan food and supplies for Saturday.
- The hostel on Veitsburg hill means a climb or a taxi with bags.
A calm, low-crime small city; the real risks are steep, uneven lanes, tower stairs and pickpockets only in the busy market square in high season.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ravensburg yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Medieval old town with towers and gates
- Museum Ravensburger (board games)
- Museum Humpis-Quartier
- Weingarten basilica next door
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ravensburg official city site: www.ravensburg.de/rv/en/
- Museum Humpis-Quartier: www.museum-humpis-quartier.de/mhq/en/
- Museum Ravensburger: www.ravensburger.de/museum-ravensburger-english/home/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Ravensburg, revision 5017678 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5017678
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ravensburg
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Ravensburg; the US and most countries keep embassies in Berlin and consulates in Munich, Stuttgart or Frankfurt.
Tipping: round up or add 5–10%, said to the server as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ravensburg). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.