Eviano

Germany · Family · 7 days

Black Forest and Lake Constance

Two bases, short drives, lots of time outdoors: four days in the Black Forest between Freiburg, Titisee and Europa-Park, three days on Lake Constance with Mainau, pile dwellings and Affenberg. From Basel in 45 minutes, back to Zurich in an hour.

The route, day by day

  1. Day 1 to 2

    Freiburg: Bächle, Minster Tower and Europa-Park in Rust

    From Basel you reach Freiburg in 45 minutes on the A5, from Zurich in an hour and a half. You stay all four nights not in the city but 25 minutes south east in the Hochschwarzwald, in Hinterzarten, Titisee or Breitnau, in a holiday flat or family hotel with the Hochschwarzwald Card, which many hosts give free from two nights and which makes lifts, Titisee boat, pools and museums free, CHF 120 to 160 (about EUR 128 to 171) a night for the family. Day 1 afternoon in Freiburg: the Bächle rills where children pull wooden boats (CHF 5 at the market), the minster tower with 333 steps for children from six, the Schlossbergbahn and ice cream in the Gerberau. Day 2 Europa-Park in Rust, 40 kilometres north of Freiburg on the A5, 35 minutes: tickets online, at the gate by 9 am, entry CHF 65 to 75 per person from age four; a packed picnic saves CHF 60. If you skip the park, take the Steinwasen-Park with animal enclosure and summer toboggan run, or the Schauinslandbahn with the mining museum. Back to base from Rust: 70 kilometres, an hour on the A5 and B31 through the Höllental.

    Tours at this stop: Europa-Park Rust day ticket ↗Schauinslandbahn Freiburg ↗

    Open the Freiburg and the Black Forest travel guide →

  2. Day 3 to 4

    Hochschwarzwald: Titisee, Feldberg and the Ravenna Gorge

    Two days without long drives; everything lies within 20 minutes of the base. Day 3 Titisee: a pedalo for an hour (CHF 15 (about EUR 16)), the flat lake circuit in two hours with a pushchair, swimming at the lido, then by car or bus up to the Feldberg and on the Feldbergbahn (free with the Hochschwarzwald Card, otherwise CHF 12) to the highest summit of the Black Forest, with an easy loop on top and views to the Alps. Day 4 the Ravenna Gorge from Hinterzarten beneath the Höllentalbahn viaduct, two hours for children from five, with waterfalls, boardwalks and steps, then lunch at the Hofgut Sternen. If it rains, go to the Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Titisee with slides and a palm house, cheaper with the card, or the clock museum in Furtwangen. In the evening you cook in the flat or eat Flammkuchen at the village inn for CHF 10 to 14, children's plate CHF 7. On to Lake Constance: 140 kilometres on the B31 through Titisee, Donaueschingen and Stockach to Überlingen or Uhldingen, two to two and a half hours with a break; on the winding first stretch, sensitive children should look ahead.

    Tours at this stop: Feldbergbahn ticket ↗Badeparadies Schwarzwald Titisee ↗

    Open the Freiburg and the Black Forest travel guide →

  3. Day 5 to 7

    Lake Constance: Mainau, Pile Dwellings, Affenberg and Spieleland within Short Reach

    You stay three nights on the Überlinger See, in Überlingen, Uhldingen or Meersburg, because every family destination is within 20 minutes, holiday flat or family room CHF 130 to 170 (about EUR 139 to 182) a night. Day 5: the pile dwellings in Unteruhldingen (CHF 12 adults, CHF 7 children), a reconstructed Stone Age village on stilts in the water, an hour with a guide, then the lido in Uhldingen; the lake is 23 degrees in July. Day 6: Affenberg Salem (CHF 12 and 8), 200 Barbary macaques roaming free in the woods, which you may feed with popcorn from the entrance, two hours, then Mainau island (CHF 24, children under 12 free) with butterfly house and lakeside playground, by boat from Unteruhldingen. Day 7 before the drive home: Ravensburger Spieleland in Meckenbeuren (CHF 40 per person from age three, cheaper online), a whole day for children from three to twelve. Return: car ferry Meersburg to Konstanz in 15 minutes (CHF 15 per car), then 75 kilometres on the A7 and A1 to Zurich in an hour, to Basel via Schaffhausen two hours, after a shopping stop in Konstanz with the export form.

    Tours at this stop: Mainau island entry ↗Pile Dwelling Museum Unteruhldingen ↗Lake Constance boat Überlingen to Mainau ↗

    Open the Lake Constance travel guide →

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What the route costs

Rough total per person for the whole route, mid-range, travelling as a pair. Flights and hotels vary by season; details are on the destination pages.

  • Getting there 43 EUR
  • Accommodation 417 EUR
  • Food 337 EUR
  • Local mobility 96 EUR
893 EUR
Total per person · 7 days

Money & payment: You pay in euros (EUR). Germany is fonder of cash than Switzerland: bakeries, kiosks and small restaurants often say "cash only", though cards work almost everywhere from about EUR 10. Tip 5 to 10 percent by rounding up and naming the total when you pay.

Rental car for this route

A rental comparison link will follow once the partner programme is live. Until then, compare directly with the rental companies or at your arrival airport.

Tips for the route

Reversing the direction for families from Zurich and eastern Switzerland: Lake Constance first, an hour from Zurich, then on the B31 into the Black Forest and home via Basel. That puts Europa-Park at the end as a reward and removes the long drive home. For families from Basel, Bern and western Switzerland, Black Forest first is right.

Europa-Park honestly: midweek in May, June and September the queues are 15 to 30 minutes, on summer weekends and in the German school holidays (Baden-Württemberg late July to mid September) 60 to 90 minutes. Tickets online only, and the park sells out on peak days. Food in the park costs CHF 15 to 20 (about EUR 16 to 21) per person; picnics are allowed. Children under four go free.

The Hochschwarzwald Card and the Lake Constance guest card are the biggest money savers of the week: many hosts give the Hochschwarzwald Card free from two nights, and it makes the Feldbergbahn, the Titisee boat, the Badeparadies and the swimming pools free, saving CHF 30 to 50 (about EUR 32 to 54) a day for four people. Ask for it explicitly when booking; not every place offers it.

The best time is June and the first half of September: warm lakes, no German school holidays, prices CHF 20 to 30 (about EUR 21 to 32) a night lower. The Swiss summer holidays in July and August overlap with the German ones, when holiday flats on Lake Constance are gone six months ahead and the Titisee is packed on Sundays. May is lovely with tulips on Mainau, but the lake is only 15 degrees.

With children in the car: every stage is under 150 kilometres, but still plan breaks; the B31 through the Höllental is winding and some children feel sick, and the Ravenna Gorge on the way makes a good stop. Child seats are compulsory as in Switzerland, no vignette is needed, and Freiburg and Konstanz require the green emission sticker, which a Swiss car gets online beforehand for CHF 6 to 15 (about EUR 6 to 16).

Shopping in Konstanz is worth it on the last day: groceries, toiletries and children's clothes are 30 to 50 percent cheaper, the export form for German VAT applies from CHF 50 (about EUR 54) spent per shop, and groceries and meat are limited in quantity at the Swiss border, so check the current allowances with customs. On Saturdays the town is full of Swiss shoppers; Friday is better.

Frequently asked questions about Black Forest and Lake Constance

How long do you need for the Black Forest and Lake Constance with children?

A week with two bases is ideal: four nights in the Hochschwarzwald for Freiburg, Titisee, Feldberg and Europa-Park, three nights on Lake Constance for Mainau, the pile dwellings, Affenberg and Spieleland. Any shorter gets hectic, because every destination takes half a day to a full day. With ten days, stay longer at the lake and swim more.

When is the best time to go with children?

June and the first half of September, outside the German school holidays: a warm lake, short queues at Europa-Park, free holiday flats. July and August are warmest for the lake but full and expensive. May is lovely for walking and for Mainau, but not yet for swimming. In autumn Europa-Park stays open until early November with Halloween decorations, and the lake is quiet then.

Can you do the route without a car?

Partly. Freiburg, Titisee, Feldberg and Lake Constance are well served by train and bus, the Hochschwarzwald Card covers buses, and boats run on the lake. Europa-Park is reached by train to Ringsheim and shuttle bus, while Affenberg and Spieleland are awkward without a car. With children under eight the car is the more honest choice: the distances are short and parking costs little.

What does the week cost for a family?

Per adult around CHF 835 (about EUR 893) for two adults and two children in holiday flats: CHF 40 fuel for the journey there and back, CHF 390 for six nights as a share, CHF 315 for food with self catering and CHF 90 for fuel, ferry and parking. Children cost an extra CHF 300 to 450 each depending on age. Entry fees come on top: Europa-Park CHF 280 for four, the other destinations CHF 30 to 70 a day.

Is the route suitable for small children?

Yes, that is its core: every drive is under two and a half hours, the walks are pushchair friendly or manageable on foot for children from four, and Titisee and Lake Constance have shallow lidos. Europa-Park has many rides from one metre in height, Spieleland is built for ages three to twelve, and Affenberg and the pile dwellings delight from three. Driving on motorways and B roads is straightforward.

Is there a shorter or longer version?

Shorter as a weekend: Friday to Sunday in the Hochschwarzwald with Titisee and Feldberg, or two nights on Lake Constance with Mainau and the pile dwellings. Longer in ten days: two more days on Lake Constance with Lindau, the Zeppelin Museum and a day in Bregenz with the Pfänderbahn, or a detour to the Triberg waterfalls and the Vogtsbauernhof open air museum.

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