How to reach Konstanz

By Air

KonstanzBahnhof P1040034 -- By JuergenG (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Konstanz Katamaran vor Imperia -- By Rizzo (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Two airports are within easy reach of Konstanz: the major international Zürich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland, and the smaller regional Friedrichshafen Bodensee Airport (FDH) in Germany, on the other side of Lake Constance (the Bodensee). Both are about 1 hour 15 minutes away from the centre of Konstanz by public transport. If considering the former, please make sure that your visa status will allow you to land in Switzerland. One can also land at Stuttgart Airport (STR), 3.5 hours away by train, or Frankfurt am Main Airport (FRA), 4.5 hours away by train.

From Zurich Airport: There is a train station at the airport from which one can take a direct train to Konstanz, which leaves once per hour during the day. One can also take the train from the airport in the direction of Romanshorn (also once per hour during the day) and change at Weinfelden to a local train to Konstanz. In either case the trip takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. There are alternative changes required during the evening (usually in Winterthur). For more timetable information please see the Deutsche Bahn website, from which one can also buy a train ticket online in advance, avoiding queues at the airport.

From Friedrichshafen Airport: There are several possibilities for reaching Konstanz from here by public transport. (A) One can take the train from the airport to Friedrichshafen Hafen (the port), walk down to the lakeshore and then take a Katamaran, which leaves once per hour, across the lake to Konstanz harbour (Hafen). (B) One can travel by train all the way around the lake from the airport to Konstanz Central Station (Bahnhof), or to one of the smaller stops at Konstanz-Wollmatingen, Konstanz-Fürstenberg or Konstanz-Petershausen, by first taking the train to Radolfzell (direction Singen/Basel), and changing there to a direct train to Konstanz. (C) One can also take a bus to the centre of Konstanz (Bahnhof) from the airport (1.5 hours). For timetable information, please see Deutsche Bahn for details of all routes involving the train (and the possibility to buy train tickets in advance), Der Katamaran for the Katamaran timetable, and Bodensee-Oberschwaben public transport for the timetable of the direct bus.

From Stuttgart Airport: Take the local S-Bahn train from the airport (stop: Stuttgart Flughafen/Messe) to either Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station) or Stuttgart-Rohr, and then a train to Singen (Hohentwiel), from which one can connect with a local train to Konstanz. For timetable information and tickets please see Deutsche Bahn.

From Frankfurt am Main Airport: One can take the train from the airport's Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof (for intercity trains). Usually one has to change in Offenburg, or in both Stuttgart and Singen (Hohentwiel). For timetable information please see Deutsche Bahn. One can also take the coach/bus from the airport with MeinFernbus, changing in Stuttgart, Freiburg or Würzburg.

By Rail

For timetable and pricing information for trains to Konstanz please see the Deutsche Bahn website. There are several train stations in Konstanz, the main one in the centre of town being Konstanz Hauptbahnhof.

The University of Konstanz has a special arrangement with Deutsche Bahn that participants travelling to the workshop by train within Germany can purchase a return "Event Ticket" for travel to and from Konstanz. Depending on your starting location in Germany, this could provide a considerable saving. The costs are as follows: with booked trains, the costs are 99 Euro (2nd class) or 159 Euro (1st class), and a flexible ticket costs 139 Euro (2nd class) or 199 Euro (1st class).

You may order a ticket online (in German only) or by phone (in English or German) by calling +49 (0)1806 - 31 11 53 and quoting "Uni Konstanz" as a reference.

The small print is available here (German .pdf) or here (English .pdf).

By Car

110915-Konstanz-Schiff -- By Muns (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

From the north: Take the German A81 Motorway (Bundesautobahn) as far as Singen. At the interchange 40-Kreuz Hegau, keep right and follow signs for B33 toward Konstanz/Radolfzell. On reaching Konstanz, follow signs for Konstanz Zentrum.

From the west/south: The Swiss N7 Motorway runs as far as Kreuzlingen/Konstanz. After crossing the border, follow signs for Konstanz Zentrum.

From the east: Either take the A 96, B 32 (to Ravensburg) and B33 (to Meersburg), or the A8 (to Ulm), B10 and B30 (to Ravensburg), and B33 (to Meersburg). In Meersburg, follow signs for the Fähre and take the car ferry (timetable) to Staad in Konstanz. After leaving the ferry on the Konstanz side and climbing the hill straight ahead, turn left onto the main road (Mainaustraße) and follow this all the way over the river into the centre of Konstanz.

By Coach/Bus

Konstanz is connected to many other cities in Central Europe via coach/bus networks, including MeinFernbus, Eurolines and DeinBus.