Yes you can ride all the way around the lake and apart from needing your passport you can go as you like and also on the various ferries on the lake

http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Lake_Constance_Guide.php

If you time it right you also get to be thre during the asparagus season, "spargle" signs will be everywhere

Wonderful... I'm was thinking of starting in Germany, biking around to Switzerland and taking the ferry back. As my husband sits and enjoys his beer, cheering me on...

Lake Konstanz is the third largest lake in Europe - 67 km long and 14km wide at its widest point.

For all practical purposes, you cannot bike easily from Germany to Switzerland. Sure, you can start near the border and do it, but that is not going to put you anywhere near a place you are likely to want to stay, except maybe Konstanz, which straddles the two countries. Now that would be an easy bike border crossing.

If you started in Lindau you would have to cycle through part of Austria and about 40kms later would hit Switzerland, near Rorshach - 84 kms return to Rorshach is likely not what the OP had in mind.

Meersburg to Schaffhausen, maybe? 50 kms one way.

Your best bet might be to stay in Meersburg and take the ferry to Konstanz from where you can cross into Swiss Konstanz, but the cycling part is through a pretty fair sized city - it's not a quaint bike path along the lake.

In 2 days you really can't see Salzburg and Vienna - they are 4 hours apart, so that would be 8 hours return for an afternoon and overnight in Vienna if you start in Munich.

4 days is a lot for Zurich - not the most fascinating city - given the short amount of time you have allotted for every place else.

You have 12 nights, if you start in Vienna I would recommend;

Vienna 3
Salzburg 2
Munich 4
Meersburg 3

You can get from Meersburg to Zurich for a late morning or early afternoon flight - there is a train from Konstanz straight to the airport. All you need to do is get an early ferry, then take a taxi to the trains station once you reach Konstanz. Alternately, you could stay the last night at an airport hotel in Zurich.

Aramis, I'm not sure, is your concern the shear distances? I seem to end up on Constance every couple of years (family) and I've been round the whole thing. It looks quaint to me (except one water-works) and the borders are basically wide open. (don't try to smuggle more than 2 kg of raw meat past those Swiss)

Yes it is big and no you cannot get up to 20km/hr (except for short stretches and even those mainly in the West), much of the route keeps you to 10-12 km/hr for safety particularly in towns. At the end of the day trains go up and down both sides of the lake and it is dead easy to take bikes on trains.

Ohh didn't think speed would be an issue, I'm doing this so I can come home and say "I biked all three countries" at the age of 52. heee I was thinking starting and staying in Lindau and working my way around.

Liking your thoughts about flying into Vienna.. I'm just so happy to be going I though husband I don't care what we do as long as I get my bike ride in. Very flexible... THANK YOU...

You mentioned meat at boarders, I would packing Grain Bars, will this be an issue?

oh should tell you, landed in Dublin had a room booked for 3 days and then wonder around Ireland for 2 weeks getting rooms where ever we ended up.. Can I do this now or booking room in advance a must?

well you have to take the risk, but for me May will be easy to get rooms apart from at the weekend in Dublin when the Brits turn up with stag and hen parties

broncett there are some good links on Constance which will tell you where you can go and where the ferries go (include google maps) (at 52 it took me 3 days to ride round)

If you cut left you can also do Lichtenstein for a fourth.

Bilboburgler found your pictures, wonderful and all the links, I think we just added a couple of days to our trip. Lichtenstein here we come lol... BA is offering 2 nights free in London if we book flights with them, shorter flight back to the states.

Thanks again.. Aramis I see what you mean about starting in Switzerland, if we get tired, Ferries....

Well we've add a couple of days but flights are booked, leaving May 16th, can we rent a car in Salzburg and drop it off in Munich or Switzerland?

Flying into London for 3 days, then
flight to
Vienna,(2)
train to Salzburg (2)
rent car to Lindau (2)
drive to Munich (2)
train to Zurich..(4)

Would Euro Pass cover our train routes?

thanks

You are driving from Salzburg to Lindau and then backtracking to Munich before going on to Zurich?

Why?

Lindau to Zurich is about 1:40

Lindau to Munich to Zurich is about 5;10

If you want to drive for 4 days (2 Salzburg and 2 Lindau) I think you would be better off going straight to Munich from Vienna and then renting a car when leaving, going to Salzburg and then on to Lindau. You could drop the car in Lindau so no cross border fee and then train easily to Zurich.