In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Constance by ferry to Meersburg, on via Lindau and Bregenz into the Bregenzerwald, over the Hochtannberg Pass to Lech and back across the border into the Allgäu as far as Oberstdorf: around 375 kilometres through three countries, where you will almost never need a vignette – if you choose the right roads.
The spirit of the route
On an early morning Lake Constance is a mirror in which the Säntis and the Pfänder can be seen at the same time, and from your sliding door you look out at sailing masts, wisps of mist and the far shore, which already belongs to Switzerland or Austria. A few hours later you are standing in the Bregenzerwald among wooden-shingle houses, cowbells and meadows so steep that the hay is still turned by hand. The smell of mountain cheese hangs in the air, the wheels mature in the cheese cellars, and on the Hochtannberg Pass there is still snow beside the road in early summer. Beyond Lech the mountains change colour and language: Walser dialects, green Allgäu grass mountains, the Nebelhorn above Oberstdorf. This route demands no heroics, but it does ask for attention at the borders, at the ferry and with tunnel heights, and when sorting out the laws of three countries. In return, lake air, alpine cheese and a mountain pass lie close together in a single day.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Constance to Lindau (via the ferry to Meersburg) (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- From Constance to the Konstanz-Staad–Meersburg ferry, which runs all year round; the crossing takes about a quarter of an hour, and the fare depends on vehicle length (check the timetable and current tariff with the operator, the Stadtwerke Konstanz). From Meersburg continue on the B31 along the north shore, through orchards near Immenstaad and Friedrichshafen, and on the B31 to Lindau. Country road, heavy traffic in high season, a good 2 hours of driving time without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Constance: old town with the Minster, the harbour with the Imperia statue and the tri-border corner with Kreuzlingen (Switzerland) – a short walk is enough and you are in Switzerland.
- Mainau Island (north of Constance, on the way): flower island with a butterfly house, admission charged; check in advance where motorhomes can park.
- Meersburg: medieval upper town with Burg Meersburg castle, lower town on the lake, vineyards above; do not drive the camper into the steep lanes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Lindau-Zech on the eastern shore of the lake: Park-Camping Lindau with electric hook-up, sanitary facilities and service point, plus the Wohnmobilstellplatz Therme Lindau and the Hartplatz Zech as a simple motorhome-pitch alternative. Further west, towards Nonnenhorn and Wasserburg, Campingplatz Eschbach and Campingplatz Schnell lie on the lakeshore. In Constance itself the Wohnmobilstellplatz Döbele is available close to the city centre, as are the Naturcampingplatz Litzelstetten-Mainau and the Campingplatz Bruderhofer on the Bodanrück north of Constance. Book early in July and August; check opening times and motorhome quotas beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Lake Constance in Germany the following applies to motorhomes: overnighting for one night to restore fitness to drive is tolerated, camping (chairs, awning, barbecue) is not. Many lakeside car parks and nature and landscape conservation areas have night-parking bans, and Constance and Lindau carry out checks; on Lindau island overnighting in a vehicle is not permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- If you would rather not take the ferry, drive from Constance around the Überlinger See via Überlingen instead – that takes a good hour longer. Alternatively take the Swiss side via Kreuzlingen, Romanshorn and Rorschach: on the country road no vignette is needed there, only on motorways and expressways. For the border at Kreuzlingen and St. Margrethen an identity card is enough, but Germany carries out spot checks; observe customs rules and limits for taking food across (meat, dairy products).
2Stage 2: Lindau to Bregenz (with the Pfänder) (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- From Lindau take the B31 to the border crossing at Hörbranz and the B190 federal road to Bregenz; you do not drive on the A14 and therefore need no vignette. Then take the mountain road to the Pfänder or the Pfänderbahn cable car. A short day, so that there is time for the town; driving time about 45 minutes without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lindau: harbour entrance with the lion and lighthouse, old-town island with Maximilianstraße and the Altes Rathaus – walk across the Seebrücke bridge.
- Bregenz: lake stage of the Festspiele festival, lakeside promenade, Vorarlberg Museum and the Gebhardsberg with a view over the lake.
- Pfänderbahn up to a good 1,000 m: panorama over Lake Constance, the Rhine Valley and the Säntis, plus the Wildpark.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On the lakeshore near Hörbranz and Lochau, a few kilometres before Bregenz, there are several sites: Camping Mexiko, Seecamping Bregenz and Camping Weiß. Ask about facilities and season in advance; book beforehand in summer and during the festival weeks. For a city weekend without a lakeside site: motorhome pitches in Lindau (see stage 1) and the train.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Vorarlberg largely leaves wild camping to the municipalities, and most Lake Constance municipalities ban it. On the Pfänder and in the car parks at the lake, overnighting in a vehicle is not permitted. Bregenz checks the lakeside car parks, and in the Rhine Delta conservation area heavy fines are possible.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the Rhine Valley Vorarlberg has the A14 motorway with speed limits on some sections, and the vignette is compulsory there. Save yourself the vignette by staying on the B190 – the route is straightforward.
3Stage 3: Bregenz to Bezau (Bregenzerwald) (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- From Bregenz on the B200 (Bregenzerwaldstraße) into the valley of the Bregenzerach: first with tunnels and galleries, then via Egg, Andelsbuch and Schwarzenberg to Bezau. Wide, well-built provincial road with a few narrow points in the villages, around 1 hour of driving time. There are tunnels and galleries on the route; check height and width limits in advance with the Land Vorarlberg and observe the signs.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Egg: village centre with wooden houses, the shingle façades typical of the Bregenzerwald.
- Andelsbuch: the Werkraum Haus by Peter Zumthor, a showcase of the region’s craft tradition.
- Bezau: Wälderbähnle (museum railway to Schwarzenberg, check operating days beforehand), cheese cellars in the surrounding area.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Campingplatz Bezau on the edge of the village: electric hook-up, sanitary facilities, service point, quiet location with views of mountains and meadows and a good starting point for the day’s drive to Lech. An alternative with a farm feel: Campingplatz beim Schettereggerhof between Egg and Hittisau, a small site with electric hook-up and waste disposal. Both sites fill up quickly in high season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Bregenzerwald the municipalities can regulate free standing themselves, and most ban it. In landscape conservation areas and around the meadows, the ban on driving onto private land applies. Some farms offer pitches; ask on the spot or via Campercontact.
- Insider tip for campers
- Bregenzerwälder Käsestraße (cheese route): the dairies sell direct from the farm, and card payment is not possible everywhere. The Bregenzerwald is geared to motorhomes, but not every village square can be driven by long vehicles – in that case park in car parks on the edge of the village.
4Stage 4: Bezau to Lech am Arlberg and back to Bezau (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- On the B200 via Au and Schoppernau to Schröcken and over the Hochtannberg Pass (around 1,680 m) to Warth, then on the provincial road through the upper Lech Valley to Lech. On both sides of the pass there are climbs and descents, plus short galleries; switch on dipped headlights. From the pass the panorama opens up; use low gears going downhill. We could not confirm any driving bans or length limits for motorhomes: observe the signs. In the afternoon return to the same site, around 2.5 hours of pure driving time for the outward and return journeys.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hochtannberg Pass: lay-bys at the summit, view of the Widderstein and Biberkopf; plus the Körbersee above Schröcken as an easy walk.
- Lech: Lechpromenade and the village church; the village lies at the start of the Lechweg (long-distance hiking trail).
- Zürs and the Flexen Pass as a panoramic road beyond Lech: avalanche galleries and views of the mountains around Zürs.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: A second night on the same site in Bezau – that way you avoid repacking. If you want to approach Lech from the other side, from the Rhine Valley via Bludenz: Alpencamping Klösterle and Arlberg Camping are near Klösterle on the Arlberg approach. We could not confirm motorhome sites in Lech; ask the municipality or the tourist office beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Lech, Zürs and the pass road are a conservation area and a winter-sports resort: overnighting in a vehicle in car parks is not permitted, and parking charges in the village can be high. During the day you can leave the camper in the car parks at the village entrance. In winter the pass road can be closed at times because of avalanches; check the current situation beforehand with the Land Vorarlberg.
- Insider tip for campers
- The route is toll-free, so you need neither the vignette nor the Arlberg tunnel toll. If you approach Lech via the Rhine Valley and the Arlberg Pass, you pass through the Arlberg tunnel: the Arlberg road tunnel is a section toll (in addition to the vignette) – an alternative is the old pass road over the Arlberg Pass, which can be closed in winter; check restrictions beforehand. In wintry conditions winter equipment is compulsory.
5Stage 5: Bezau to Bolsterlang (via Hittisau and Balderschwang) (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- Back on the B200 as far as Egg, then via Hittisau, on the Bregenzerwälder Käsestraße, into the high valley near the border and across the border to Balderschwang; on over the Riedberg Pass (around 1,400 m, Germany’s highest road pass, with gradients of up to 16 %) to Obermaiselstein and Bolsterlang. Narrow, winding road, often closed in winter or passable only with chains. About 1.5 hours. We could not confirm any driving bans or length limits for motorhomes and combinations; check the current signs and the notices of the Landratsamt Oberallgäu in advance.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hittisau: Frauenmuseum Hittisau; the village lies picturesquely among the meadows of the Bregenzerwald.
- Balderschwang: Germany’s highest-lying municipality, known for its ski area, cheese and Allgäu schnapps.
- Riedberg Pass: viewpoint at the Riedberger Horn, walking opportunities across the alpine pastures.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz Hörnerbahn in Bolsterlang (about 12 pitches, electric hook-up, service point, at the valley station of the Hörnerbahn); in Ofterschwang there is also the Wohnmobilstellplatz am Weltcup-Express. Check season and reservation requirements before the trip. As an alternative, the Schwabenhof Wohnmobilstellplatz in the Riedberg Pass area.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Allgäu (Bavaria) overnighting in a vehicle is tolerated only to restore fitness to drive and for one night; camping behaviour is prohibited, and in the nature reserves at the Riedberger Horn fines are possible. Checks are possible in high season.
- Insider tip for campers
- Better to refuel and shop in the valley; in Balderschwang the choice is small. The border between Austria and Germany is open within the Schengen area, but Germany is temporarily checking at its land borders, including those with Austria; an extension beyond September 2026 (until March 2027) has been reported, so check the current position before the trip – take your ID card or passport.
6Stage 6: Bolsterlang to Oberstdorf (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- From Bolsterlang via Fischen to Oberstdorf on the well-built B19 federal road; the route lies in the Iller Valley, with no particular narrow points, 30 minutes of driving time. In Oberstdorf head for car parks and motorhome pitches on the edge of the town: the town centre is largely car-free.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Breitachklamm near Tiefenbach: the deepest rock gorge in Central Europe, admission charged, only partly accessible in winter.
- Nebelhornbahn: from Oberstdorf up to around 2,200 m, a panorama over the high Allgäu Alps.
- Freibergsee and the Heini-Klopfer ski-flying hill: lakeshore and walking paths against an alpine backdrop.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Oberstdorf in the south of the town (electric hook-up, sanitary facilities, service point; check opening times beforehand); Wohnmobilstellplatz Oberstdorf with a good link to the centre; Rieder Wiesen and the Wohnmobilstellplatz Fischen are further sites. Rubi-Camp is a smaller alternative. Very full in the holidays and at weekends, reservation advisable.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Oberstdorf overnighting outside the designated sites is not permitted. The municipality carries out checks, and vehicles are towed from walkers’ car parks. In the Stillach Valley, too, in the car parks towards Spielmannsau, camping is not permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- Leave the car behind in Oberstdorf: the local buses run frequently; ask at the site whether a guest card or local-bus benefits apply. Please empty grey water and toilet only at the service point.
7Stage 7: Oberstdorf to Kleinwalsertal and back to Oberstdorf (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- From Oberstdorf via Tiefenbach and the Breitach to Riezlern, Hirschegg and Mittelberg in the Kleinwalsertal and back. The valley belongs to Austria but can be reached only through Germany, and lies in the Austrian customs exclave: you drive on a German road into an Austrian valley, without a vignette. Well-built valley road, short narrow points in the village centres. About 1.5 hours with breaks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Kleinwalsertal: Walser culture, Hirschegg and Mittelberg as mountain villages in front of the Widderstein.
- Fellhornbahn from Oberstdorf or Kanzelwandbahn from Riezlern, views of the Allgäu and Lechtal Alps.
- Heuberg and Walmendingerhorn cable cars near Riezlern: easy circular walks, cows in the pastures.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In the Kleinwalsertal there are small campsites, such as Camping Zwerwald and Camping Jochum; alternatively you can stay in Oberstdorf again. Alpencamping Haller is also in the valley. Advance reservation recommended; check season and facilities before the trip.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Kleinwalsertal wild camping and overnighting in car parks are not permitted; the valley is largely a conservation area, and checks are possible.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the Kleinwalsertal the euro is used, mobile tariffs may differ (check roaming). The approach from Oberstdorf is the only road, so in summer, if there is a traffic jam, it is better to start early; car parks at the cable cars may charge a fee. On the way back, refuel in Oberstdorf or Sonthofen.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Germany: overnighting in a motorhome to restore fitness to drive is tolerated for one night where parking is allowed. Camping behaviour (chairs, table, awning, barbecue) is prohibited, as is overnighting in nature and landscape conservation areas, in lakeshore zones and in closed car parks. Fines vary by state and municipality; in conservation areas they can be considerably higher.
- Austria (Vorarlberg): camping outside campsites is regulated by provincial laws and municipalities; many municipalities ban it, and conservation areas are especially strict (heavy fines possible). Ask the municipality or use designated pitches and farm pitches.
- Switzerland: wild camping is a matter for the cantons; in Thurgau and St. Gallen camping outside campsites is not permitted, while parking is allowed where it is not prohibited. Fines and charges differ from canton to canton.
- Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact, motorhome pitch guide apps such as Pincamp; confirm sites by phone before the trip.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Germany and Austria have a dense network of motorhome pitches with service points; often coin or card operated. Empty grey water and toilet only at the service point.
- Drinking water: tap water is generally drinkable in all three countries; look for “drinking water” signs at fountains.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders (propane, grey and blue) are partly accepted in Austria and Germany, and connections vary. Refillable tanks and LPG: autogas is available in Germany and Austria, rarely in Switzerland. Arrive with two full cylinders and carry adapters.
- Electricity: plan for CEE plugs and adapters, 25 m extension cable.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Germany: speed limits for motorhomes up to 3.5 t are 100 km/h outside built-up areas, and on motorways the recommended speed is 130 km/h; above 3.5 t lower limits apply (check with the ADAC beforehand). Combinations are generally allowed 80 km/h, or 100 km/h with a 100 km/h approval. No motorway toll for cars and motorhomes (the lorry toll applies to goods vehicles); no low-emission zones are known on this route, but check beforehand.
- Austria: motorhomes up to 3.5 t pay the vignette for motorways and expressways: the 2026 vignette costs €12.80 (10 days), €32 (2 months) and €106.80 (year) for cars and motorhomes up to 3.5 t; from vignette year 2027 only the digital vignette will be available. Digital annual and 2-month vignettes bought online are valid at the earliest 18 days after purchase, while the 10-day vignette can be bought with immediate start; buy only from the official shop (ASFINAG) or at points of sale. Above 3.5 t the GO toll applies. On this route federal and provincial roads (B190, B200) are free; only the A14 in the Rhine Valley and the Arlberg expressway S16 with its tunnel require a vignette or section toll. Speeds: motorway 130, open road 100, built-up area 50 km/h; vehicles over 3.5 t and combinations drive more slowly (check with the ÖAMTC). From 1 November to 15 April the situational winter equipment requirement applies: in wintry driving conditions appropriate tyres are compulsory.
- Switzerland: anyone using the motorways needs the motorway vignette (CHF 40, annual vignette 2026 unchanged, also available as an e-vignette, for vehicles up to 3.5 t); above that, LSVA/PSVA (flat rate for motorhomes). On country roads no vignette is needed. Dimensions: height 4.00 m, width 2.55 m, length 12 m for a motorhome, 18.75 m for a combination. Speeds: motorway 120, country road 80, built-up area 50 km/h; with a trailer 80 km/h on the motorway. Driving with lights on during the day is compulsory.
- Borders: Germany, Austria and Switzerland belong to the Schengen area; nevertheless Germany is temporarily checking at its land borders, including those with Austria and Switzerland (extension until March 2027 reported, check the current position). Carry your passport or ID card, vehicle registration document and pet papers. The Kleinwalsertal lies in the Austrian customs exclave (euro, observe customs procedures).
- Alcohol limit 0.5 per mille in all three countries; using a mobile phone at the wheel without a hands-free kit is prohibited. High-visibility vest compulsory in Germany and Austria, warning triangle compulsory; a rear carrier with overhanging load needs a warning panel.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Levelling ramps – farm and meadow pitches in the Bregenzerwald are rarely level.
- Proof of payment for the digital Austrian vignette (check the number plate) as a screenshot – only needed if you do end up taking the A14.
- Some cash in euros for farm shops and dairies in the Bregenzerwald.
- Warm layers and a rain jacket – on the Hochtannberg Pass and in the Allgäu the thermometer drops below 10 °C even in summer.
- Snow chains and gloves for spring and autumn: the Riedberg Pass and Hochtannberg can be snowed over early or late in the year.
- Binoculars for sailing boats, chamois and marmots at the walkers’ car parks.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
