Arrived in Konstanz which is a lovely town on an isthmus surrounded by lake. Very few miles from the Swiss border. As it is a tourist town, there was a selection of hotels, although the one I chose had reception on the 8th floor! The reason became apparent in the morning.

The evening I arrived, the kind ladies from Martin Randall had told me they’d found a railway ticket for €108. I had remembered I had the Rail Europe app on my phone and found the same one. As my eyes were crossing with fatigue I left it to the morning. Mistake! Major mistake! Same ticket €153 on day of travel. This is where I had to go (the picture is the driving route).

So, off I go to the station, only to discover the train has broken down. Went off to the information bureau to see what was what. Lady said if you go now you get the train to Singen, and pick up the connection. And that’s what happened. They had found another train which had been chasing the local train we were on. So, train to Baden-Baden (back through the Black Forest), train to Eisenach and two local trains to Muhlhausen, and here we are. Of course there was no taxi at the station so I walked. Not far and I had been sitting down all day.

The lady from Martin Randall was delightfully relieved to see me and allowed me to have free Sekt at the reception for first time Martin Randallers (which I am not). Dinner was lovely.