“In an age in which flying has become one of the most unromantic of travel experiences, the resumption of Zeppelin flights has proved an unqualified success” (Telegraph Travel). I can compare it in its beauty to an experience of a sea plane flight in Maldives. Indeed Zeppelin flights seem most unbelievable compared to modern jets and dreamliners, but they are superbly romantic and exciting. And taking a zeppelin flight at a place where first zeppelin flight took place more than hundred years ago can be thrilling. Also worth considering is the fact that there are not too many places in the world offering this adventurous experience.
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century.The Zeppelin was invented in Friedrichshafen in South-west Germany, and we can also take a flight from this lakeside town aboard one of the world’s most romantic forms of transport. Airship rides of various lengths and routes are offered to the general public around the area of the Bodensee (Lake Constance), and occasionally at other locations in Germany. The Zeppelin NT is a 246-foot long semi-rigid airship which can accommodate two pilots and up to 12 passengers in a gondola equipped with large sightseeing windows. The airship is inflated with safe, non-flammable helium and usually cruises at an altitude of about 1,000 feet/300 meters, at a speed of approximately 35-40 mph, or 60-70 km/h.
With panoramic windows, spacious seats and rooms to walk about, this is a comfy way to fly. Float 1000 feet above the ground and above the shimmering blue blue of Lake Constance, see the snow capped Alps to the south and lush vineyards and orchards to the north; look down on four countries, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Then tour the Zeppelin Museum to learn about this milestone in aviation history.
The Zeppelin flights from Friedrichshafen last between 40 and 90 minutes – riding over beautiful Lake Constance with its shorelines and islands and to the south the mountains of Switzerland. Its often claimed that passengers who travel on the giant silvery Zeppelins of the past enjoy a degree of luxury and elegance unmatched by any other form of aviation. One can open the windows, speak without effort, enjoy watching the world go by 1,000 ft below and tell ourselves what it must have been like when far bigger airships were having their heyday… Airship flying is total joy from beginning to end and in between.
Actually, vacation experiences in SouthWest Germany are as varied as the landscapes between the Rhine, the Neckar and the Danube Rivers. There is plenty of fun for the whole family: Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and the kids, of course. And almost everyone in Germany speaks English – even the children!