E-Biking in Switzerland
I just got back from my first vacation this year! It felt great to go somewhere even if in the same country and close to home. I went e-biking in Switzerland!
We spent four days doing part of the Heart Route Bike Tour. I first experienced this bike route last year when we also did four legs of the 13-leg route that goes from one end of Switzerland to the other.
I wrote a blog post about that trip (‘Biking the Heart Route in Switzerland‘) that you will want to read if you haven’t already. I won’t repeat all the good tips that I included in that article but I will share my new photos from this trip and some more lessons learned.
Last year we did sections 7 through 10 of the 13. This time we did sections 2 through 5 but in the reverse order. We started in the Swiss German part and ended up close to where we live in the Swiss French region.
I absolutely love this kind of vacation where you bike across gorgeous terrain all day and travel from one location to another. The challenge of course is to pack lightly and carry all of your belongings on the bike. For this reason, we only go for 4 days.
Another reason for keeping the duration to 4 days is the burden on your body. We biked between 35 and 95 kilometers everyday for 3 to 6 hours. Not only were my legs a bit sore after the last day, my bum was killing me. I wore padded biking shorts and used a gel seat cover but still suffered.
I prebooked three different hotels for each night as I wanted to stay in some nice hotels since this was our first vacation since last year. Each hotel was unique and two of the three were boutique hotels. I use booking.com for finding the best deals and best selection of accommodations.
Here are a few pictures of the hotels and a link to each hotel on booking.com.
Hotel Moosegg in Emmenmatt near Langnau, Switzerland
Boutique Hotel Spedition in Thun, Switzerland
Adler Boutique Hotel in Murten, Switzerland
So now for my lessons learned and advice I have for anyone wanting to do a bike tour like this one.
Get your bike serviced before the trip
I used my own e-bike while my partner rented one for the trip. I thought my bike was in fairly good condition but I found out after the second day that my rear brakes were not working properly. They would make a loud screech when coming to a stop. I was scared my brakes would give out on one of the steep descents.
I was worried I wouldn’t make it for two more days, especially in the heavy rain that was forecasted. Luckily we managed to find a nearby bike shop in Thun before starting our Day 3. They said that my brake pads were completely gone and I was pressing metal to metal. We were very thankful that the bike shop was able to squeeze us in and replace the pads and disk within one hour. Here’s a shout-out to this great bike shop if you ever need one in Thun – M Way.
Use quality bike bags
I bought an inexpensive bike bag last year to store my clothes. It was small and simple but sufficient. I used the same bag this year but one side ripped open on the first day.
The bag barely held up but my advice is to invest in a proper bike bag. The good quality bags are waterproof which is critical if you don’t want all of your clothes and belongings drenched from the rain.
Aside from the ample space these bags provide, they are also easy to pop on and pop off the bike. It’s no fun struggling each day to strap on the bags and then hope they don’t fall off on the first big bump.
Be well prepared for bad weather
We had two days of intermittent rain this time with one cloudy day and one sunny day. Some rain during the summer months is expected in this region so you have to be prepared.
I brought along a plastic cover for my bike bag which helped. I also had two rain jackets and a poncho. Despite all of this equipment, I still learned additional ways to improve a wet riding experience.
It is important to have a waterproof biking jacket that is close-fitting and covers the backside. I would suggest bringing an extra pair of shoes to change out when one pair gets soaked. We had to dry out our sneakers one night with a fan in our hotel room. I also think waterproof pants would help to stay warmer and keep the water from seeping in.
It’s no fun getting wet while biking but you can be ready to survive when it happens!
Stay hydrated with a camelback
I appreciated again my camelback water bag on this trip. It’s a pain to reach down for and pull out a water bottle while biking. I love the ease of just putting the camelback tube in my mouth to get frequent sips.
I would fill up the bag with water in the morning and it would last all day. Most camelbacks also have some space to store a few items.
Save key information to your phone
To have all the route and hotel info readily available, I recommend doing print screens of emails or data on your smartphone. You can save the photos into a dedicated album on your phone to find them quickly. This tip will save your phone battery for long riding days. Instead of using 4G to retrieve emails or using GPS, you can keep your phone on airplane mode and simply look up the info you need in your photos.
Summary
I hope these tips will help you have a fun bike tour wherever you go. It’s an active vacation for sure but I love e-biking in Switzerland! We did a total of 250 km in the 4 days and are bringing back a new appreciation for the Swiss countryside. The Heart Route is very well structured to keep you off main roads and is clearly sign-posted at every turn. I’m so impressed with how easy it is to follow this route!
If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!
If you are looking for other ideas on what to see in Switzerland, you will want to see my other posts below!
- Best Gorge Hikes in Switzerland
- Want to know the Secret Spots in Switzerland?
- Cool Things to See in Flims Switzerland
- Spring in Switzerland
- Biking the Heart Route in Switzerland
- 9 Activities Not To Miss in Switzerland
- 3 Day Itinerary in Ticino Switzerland
- 5 Lakes Walk in Zermatt Switzerland – a Must-Do!
- 9 Top Spots near Interlaken Switzerland
- E-Biking in Switzerland
- Discover Adelboden Switzerland in Summer
- What to See in Meiringen Switzerland
- Unexpected Excursions in Lugano
- Best of Appenzell Switzerland
- Awesome Autumn in the Swiss Vineyards
- Schynigge Platte Things to Do
- 2 Days in Basel Switzerland
- Pizol 5 Lakes Hike
- Switzerland Destination Page
32 Comments
Stephanie
This looks so beautiful. And what a great way to see the countryside!
Cindy Moore
How fun to experience Switzerland by e bike! It’s so beautiful there.
Danielle Ardizzone
Sounds like the adventure of a lifetime! Such beautiful pics.
Jan
Thank you!
Marianne
I loved Switzerland and would totally be into trying this form of travel. In fact, just prior to the start of the pandemic, I had ordered a bunch of brochures for bike tours in Europe!
Jan
Hope you can make it happen soon!
James Hayslip
Great blog post! Beautiful pictures. Sounds like a great adventure.
Jan
Thanks Jim, it wasn’t as much fun as with you two!
Elizabeth
Beautiful! What an amazing adventure! I would love to do something like this once my children get a little older!
Barbara
This is excellent! How wonderful to explore and have a great adventure at the same time!
Larissa Li
What a beautiful and fun bike trip! Thank you for advices too! We never traveled on bikes. Just been taking rides. But it sounds appealing now.
Kristin
What an epic trip! E-biking seems like a great way to see the sites from the ground level, while also being able to cover some ground. My in-laws recently got e-bikes and they have been traveling around the US on scenic rides. I will share this one with them for sure!!
Jan
Thanks for your comment and for passing this post on to your in-laws!
Adrienne Foxx
I haven’t been on a bike in almost 20 years but being able to travel like this is enough of a reason to get back on. My husband did by me one that I have been waiting for him to finish putting together for a while now. But if I am being honest I haven’t really pushed it because I am a bit nervous of riding and falling.
Erin
These pictures!!! And Switzerland!! Looks like you had the most incredible adventure! My daughter has severe epilepsy and doesn’t feel very safe on a bike. At home she has an adult trike which works well, but they’re hard to find when we travel.
And you were brilliant to be so prepared for the rain. Blessings!
Tiffany
I love the idea of a bike trip but my bum is not up to it yet! Lol
Chelsea
The views around Thun are incredible! So gorgeous. and the ruins outside of Avenches would be a must see for me!
Misskorang
Thun is so picturesque! And what a fun way to experience it! On a bicycle!
Suz | TravelsWithSuz.com
What a nice mini-vacation! The landscape and the hotels look so gorgeous.
Great tip about screenshots to save your info. I use the TripIt app – I love it, because it saves all the info from confirmation emails, and puts it in chronological order of the trip – and it doesn’t require the internet to check it.
Jan
I’ve used Tripit in the past. It’s good for saving reservations but not sure it can save maps on how to get to places. Thanks for reading my post!
Cindy
What a great trip! There’s no better way to see the world than from a bicycle seat.
Jan
I totally agree!
Sabrina DeWalt
I had my first experience with am e-bike in San Antonio Texas. I wouldn’t use one until I was exhausted because I had visions of myself losing control and careening into the river. Had I realized how easy thay are to use, I would have started there.
Tricia Snow
One of my dream trips and anyone who sees your photos will know why! I just love it there.
Erica Pittenger
What an amazing adventure! I totally want to bike in Switzerland now!! Thank you for sharing! I’m pinning for later! Awesome post!
Jan
Thanks so much!
Alice
I wondered what a camel-back was and you explained it. It makes sense to drink that way, safer too.
Jan
Thank you Tricia!
Terra Booth
How beautiful is this! Such a unique experience and stunning scenery! It would be quite the challenge though, I can’t say I’ve ever biked that far in a day before!
Cecile
We live in Canada. I would love to visit Switzerland. Thun looks amazing. What a great adventure.
Jan
I love Canada! Hope you can make it to Switzerland soon!
Cynthia Mackintosh
Such a beautiful country that I want to visit so bad! What a great way to see the country on a bike.