Bike Tour Reviews: Swiss Lakes By E-bike Lake Geneva To Lake Lucerne
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Self guided from CHF 2118
Description:
Beginning in Lake Geneva and finishing at Lake Lucerne, the Lake Route earns its name from the many lakes the route touches from beginning to end. This route leads through outstanding touristic regions with great sounding names: Montreux, Gruyères…
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★★★★★ Jim D. 4 days agoSwiss Trip
Beautiful way to experience Switzerland. Good workout everyday, Hotels were nice and breakfast was very good. Route was generally good but some spots with heavy traffic. Route signs were usually easy to follow but some signs were in odd spots and hard to find. Road surfaces were outstanding. The rest day gave us time to explore the area.
Overall a very good trip!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- None before this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Marci C 1 week ago
Like Riding through a postcard
This was a wonderful tour! The GPS was easy to follow and much of the tour was on bike paths or rural roads. The locals were very respectful on the busier roads and we did not feel unsafe. We had an incident with one of the bikes (our fault not theirs) and they were very responsive and understanding and arranged for a replacement bike immediately. The hotels were great. We were initially disappointed to not be staying right in Gruyere but the included spa at our hotel made the extra pedaling worth it. The tour company was also very flexible with our itinerary as we only spent one night in Spiez and then added 2 nights in Interlaken (something I highly recommend doing). The scenery in Switzerland is unmatched and many days we road along the countryside listening to the cow bells in the hills. We started in the French speaking area and ended in the German. The last 2 days past many clear blue lakes but each one was a different shade of tourquoise! The last day rode us right past the starting point for Pilatus and the world's steepest cogwheel railway. Beautiful views and easy to get a ticket day of.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Bill Marsgall 2 weeks ago
Swiss Lakes biking
My wife & I have biked in Europe a number of times but this “post card” view at every turn was extra special.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carrie R 1 month ago
Amazing trip
We were a family of 8 and we had the best time! We loved the route that was set up, we thought everyday was the highlight, then the next day would provide more. Loved being on our own schedule. The hotels picked were perfect, usually right on the water with great views. We enjoyed 2 hotels with spa/baths. It was a very hot week in Switzerland and most hotels did not have AC, which isn’t preferable, but the next week looked to be chilly and rainy, so I’ll take our perfect weather! We probably ate half of our dinners at the hotels and they were very good. The e-bikes were the best, everyone could get the amount of exercise they wanted. Batteries easily lasted all day. GPS and app were great and provided all the necessary info. They were comfortable. The luggage transport was seamless, usually arriving just after we did. The family thought it was one of the best trips we have taken and we travel a lot. We are already looking to do another. Great adventure!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac August 22, 2025
Carrie,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! The way you describe your experience, together with the great photos, makes me want to take this tour straight away. We’re thrilled your family enjoyed the tour, and that it all came together as one of your best trips. We’d love to welcome you again for another adventure!
Bozena
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★★★★★ M. Meale 4 months ago
Beautiful Ride
Hotels were great. Liked having the option to ride the whole route rather than skip the longer steeper climbs. Enjoyed the ferry ride. The navigation app worked great. A huge improvement over the older version. I love this route.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Tess Smith 12 months ago
Lovely
The trip was very well organized. The views were wonderful the whole time. We would do it again! We were able to modify our trip which we appreciated (stayed in Interlaken instead of Spiez to explore the Lauterbrunnen valley. We also did two rest days instead of one in this area).
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★★★★★ Wade Cherry September 29, 2024
The best way to travel Switzerland!
This was our first time doing a bike vacation and it was the perfect way to see Switzerland - the countryside is stunning and we saw so many quaint Swiss villages that most visitors miss. We rented hybrid bikes (not the e-bikes) and while the route was harder than anticipated, we enjoyed the workout and would use hybrid bikes again. But I'm mentioning this to let others know that there are some serious climbs on this trip! One thing not emphasized on the website is that some of the hotels may have heated pools / spas, so bring a bathing suit and plan to enjoy some relaxation time at the hotels. Overall, I highly recommended this trip and we will be doing another biking trip with Bike Tours again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Tommy and Tracy September 9, 2024
Amazing Trip!
This was truly and amazing trip. From the scenery to the hotels to the bikes. My wife and I just came back from this trip last week. It really was a special trip. we do a lot self guided bike trips, with other tours companies and this one did a fantastic job, the app worked perfectly. The hotels were beautiful, the included breakfast were delicious. Most of the tour was on quiet road, however there were some places the roads were busier than others. Switzerland is a very bike friendly country, cars are very patient with cyclists.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 28-September 3rs 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Alex M. August 13, 2024
Great Trip!
Definitely recommend this trip. Scenery is stunning; hotels were great. Lakes provided a great way to cool off after each bike ride. Route is very easy to follow - very reliable signage for "Lakes Route #9" throughout the ride, so didn't have to rely on GPS much at all, which was nice - got to take in the views instead of constantly checking map to see if we were on track. I rode a normal bike, while my significant other rode a E-bike. Was perfect for both us based on our level of cycling. Lastly, hotels totally set up for e-bike charging + great breakfasts in the morning prior to each ride. Fun Times!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Sandra Daly July 31, 2024
Amazing trip!
This was the perfect way to see Switzerland. The countryside is scenic , the lakes and rivers are pristine and the cities are beautiful. We added an additional “rest day” in Spiez as there is so much we wanted to do in the area and I’m so glad we did. It allowed us to go paragliding, do some great hikes and get to see more of this amazing area.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 19th
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my second
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Dixon Leavitt May 7, 2024
Great Way to Experience a Country and Culture
We had a great time on this tour! The hotels were top notch, with great food and amazing spas. The routing was right on point, we really liked the EuroTrek app and the routes in there. That app along with Apple Maps got us everywhere we needed to go. We were lucky and did not have to use any of the tools or pump included. Bikes are a huge part of Swiss Culture. Travel on the roads, or on public transportation, was seamless.
The funicular in Vevey on day 1 saved a lot of climbing. I would highly suggest taking it! Same with the train over the Brunig Pass. The cycling demands were very manageable. There was some walking up hills, but the last 3 days were almost all flat or downhill. If you stay in Spiez, after your ride, I suggest taking the Nielsen Funicular to the peak. From there, you see the valley you ride down from Gstaad to Spiez.
Luggage transfer was seamless. The first day, our bags showed up at 5:30 pm. The rest of our days, the bags were already in our room when we arrived at the hotels.
Bike Tours and EuroTrek were great to work with. We will definitely do another trip like this one day! If you are interested in the tour and have questions, I am happy to answer them. Dwade39 at gmail dot com
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Jane Fletcher October 4, 2023
My favorite bike trip
This year I did 4 European bike trips and this was my favorite. The scenery was gorgeous, the emerald pastureland, the craggy mountains some of them snow capped in august were amazing. We also loved all the bright flowers and the chalet style Swiss architecture that was everywhere. We were often serenaded by cow bells as we rode by. The roads were generally very low traffic. I’d do this tour again in a minute! There were significant hills to climb but the e-bikes we rented made the hills very doable for our group of active 67 to 82 year olds. We even conquered the approx. seven mile uphill with relative ease, no walking required. Since we are from florida we were worried about our ability to train for 4,000 feet of climbing but the e-bikes made it all doable. We didn’t take any of the possible short cuts (train or funicular) to eliminate hills as we didn’t want to miss any of the scenery. Instead of using the provided app for navigation we put the route in ride with gps so that we would have specific turn by turn direction to our hotel as well as the daily route. That worked really well for us. We also used the recommended Swiss mobility app and that was a very important tool as it shows biking and walking routes all over Switzerland. Of the many many bike tours I’ve done over the years this was my absolute favorite.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 4, 2023
Wow, those photos look amazing! It sounds like you had an incredible and memorable biking experience in Switzerland! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that it was your favorite and that you thoroughly enjoyed it. The sights and sounds of Switzerland truly make for an unforgettable biking adventure. We look forward to welcoming you back for another incredible biking adventure whenever you're ready to explore more places on two wheels!
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★★★★★ Carol Peckham September 25, 2023
Exceeds expectations
Switzerland is beautiful and what a spectacular way to see it. We took an unguided tour with turn by turn directions that kept us off the beaten track. Our trip was very well planned with wonderful accommodations each night. The e-bikes we rented were excellent and with the ups and down of our route, also appreciated.
We have become real believers in bike tours as a relaxed way to see the world. This was our third trip through Bike Tours and we are already planning our next one.- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Timothy Ricks September 18, 2023
Spectacular beauty
Outstanding vistas! Spectacular beauty!
Pros: 1. Some really fine hotels, many with great views. 2. Reliable luggage transfers. 3. Reliable bikes. No mechanical problems with either e-bike or regular bike.
Cons: 1. Eurotrek’s maps and gps often do not match up with the routes you need to take to navigate each day. Result is that it is essential to bring your own Garmin device AND your smartphone in order to navigate when your hotel may not even be in the same town as the gps would take you. 2. Most Swiss hotels have no A/C, and with climate change, they are too hot. Open windows bring noise and insects, so not great sleep. 3. Eurotrek’s non-electric bikes are sturdy, reliable, heavy and slow. Be prepared for a good workout and slow riding. -
★★★★★ Linda MiolaFurrier August 22, 2023
Great views - beautiful countryside
For the most part, this touring company did a good job. They dropped the ball a few times, but were quick & responsive to repairing the issues. Chosen navigation software did not work for us, thus we were forced to use our own - which was fine but not ideal. Definitely bring a backup phone battery on every ride. Hotels were adequate, clean, well positioned for our enjoyment of the area. We have done other bike trips, and this Swiss Lakes trip was the most scenic. We would do it again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Christine Downing July 12, 2023
Wonderful trip full of amazing cycling
We had a wonderful time! I rode an e-bike and my husband got the touring bike and that was perfect for us (as was the self-guided tour)! The tour company worked with us on changing our rest day location (to Lauterbrunnen, highly recommend) and everything was seemless. The hotels were very nice, although some of the places you stay are a little more ‘resorty’ then we would have preferred (although spending one afternoon in several saunas at a spa was perfect after some hard rides and a very hard hike—on our rest day). The provided guide and route and GPS is very easy to follow (it’s basically just an established bike route with signs). We appreciated the warnings about busy areas and climbs (although we ended up never taking any of the short cuts and we were fine)! I highly recommend the trip, if you want spent most of your days cycling with beautiful scenery (seriously amazing) with time each day to see a site or go for a bit of walk!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Emily Hyde January 24, 2023
Fun trip but bikes too heavy
All aspects of the trip were very well organized. The packet we were given was great. We had a problem with one of our bikes, and had a new one the next day! The tour company did a good job with helping when needed. Each hotel we stayed at knew we were coming. Check in was always smooth. Even though we arrived early each day, the hotels were very accommodating and our room was always ready. They all were prepared for our bike storage as well.
We wished we would have covered more mileage each day. Other than scenery, there wasn't much to do in some of the towns, so we would have liked to have covered more mileage. The last day was only a twelve mile ride, which was disappointing. That distance is covered in no time at all on an e-bike. We checked in to our hotel by 1 pm each day. Unfortunately for us it rained everyday except the last, so we didn't meander around as we hoped, we made it as fast as we could to each location. It took us about 3 1/2 hours each day to cover the distance we were supposed to ride. We probably would have stopped along the way had the weather been better.
Hotels:
Again, ALL were accommodating. Staff at every location welcomed us warmly!
The Hotel Ermitage in Schonreid was truly exceptional in each and every aspect. Will be going back one day! Wish we could have had our rest day there! The Gruyere Hotel staff went above and beyond. They welcomed us with hot cocoa when they saw how wet and cold we were. One of our group twisted their ankle, they helped with what we needed. They contacted the bike company for us with picking up one of the bikes that wasn't working. We also sent our bikes instead of riding because of the rain and they helped us arrange that.
We were very disappointed in the Seegarten Marina Hotel in Spiez. It was definitely not up to the quality of our other hotels. The room was incredibly small, as was the bathroom. We should have been given the option of two rooms in that hotel. We had three people with us on this trip, and it was the only time it was really uncomfortable. The third person slept on an actual cot. Unfortunately, it was also our "rest day," so we had two nights at that hotel. We were given the hotel list about two weeks prior to our trip. Perhaps a list of hotels ahead of time would be nice. It would have give us the option of making plans for things to do at each location, especially on the rest day.Bikes: Although we wondered before our trip about the mileage we would be covering, that, we found, was of no concern on an e-bike.
Didn't need to train, or get ready to sit for a long time on the seat each day. Those ended up not being an issue at all. The BIG issue was the weight of the bike. All three of us felt we would probably never do one of these tours again-completely because of the bike. We had rented e-bikes in the states before we came. Totally different. Your bikes were very, very heavy. We felt off-balance on the bike--ie--couldn't look back on the bike for fear of falling. Two of us did fall(just lots of bruising.). We all thought that should be mentioned somewhere in your literature. SHOW MOREA couple other items:
The funicular station in Vevey said "no bikes". So, we started riding them. Big mistake. We rode--well, walked, our bikes up one of the steepest sections of the trip. Send your bikes whenever it says to do so. Makes a big difference in your day!The timing of the chocolate factory wasn't great. Although it probably was the last timed ticket for the day, we missed the bus, which only came hourly, and had to take a $50 cab ride to make it there on time. This was the only day we got into town late (didn't use the funicular! and got lost)
The directions were good on the open road. Not as great in the city. Was usually hard to navigate from the hotel out of the city.
Rest day would be good in a different city. Not much to do in Spiez.
Would probably have been a wonderful trip if we saw the Alps, and the bikes were lighter!
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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★★★★★ Clifford Davis September 23, 2022
Epic beautiful tour
This is a great way to get out of the main cities and see some of the most incredible Swiss country. Spectacular lakes and mountains and wonderful towns on every day of the ride. Unless you are a very well trained cyclist accustomed to bigger climbs, go for the ebike option. I didn’t and had to walk some hills. Hybrid bike could have used some maintenance - the front brake pads were nearly completely gone. Also navigating requires paying close attention to the route markers. Do download the Swiss mobility app and be aware of your route throughout your ride. All in all a fabulous trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
