Switzerland  Bike Tour Reviews (page 13)

  • Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon
    (4/5) mgkibben 3 months ago

    Amazing opportunity

    · Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon

    This was a terrific way to see a beautiful part of Europe. Traveling by bike is always rewarding, but having all the logistics arranged made it that much more enjoyable.

    The bike: I opted for the Trek FX 2 (hybrid, non-electric). This was a reasonable bike for some of the less groomed roads (I'd been disappointed not to have a road bike but I'm not sure a road frame would have handled some of the routes). Overall a decent ride.

    The route: The GPS routing was good, but a bit outdated. Some of the trails selected had been washed out in the previous months and while there were detours on the paths, the GPS took a while to catch up once the trail was rejoined. There were a few times when the ViaRhona had a route sign but the GPS took an adjacent "sportier" route - which included a few two-tracks and steep grades. The day-to-day information on the route was helpful - especially when warning about significant climbs approaching the hotels.

    The lodging: two of the three hotels were nothing short of lovely. Beautiful rooms, great amenities (restaurants, sitting areas), amazing location with beautiful views. The other three hotels were either good for location, but the rooms were just adequate.

    Support: Pick up/drop off: Bruno was there at the time planned with all the information needed. Drop off couldn't have been simpler - just store it in the room the hotel had set aside. Communication leading up to the tour was consistent and responsive. There was a delay in receiving some of the more timely material. It came through WhatsApp on the day of travel and it would have been helpful to have had it sooner.

    Overall, a great experience!

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    Several (with different companies)
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Switzerland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Three Lakes Tour
    (5/5) Drew Thatcher 3 months ago

    Wonderful three Lakes Tour

    · Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy

    We were two couples that did the self guided tour of the three lakes region near Annecy. The hotels were nice, breakfast and dinners were great. The downloaded guides on our phones worked great - every now and then the guide told us to go left instead of right but if you're seeing the map on the phone one can figure that out. Bag transfers were seamless. Such a wonderful experience of seeing the region from a bike. Much of the ride was on bike paths - the other areas were on roads with a bike lane. A few miles of ROUGH road but that was just fine. We loved the entire trip.

    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Switzerland
    • End of the trip in Annecy. (photo by Drew Thatcher)
  • Swiss Lakes by Ebike
    (5/5) Bill Marsgall 3 months ago

    Swiss Lakes biking

    · Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne

    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon
    (5/5) Fae T. 2 months ago

    Lovely from start to finish!

    · Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon

    We had a great time on our Vie Rhona tour and were impressed with the level of communication and responsiveness from the team. Luggage always beat us to the hotel, which was nice, and morning drop off was seamless. The GPS guidance was good, though some sections of the route were confused due to construction, path changes, etc. but our course corrections were easy to sort out when looking at the map and never caused significant delays. I highly recommend bringing an external phone battery charger as keeping the map screen on drains the battery very quickly. And pack lots of snacks!! While the listed dining stops are helpful, there are days when some small towns are closed up tight and there’s nothing to buy between departure and arrival. The route was gorgeous and well thought out! We will definitely book another tour through Bike Tours and recommend it to friends!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Switzerland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Swiss Lakes by Ebike
    (5/5) Marci C 2 months ago

    Like Riding through a postcard

    · Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne

    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    •  (photo by Marci C)
    •  (photo by Marci C)
    •  (photo by Marci C)
    •  (photo by Marci C)
    •  (photo by Marci C)
    •  (photo by Marci C)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Jim D. 2 months ago

    Swiss Trip

    · Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne

    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Lake Constance Bike Path
    (5/5) Robin L. 2 months ago

    Bodensee Views & Sights

    · Lake Constance Bicycle Path

    We had a bit of a slow start with the bicycle company & the bicycles. They were not as prepared as the former bike tour/company we biked with the week before.
    The majority of the trails were great! Some gravel, but not bad.
    The tour itself was fantastic! The cities and things and places we saw were amazing! The hotels and breakfasts were top notch!!
    Convenience of WC was great!
    Would highly recommend this bike tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 23-28, 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    1 other before this one
    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Swiss Lakes by Ebike
    (5/5) Mary 2 months ago

    Switzerland on wheels

    · Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne

    A perfect way to experience Switzerland! The trail was well marked and the app worked well. All but one hotel was amazing. We had no problems with our luggage. It was in our room when we arrived.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2025
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    •  (photo by Mary)
    •  (photo by Mary)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Lake Constance Bike Path
    (4/5) Nancy Nestler 1 month ago

    Beautiful Scenery and Quaint Marina Towns

    · Lake Constance Bicycle Path

    We loved the scenery and riding by so many little marina towns. I wanted to have coffee in all of them!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Lake Constance Classic
    (5/5) Jim Harvey 1 month ago

    Great Time at Lake Constance

    · Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)

    Overall, I was very impressed with the logistical planning, layout, timing of the bike trip around Lake Constance. You folks helped us out when one of the riders who was 86 years old lost his bike computer. I was able to call radwig before the office closed and they brought a replacement out with the bags the next morning.

    The hotels were nice, some of the rooms were painfully small, but they were clean, the owners and operators were friendly, spoke English and were very helpful in suggesting good places to eat, etc.

    We did have an issue with the Vouchers for the museum in Konstanz itself, as the desk clerks wouldn't honor the admission and wanted us to fork over more money. Two of us simply split after 20 minutes of non-responsiveness. The other museums and experiences were wonderful.

    One STRONG suggestion I have is that the ride from Lindau to St. Gallen with the train to Gais really created a problem. First, the book said to follow the signs to the train. Well, I couldn't find any signs, and I had ridden ahead so I basically strolled through the old section of Altstatten and stumbled across the train by accident. I lucked out and got on a train after 15 minutes (good thing since the next one wasn't for an hour), and rode the section from Gais to St. Gallen. I was the only one who completed that day's ride...the others got so lost and had some problems that they simply took the train from Altstatten to St. Gallen. The real issue, however, is that there would have been a real chance of someone getting seriously hurt riding down into Appenzell...I'm a pretty experienced rider...but some of the others would have probably fallen. So, I would recommend having an alternative route (other than simply taking the train) so the more advanced, experienced riders could do the trip through the Alps...without risking an accident on some of those steep downhill rides.

    Finally, we had issues with the Kamoot vs. Google Maps directions. Kamoot is VERY hard to configure and understand how to read. Google Maps with the bike directions was accurate. One thing I like about Google Maps is that you could choose routes that were less hilly, etc. The fact that you suggest Kamoot is not something I recommend following. I finally got to the point of following Google Maps since those who were following Kamoot seemed far more likely to get lost or had trouble reading the app's directions.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October of 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    Several
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Staff member October 24, 2025

      Jim,

      Thank you so much for taking the time to share such detailed feedback! We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the overall organization of the Lake Constance tour and appreciated the quick support from our team and partners when your fellow rider needed a replacement bike computer.

      We also appreciate your honest comments about the hotels, the museum voucher issue, and especially the route and navigation suggestions. Your insights about the Lindau–St. Gallen section and the Komoot navigation app are extremely helpful, and we’ll review these points carefully to improve the experience for future travelers.

      We’re delighted that, overall, you found the trip well planned and enjoyable — and we truly value your thoughtful suggestions for making it even better.

      Bozena

    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) William Edward 1 month ago

    A bucket list adventure

    · Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)

    The tour was great. I wish that we had a gps with us. There should be an alternate route to St Gallen for less experienced riders. Finding the cog railroad was hard and the downhill decent was challenging for our weaker riders.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2025
    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection