Always downhill and always beautiful. The fantastic descent from high alpine regions down to the almost Mediterranean Lake Geneva is a real dream tour.
Character
Rhone Cycle Route, Switzerland's No. 1 national cycle route - from Andermatt to Geneva. 320 kilometres, 30 of which are unpaved, with a total ascent of 2100 metres. The tour starts with a tough nut to crack, the Furka Pass, and then becomes a "downhill self-runner". From Martigny, a thermal headwind can slow down the ride down to Lake Geneva. Along Lake Geneva, the route is mostly flat, apart from short climbs into the vineyards.
The mostly perfectly tarmac surface is only occasionally interrupted by gravel tracks, short sections on dirt tracks and, on the Ausserbinn variant, rough trails. The signposting is very good. All sections can also be easily bridged or combined with the Swiss railway or, on Lake Geneva, with ferries. If you are afraid of the ascent to the Furka Pass, you can also start the tour in Oberwald. A little tip: If you are travelling by train, you should get off at the Oberalp Pass. The descent to Andermatt is great fun and saves a few francs.
Best time to travel
From June to mid-September (depending on the snow conditions on the Furka Pass)
Journey
With Deutsche Bahn and SBB via Lindau to Andermatt. Unfortunately, it is still not possible to take bikes on German ICE trains, so Interregio trains and regional trains must be combined, e.g. Munich - Lindau - St. Margarethen - Chur - Disentis - Andermatt (duration approx. 8 hours). Return journey from Geneva via Zurich (duration approx. 7 to 8 hours). Hire bikes (including e-bikes) from Swisstrails/rent-a-Bike make travelling to and from the destination by train easier. http://www.rentabike.ch
If you are planning several train journeys, you should consider purchasing a SwissPass or Swiss Flexi Pass. http://www.bahn.deDB hotline for cyclists on 0180-5 99 66 33; SBB information at http://www.sbb.ch/velo, Tel. 0041-(0)900 300 300
Accommodation tips
From campsites and youth hostels to posh hotel palaces, everything is on offer. The numerous youth hostels are a good alternative (book well in advance!) for those on a tighter budget. Otherwise, Swisstrails offers a large selection of bike-friendly establishments. Guests also receive detailed directions to each hotel.
For planning:
http://www.schweizdirekt.ch Online portal for Gastro Suisse businesses
http://www.swisshotels.com: Swiss Hotel Guide
http://www.rooms.ch: Directory of Swiss Budget Hotels
http://www.velotel.ch: Special cyclist-friendly accommodation http://www.youthhostel.ch: Overview of all youth hostels in Switzerland
http://www.backpacker.ch: all backpacker hotels in Switzerland
Literature/Maps
Bikeline cycle tour book with maps 1:75,000 "Rhône cycle path", 100 pages, 12.90 euros, www.esterbauer.com
Official guide, Cycling in Switzerland "Rhône-Route" with maps 1:100,000, approx. 50 pages, 26.90 SFr (approx. 18 euros),
Information (general)
Switzerland Tourism, P.O. Box 16 07 54, 60070 Frankfurt/Main, Tel. 069/25600131, http://www.myswitzerland.com
http://www.veloland.chdetailed information on all nine national routes
http://www.swisstrails.chTel. 0041-(0)44 450 2434, organise each route according to individual wishes and provide high-quality rental bikes via Rent-a-Bike at any desired station.
