E-bike tours within Switzerland: six routes packed with variety

The extra energy an e-bike provides makes getting from A to B quick and easy – perfect for longer trips! You don’t always need to own your own e-bike, either, as local bike shops often have bikes for hire. You can rent bikepacking bags from Transa’s Markthalle Bern store, too: then you’re all set for your e-bike tour.

We’ve cherry-picked some of Switzerland’s most stunning tours for you. Some even take you past publicly accessible charging points, so you can enjoy the route at a leisurely pace.

The Heart Route – along the length of Switzerland

The 13 legs of the Heart Route take you from one end of Switzerland to the other, from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva. Of course, you don’t need to do the whole thing in one go. Maybe you’ll find the time to complete each leg one by one over the course of a year? Or you might be able to tackle three during a long weekend? The Heart Route is perfectly suited to this approach, as you can take every leg individually. The start and finish towns are always well-connected to public transport, and there are suggestions for restaurants and hotels along each leg, too. If the Heart Route isn’t enough, you can tack on the additional Heart loops, too, and enjoy even more of Switzerland.

Start: Romanshorn
Finish: Lausanne
Distance: 720 km
Legs: 23
Highlights: 22 lakes, 17 historic old towns

E-bike round trip in Ticino

This one-day e-bike trip starts in Bogno, on the Italian border. You’ll cycle through Ticino’s characteristic landscapes in Val Colla and enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the mountains. You can stop for a picnic on route, of course, but if you’d prefer, you can also pop into one of the three restaurants you’ll pass.

Start/finish: Bogno
Distance: 27.4 km
Highlight: the landscape of Ticino

Soaking up culture on your e-bike in Baselland

With attractions such as the Museum of Music Automatons in Seewen, the ruins of Dorneck Castle, the Goetheanum in Dornach or Arlesheim Cathedral on offer, you’d be forgiven for thinking that cycling takes a back seat on this trip. It’s still worth taking your e-bike out for a spin, though. The first section starts in Aesch and leads you through the picturesque Chaltbrunntal valley. You’ll then reach the historic town of Laufen – a great place to take your first break or charge your e-bike’s battery at one of the public charging points available across the canton. You can complete the route in one or two days, depending on how many stops you take.

Start/finish: Aesch
Distance: 54.5 km
Highlights: museums and attractions

Exploring the Creux du Van with your e-bike

This route is perfect for a one-day cycling trip. The round trip starts from Noiraigue railway station with a manageable stretch until you reach the entrance to Travers. There, you turn onto a side road and continue above the forest to La Banderette Museum. The incline gets a little steeper here – so your bike’s electric assistance will be all the more welcome. Hop off your e-bike for a moment and walk to the Creux du Van, one of Switzerland’s most stunningly impressive rock formations. While you can take a shortcut via Couvet on your return journey, it’s worth cycling back along the route in its entirety over the verdant plateaus.

Start/finish: Noiraigue railway station
Distance: 52 km
Highlights: La Banderette Museum, Creux du Van, plateaus

E-bike trip in the Grisons: circling the Rhine Gorge

From the River Rhine to stunning panoramic views of the mountains and Crestasee lake, one picture-postcard view follows the next during this round trip along the Rhine Gorge. You start in Chur and then proceed to Bonaduz. Once you reach there, you cycle along the stunning Versamerstrasse road above the Rhine Gorge (image at the top of the article). Versam has a charging point for your e-bike – the perfect spot to take a little break. The return journey takes you back to Chur via Laax and Tamins. You can usually complete this route within a day.

Start/finish: Chur
Distance: 65.2 km
Highlights: nature

Discovering the moorland near Entlebuch with your e-bike

The round trip from Entlebuch gets off to a steep start, climbing out of the village until you reach Rengg. You’ll barely break a sweat on your e-bike, though – and you’ll doubtless have plenty of energy left to enjoy the view. Later, you’ll pass the Mettilimoos moors. This area is protected, but you can cool off your feet in the moorland paddling pool. Then you continue towards Schachen and Wolhusen before returning to Entlebuch via Doppleschwand, Habschwanden and Hasle.

Start/finish: Entlebuch
Distance: 36.7 km
Highlights: moorland