Switzerland routes (between Basel/Geneva?)

I've got a week off at the end of July, and I'm gonna do a mini trip down the Rhine and into the Alps.

I'm starting in Frankfurt, and I've got a train booked out of Geneva a full 7 days later. My plan is to follow the Rhine down to Basel (which is 350km so should only take about 3 days), and then I'm keen to spend the other 4 meandering my way to Geneva...

Can anyone suggest an interesting route from Basel > Geneva, or some interesting things I should see in that part of Switzerland? The direct route (according to Google Maps) is only 250km with limited hills, so I'm keen to make it longer and to explore the mountains a bit. Baring in mind I'll have a fully loaded bike, I don't plan to do too many switchback climbs, but I was also thinking of checking myself into a campsite for a night so I can ride up without luggage... Also considering taking a rest day somewhere, if there's a spot along the way that I should spend good time in.

(Updated trip plan)... Original plan was to ride to Lyon, but I'm going to take my time in Switzerland instead...

Any nice routes?

Have fun in Switzerland - Really wanna go. Feedback please!

Basel-unesco biosphere entlebuch (fluhli)-bern (or through some mountains)-montreaux-lausanne-geneva?

Thanks v much. unesco biosphere entlebuch looks beautiful. I just bought a map, and that sounds like the ideal route. Basel down to Sion, then along the Rhone valley into Montreaux-Lausanne etc. I've heard the police are a little cranky when it comes to wild camping, so hopefully there'll be a few campsites en route that aren't jampacked with caravans...

Know of any good ones/any experience wild camping around there?

I think wild camping is not allowed "below the treeline" in Switzerland. I sometimes see canoe tourers camping in the trees by the river on my way to work, but they are very discreet - out of sight of road or habitation in that spot. If you do try it, i would aim for the same, and leave before a lot of people are about (and the Swiss get up early), and don't blame me if you get a whopping on the spot fine!

There's a lot of forests. If I was going to try it, I would look for a waldhaus, which is a cabin/house/shelter in the woods, often near the edge, usually signed, easy to access on a waldstrasse, belonging to a nearby village but often out of sight of it. Assuming they're not having a party in it, you would probably find a water tap or trough close by, fireplace, level ground, possibly could sleep on the porch of it or in it if it's an open structure. Don't know if they show up on maps, will look. Would be anxious about hunters but I think that's no problem in july though!

Shouldn't be a problem to find campsites, and ones I looked at recently were very cheap for Switzerland. Probably will have a lot of family/caravan stuff on them though.

Wild camping in Valais is fairly OK, as long as you pitch late, rise early you're unlikely to get bothered. As long as you're out of sight of a road....

The Rhone Valley gets VERY windy. The stretch from Martigny up to Lac Leman can be hell if the wind is blowing, and sometimes it goes all the way up to Sion. All the climbs out of the valley are pretty full-on too, Sanetsch is beautiful if you have the legs for it. I would recommend Gstaad - Aigle instead though, the hills around Gruyere, Gstaad area are absolutely incredible.

~Following~

Just spent some time around Lake Geneva/Vaud, not cycling but walking/hiking. Not a huge amount to say except, if you do go via Montreaux, head into the hills a bit before you hit Lausanne. The road next to the lake is cyclable, and people do it, but it's busy, and the view of the lake/mountains across the lake will be blocked by huge houses. There are much nicer (and climbier) roads (which people also cycle) up in the vineyards with beautiful views. Maybe drop down to the beach before Lausanne (I think it opens up around Lutry) and follow what you can of beach front trails until you're the other side of Lausanne. Unless you want to check out the city (which is in the hills).

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near basel and like odd swiss architecture don't miss Dornasch which includes madness like

also, swim in the rhine, the Kunstmuseum is astounding if that's your bag, and there's this outdoor swimming pool near basel designed by Herzog & DeMoron

https://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/17/naturbad-riehen-natural-swimming-pool-herzog-de-meuron-switzerland/

and it's more expensive that you could ever imagine

Those vineyards are called the Lavaux, and I agree, they are stunning! Much nicer than hugging the lake at that point, even though the main road does have a cycle lane for the busier / faster sections. It's worth taking the seafront road through Lausanne, past the IOC etc.

Lavaux

Yeah, did a 20k walk through them a couple of weeks ago. Really enjoyed myself. Tried a couple of the local tipples along the way as well. Liked the stuff from Ollon much more.

I'd love to spend a couple of years working in Switzerland exploring the different areas on weekends/holidays. They really are spoiled with nature.

Yeah, I don't get out and about nearly enough! (Student life...) I'd like especially to go and explore more around the north, maybe take a long weekend at the end of the Summer. I've got an internship in Fribourg next spring, so that should be a good opportunity to explore a bit.

Were you there for the Caves Ouvertes? That is a good day. All the vineyards open up their caves and you pay ~10CHF for glass and waltz around the vineyards enjoying as much as you can drink with some local meats and cheeses to accompany the wine!

Unfortunately not. Only had free time in the middle of the week (was there for a work thing, bunked it off). Weekend was for getting into the Alps.

Excellent. Thanks all for the tips. I think I'm gonna head south out of Basel towards Thun, and then play it by ear from there. Either going down to the Rhone Valley (which involves getting a special train to transport me through a 15km tunnel!), or heading across towards Gstaad and Aigle. And given your recommendations @chiroshi, I'm guessing the Swiss side of Lac Leman is nicer than the French side?

I'm also tempted by taking a little detour up to the Mauvoisin Dam if my legs can carry me there. Maybe I'll try to dump my bags in Martigny.

Also the Swiss tourism website is so damn fancy! http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-dk/pages/listicle-collection/outdoor-listicles-collections/dead-ends-listicle.html

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-dk/suggestions/road-cycling-in-switzerland/sanetsch-pass.html

Swiss side is nicer as you get the south facing views of the Alps. The French side is smaller roads (often with works on them) and you'll be in the shade.
If you'll be here after the 27th and want to ride Mauvoisin, give me a shout and you can drop your bags here (Chable) and I might ride it with you! I'd recommend taking the road on the north side of the Bagnes valley after Lourtier up to Mauvoisin, recently resurfaced and much better views.

Have a look at the route the Tour went last year from Bern to Aigle, that was quite a nice route through the Bern countryside.

Thanks, that'd be excellent (and what a great place to live!) but I've got a train booked out of Geneva at 9am on the 28th July, so that'd be cutting it a bit close!!

Thanks, that's v helpful. Getting v excited about this.

Currently riding the German/French leg of the route from weisbaden..

First part was stunning vineyards, but then things got a little too industrial and the official Rhine Route (ev15) was quite tedious.. did 140k on the first day and stopped at a weird campsite for the night..

Did 160k today from south of Karlsruhe to 30k north of Basel. Was mostly down a shady canal path, which was a little dull but needed respite from the 32c heat..

Then about 10km before the end, I got absolutely dumped on - the hail was so hard/wind so strong that I actually have tiny cuts on my legs..

Here are a few pics. Onto Switzerland tomorrow, and I'm gonna give these mega days a rest!

Here are a few pics from the Swiss leg (plus one of the canal path down from Strasbourg).

I got a mega cold 2 days into the trip, so I ended up taking a train from Basel to Bern and then riding from there. I rode down to Thun, half way around the lake, and then south through the Kandersteg valley - that was by far the best leg of the trip. Rolling through lovely pastures surrounded by the sound of cowbells and gushing mountain streams etc. The bike route turned out to be a MTB route further down the valley, so I had an interesting 8km trying to make it up gravel inclines... But made it to an amazing campsite where you coudl take a cable car up to the top of the mountain, and get a summer toboggan down again! But unfortunately, the weather turned sour... Typical.

After that, I had a fever and couldn't really function, so took a train from Brig to Martigny to check myself into a hotel... Set off again the following afternoon and rode to Ville Neuve at the bottom corner of the lake, then around to Montreux and Lausanne. The vineyards above Lausanne/pidoux are particularly beautiful, and some of the climbs/descents were mental with a weighted bike - 18% !

I lost the official bike path after Lausanne - it kept winding in and out of small towns and signage wasn't great - so I just decided to blitz down the main road.

All in all, the trip wasn't as successful as planned (getting sic + crappy weather!), but it was still very enjoyable. And the Alps aren't going anywhere, so I plan to return again!

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Few more

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