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Cascade-Affiliated International Tours
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Swiss Crossing Tour
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| Dates: |
August 21-August 31: Ten nights in Switzerland, 7 days of biking and one day of hiking
4 spaces open as of 1/28/2008
Just added new tours: June 6-16, Challenge Tour & June 26-July 6, Lite Tour- Only $2990 for CBC members. Visit www.bikeswitzerland.com for more details on these departures.
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| Pace & Distance: |
Total Mileage: 580 km
Total Climbing: 4,600 meters
Difficulty: Changing terrain, a few long climbs, 6-7 hours per day
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| Group size: |
10-18 cyclists |
| Cost: |
Price: $2,800
Single room supplement: US$ 500.00
This quote is guaranteed for 2008
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| Itinerary: |
We cross through the heart of Switzerland on traffic-free bike paths passing small towns, major cities, narrow valleys, mountain peaks and 14 lakes!
View detailed itinerary.
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| Highlights:
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Hiking in Bernese Oberland
Lake Brienz boat cruise
Overnight in medieval castle
Swiss wine tasting, United Nations banquet, Swiss farm breakfast
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Tour Company:
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Swiss Crossing Tour
Detailed Itinerary
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Day 1
Arrival in Geneva, Bike Fitting, Vineyard visit and supper
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 Welcome to Geneva ! We pick you up at the airport and take you directly to your four-star hotel in the city center. We'll give you some time to settle in and then send you across the street for your bike fitting. Afterwards, take a stroll along the lake or watch the world go by from a sidewalk café- the day is yours.
We'd like to make your first night special with an evening in the Geneva countryside. We'll all meet downstairs at 6 PM and you'll be whisked away to a vineyard of in the small wine town of Russin. Once there you'll discover the vineyard of Les Molards , their 12 different wines, delicious appetizers and organic salads. All riders should plan on arriving in Geneva before 2pm.
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Day 2
Geneva – Chexbres 80 or 45 km
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 We’re off ! You will follow small country roads and vineyard paths before stopping for a picnic lunch in the lakeside town of Rolle.
Get back on your bike, but relax: it’s Saturday and many of the villages along the route will be hosting festivals, concerts and sporting events. Make sure to take your time and get a taste of the local color.
We will also pass through the larger city of Lausanne. Consider exploring the lakefront or stop by the IOC’s Olympic Museum...we pass right in front !
Later in the day we begin our climb through the vineyards to our hotel in the small town of Chexbres. Riders preferring to avoid the climb can take the train from Vevey: nothing is too complicated in Switzerland.
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Day 3
Chexbres – Gstaad 80 or 40 km
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| Feeling adventurous ? If so, take the steep back roads to our first coffee stop, otherwise join the rest of us on the more direct route. There is a lot of flexibility on our itinerary if you choose to stray.
Once at our coffee spot, grab a slice of dense chocolate cake: we’ve got another 50 kilometers to work up an appetite. Lunch is in the medieval village of Gruyère. Take a tour of the castle or visit the cheese museum before getting back in the saddle to discover the magnificent valleys and giant chalets of the region beyond.
Our destination is the sleepy village of Saanen. Up for a bit of Alpine nightlife ? The small, but world-famous Gstaad is just a ten minute walk along the river Saane. Gstaad’s car-free streets are perfect for admiring the surrounding Bernese alps. You’ll come to understand why a long list of celebrities, from Grace Kelly to Tina Turner have made Gstaad their summer home.
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Day 4
Gstaad – Interlaken 80 or 60 km
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| After a short but steep climb out of town and a very long descent into Zweisimmen, it’s pastures and streams on densely packed gravel paths. We’ll be stopping from time to time to pet the cows and admire the monstrous family chalets. Take plenty of pictures: these traffic-free valleys are seldom seen by tourists.
You’ll spend the later part of the day riding the shores of Lake Thun before reaching Interlaken. As the name implies, Interlaken is found between two lakes. These lakes, along with dark forests, high peaks, cliffs and waterfalls have made the area a prime alpine tourist destination for over 100 years.
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Day 5
Day off / Hiking in the Bernese Oberland
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 Wake up to a sultry summer day, board the train and be whisked up thousands of meters to the cool mountain trails and the nearby glaciers of the Bernese Oberland. Your legs will be working in other ways today: they’ll dangle from gondola lifts, run with the grazing alpine herds and your knees will bend to pick the wild edelweiss that fill the pastures. |
Day 6
Interlaken – Luzern 90 or 40 km
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| This morning can be very tough or really easy: You choose ! Those strong (or brave) will follow lake Brienz to Geissbach to admire its 350-meter high cascades. Afterwards the riders will tackle the Brunig Pass and be climbing 400 meters in 5 kilometers. Riders can choose to have a more relaxing morning with a lake cruise, 15k of flat riding followed by a train to lunch on the lake in Lungern.
The afternoon's paths are flat and picturesque and will take us through the bustling medieval village of Sarnen. Quench your thirst with a tall beer in the market square; you've got another 30 kilometers.
Our hotel overlooks the lake in Lucerne's city center. Put your bike away and get your street clothes out: you're on your own this evening to explore the city's possibilities.
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Day 7
Luzern to Rapperswil 95 or 50 km
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 Today we follow four lakes and go through four cantons. Our ride begins outside of Lucerne on hard dirt paths along the River Reuss until reaching Zug: Switzerland's smallest (but richest) canton. We'll picnic on the lake and tour Zug’s medieval old town before climbing out and into the Rothernthurm high marshlands, one of Switzerland's best-known nature preserves. We'll bike past peat-covered cabins and through wet rolling fields before reaching the imposing Einsiedeln monastery.
If your legs hold up, you’ll soon be high in the clouds with spectacular views on all sides. As always, narrow and well-maintained bike paths will allow you to venture where few tourists have gone before !
Take a long coast into Rapperswil and settle into your hotel in the town’s center. Once showered, you'll have some choices to make: an ancient city center, lakeside promenade, a perched chateau, a medieval convent, reputed rose gardens, a circus museum, zoo, wine bars or nap. See you at 8 O'clock for dinner.
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Day 8
Rapperswil to Sax 95 or 75 km
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 We're riding our bikes to breakfast this morning. No worries: just a short 3 clicks down the road to Thomas and Judith's family farm. Enjoy the farm fresh eggs, homemade preserves and cured meats smoked on the premises. There will also be plenty of coffee brought over by the sisters next door at the Wurmsbach convent. Take your time: stroll the farm, visit the nuns, pet the goats and come back for another cup of coffee.
Afterwards it’s twenty kilometers of unusually flat riding before reaching the long Walensee lake and its 1500 meter cliffs. The ride soon becomes surreal as we head into a long series of bike tunnels where giant windows give us stunning views of the lake and its high calcium cliffs. Take a swim in Switzerland ’s cleanest lake and then dry off for a picnic.
Later we meet up with the Rhine and follow a perfect bike path Northward to Liechtenstein and its capital Vaduz . Take five minutes to cross the bridge into Liechtenstein , or stay on your bike until you reach our hotel in the village of Sax, but don’t blink or you’ll miss it. (Population: 65 inhabitants)
Meet the other riders downstairs in the cosy pub and share your experiences over a tall glass of wheat beer. Don’t eat too many pretzels: the meal tonight is amazing.
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Day 9
Sax to Rorschach 60 km
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| Our last day of riding follows rivers and lowlands: it’s a cinch. You’ll pedal past farms and through fields and along canals until lunchtime in in Widnau. You’ve then got a choice: make your hardest climb yet to the village of Heiden overlooking Lake Constance. Or take the low road to the lake and our final stop in Romanshorn. This is our easiest day, so use your time and energy to explore the unique lakeside villages and shops. Or get in early and wander around the grounds of the medieval castle that is our hotel. Be sure to work up your appetite: it’s wonderful barbecue with champagne toasts. After all, you’ve just biked across Switzerland!
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Day 10
Return to Geneva with visit in Berne
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| Say goodbye to your trusty 27-speed steed; after a late breakfast it's all-aboard ! We'll interrupt our five-hour train trip back to Geneva with a stop-over in the Swiss capital of Berne. Your last evening in Switzerland will be spent back where it all started: on the shores of lake Geneva. You'll catch the long summer rays with a tall drink and good food at our banquet on the United Nations private beach. |
Day 11
Departure from Geneva
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THE FINE PRINT
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Minimum number of cyclists: 10
Maximum number of cyclists: 18
Price: $2,800
Single room supplement: US$ 500.00
This quote is guaranteed for 2008
Trip price includes
- 10 nights accommodations at 3 and 4 star hotels, private bath
- Vehicle baggage support with driver
- All breakfasts, lunches and all but two dinners
- Two guides / hosts
- Professional bike fittings and service en route
- Maps, cue sheets and optional GPS
- Telephones and credit for each rider
- BMC Alpen Challenge (hybrid) triple chain ring, computer, handlebar bag, map-holder, water bottle/cage, tools, pump, tubes, lock
- Trains for hiking excurions, Lake Brienz cruise, Brunig pass train ride
- Geneva airport pickup, return train from Rorshach to Geneva
- T-shirt
- VAT
Not included
Bike Switzerland Booking
- Go to www.bikeswitzerland.com (Note: Registration process is made easier using Internet Explorer)
- Click “Join up” and then “Sign up” from the drop down menu.
- Create an account by clicking on the green button “Create an Account”
- Follow steps 1-5 as listed on the site. Be sure to choose “Cascade Club Tour” (Step 1)
- You will be required to make a $500 per person deposit. The balance will need to be paid by May 21st, or within 5 days if the deposit is made after May 21st.
- Payment can by check or bank transfer can be arranged.
Bike Switzerland Cancellation Policy
Should you decide to cancel, and if there is a waiting list, Bike Switzerland will simply transfer your tour to a different person(s) of our choice and there will be an administrative charge of $100. If there is not a waiting list for your ride, we will apply the following refunds.
- Persons cancelling more than 90 days before Day One of the tour will receive a refund minus $200 of money paid.
- Persons cancelling 61-90 days before Day One of the tour will forfeit their deposit.
- Persons cancelling 31-60 days before Day One of the tour will receive a refund minus 50% of money paid.
- Persons cancelling 30 days or less before Day One will receive no refund.
- Riders canceling may choose to transfer their ride to another person of their choice for an administrative fee of $200 dollars. Such a transfer must be made at least 30 days before the tour unless special permission is granted. Bike Switzerland reserves the right to refuse any such transfer if the participant substituted is deemed unacceptable for any reason.
Testimonials
"I have enjoyed 24 bike tours in Europe over the past 16 years, and BikeSwitzerland is the most thoughtfully-planned, best-run (and certainly serves up the most elegant meals!) I've experienced ."
Shannon Davenport
Plantation, Florida
"What was especially appreciated were the “safety valve” options of taking a train in the case of inclement weather or physical wear and tear. ."
Mark and Sandy Hudson
Shelby , North Carolina
"Thanks again for a great trip! The tour was an excellent mix of riding, relaxing, sightseeing, and learning about Swiss culture. When 7 days of riding and 12 days away from home feels like an entire month of vacation, I call that a successful trip! As a somewhat selective eater who also requires quantity, I am pleased to report that I never went hungry, which is always one of my main concerns on a bike trip. By the way, the cell phones were a great tool that enabled me to be independent."
Thanks!
Joyce Chang
Healdsberg, California
Why Bike Switzerland?
The Accomodations: Whether it’s a medieval castle, an isolated country auberge, a stunning baroque monastery or a wooden chalet, we guarantee that you’ll be pleasantly surprised by our efforts to find unique overnight locations.
The Food: Don’t plan on losing weight ! Your first meal will be a vineyard supper in the nearby Geneva countryside and your glass of wine will at our Bike Switzerland banquet at the United Nations private beach !
Otherwise, mornings begin with a buffet breakfast and lots of coffee. Your lunches will be scenic and the spread lavish: various breads, cheeses, meats, chocolate, sweets, wine and beer with inspired salads made to order by our Swiss chauffeur/chef. Evening happy hours are followed by an unforgettable adventure in Swiss cuisine, often at an award-winning restaurant. And the wine is on us !
The Bike: Leave yours at home ! We’ve partnered with BMC Swiss Cycling to give each rider a high- end Alpen-Challenger 02. These Swiss-made hybrids come fully equipped and are perfectly suited for the varied terrain you’ll be covering on your trip across Switzerland.
Flexibility: Both itineraries make extensive use of the Swiss train network, allowing you to take a day off or a ½-day at any time. Of course, extra kilometers are always possible !
The Staff: All of us have a background in international education and believe that travel should be life-changing. We encourage this through bonding as a group, interacting with the locals and exploring the history and culture of the valleys we bike through.
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REGISTER NOW FOR THE BIKE SWITZERLAND TOUR!
Worried you might not be in good enough shape to tackle the hills? Join Cascade Ride Leaders in the Cascade Training series. We'll be leading rides every weekend geared to getting YOU ready for this summer's big CBC rides. Visit the Activities Calendar for more information and ride listings.
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