SWISS ALPS

I can’t wait to travel on another trip planned by Jackie. She found the best guides, the best locations and the accommodations were so unique and beautiful. This trip will always hold a special place in my heart and memory for all the fun, special moments, special people and special experiences we had.

• DAY 1: Arrival in Vevey on Lake Geneva

  Welcome to Switzerland! Arrival and transportation on your own to Vevey, a picturesque town on the shores of Lake Geneva, where Charlie Chaplin once lived and is still celebrated. Vevey is known for its WINE and we are staying at a SPA hotel (ahem, you might want to arrive early). We will have a meet and greet with our fabulous guide and new travel buddies at our hotel at 6pm (details will be provided to registered participants).

  • Accommodation: Astra Hotel or similar
  • Meals: n/a

• DAY 2: Vevey to Gruyères

  After breakfast we will set out on our first day of cycling through the Swiss Alps, starting with a little climb up to a valley boasting gorgeous green meadows, farmland, and of course – cows! Today we’re on a mission for chocolate and cheese, as one of our first extra activities is a tour of a local CHOCOLATE factory, before we arrive to our destination of Gruyères (yes, exactly like the CHEESE).

  • Accommodation: Hôtel de Gruyères or similar
  • Meals: B, D
  • Cycling Details: approx. distance 40 – 50 km, 600 – 855 m elevation gain and 500 – 735 m loss

• DAY 3: Gruyères to Gstaad

  Our first order of business today is CHEESE. We will start our day with a tour of the Gruyères Cheese factory before heading out on our ride, which will insert us directly into that Postcard Switzerland we all dream about. Cows, snow-capped peaks, quiet country lanes, tiny chapels, cable cars, and local traditions. The hardest part of today is actually getting anywhere, because the urge to stop for photos nearly every second is SO STRONG.

  • Accommodation: Hotel Alphorn or similar
  • Meals: B, D
  • Cycling Details: approx. distance 40 km, 735 m elevation gain and 410 m loss

• DAY 4: Gstaad to Lake Thun/Interlaken

  We continue our adventure through picture-perfect Switzerland today, flanked by alps and criss-crossed by local train tracks. Today’s route takes us on a ferry across the gorgeous Lake Thun as we approach our destination and the adrenaline capital of Europe: Interlaken.

  • Accommodation: Hotel Dorint-Essential or similar
  • Meals: B, D
  • Cycling Details: approx. distance 55 km, elevation gain 740 m and 1’150 m loss

• DAY 5: Day off at Interlaken

  We built this day in because Interlaken deserves an extra day! Today is a totally free day, so if you feel like jumping off a cliff with wings, you can! If you feel like taking a cable car up to the Jungfrau for a hike and fondue on top of a mountain, you can! If you feel like hanging out at our adorable spa hotel and people watching right there on the terra firma of beautiful Interlaken town, you can! Or perhaps you want to take your bike for an extra spin. We will provide a few suggestions, but this day is entirely up to you. We stay in the same hotel to make it extra easy for you, so you can go do your thing.

  • Accommodation: Hotel Dorint-Essential or similar
  • Meals: B
  • Cycling Details: none
  • Activity ideas: Start here!

• DAY 6: Lake Thun/Interlaken to Lake Sarnen

  Fighting the urge once again to stop every 10m for photos, we will pack up our picnic lunches and make our way along the idyllic, jaw-dropping blue lakes of the Interlaken area into a valley where Swiss fighter jets fly. An optional train ride (or you can do it by bike!) will take us up the steep Brünigpass to Obwalden: a big valley with scattered villages and more scenic lakes.

  • Accommodation: Hotel Bahnhof Giswil or similar
  • Meals: B, D
  • Cycling Details: approx. distance 60 km, elevation gain 1‘145m and 1‘200 m loss

• DAY 7: Lake Sarnen to Lake Lucernce

  Our last full day of cycling is a bit of a shorter distance so that we can have more time in our final destination. Our route will lead us to the beautiful valley of Lake Lucerne, with the town of Lucerne and Pilatus Peak in view. Tonight we have a special farewell dinner of FONDUE, because CHEESE.

  • Accommodation: Hotel Seeburg or similar
  • Meals: B, D
  • Cycling Details: approx. distance 35 km, elevation gain 240 m and 310 m loss

• DAY 8: Departure from Lake Lucerne

  Breakfast is included at the hotel, and this concludes our gorgeous week together in the Swiss Alps.

  Departure is on your own.

TRIP COST: $4,500 per person

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• 7 nights hotel ensuite accommodation on a twin share basis
• 7 breakfasts
• 5 dinners (all except Day 1 and Day 5 – free day)
• Ferry across Lake Thun with bike transfer
• Chocolate factory entry
• Cheese factory entry
• Daily Luggage transport (1x luggage per person, max. 20kg)
• Helmet if you need one (to be requested upon booking)
• English/German-speaking (and fabulous!) guide for the entire trip
• Route descriptions and documentation including navigation app and GPS
• SwitzerlandMobility-Plus subscription for one year
• Pre departure information to help you plan and prepare

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• International or domestic flights and taxes
• Arrival and departure transfers
• Bike rental (see “Bike Rental” in Logistics & FAQ”)
• Meals not mentioned in the itinerary (see “Lunch” in Logistics & FAQ”)
• All beverages, other than breakfast
• Optional funicular ride Vevey – Le Mont Pèlerin not included (approx. CHF 6.- with half-fare card
  and bike).
• Optional train ride Meiringen – Brünigpass not included (approx. CHF 5.- with half-fare card and
  bike)
• Water bottle (help us save the environment and bring your own reusable bottle or hydration system)
• Optional activities mentioned and not mentioned in the itinerary including Day 5 activities
• Personal expenses (eg. phone calls, internet, laundry, shopping, etc.)
• Visa or tourist tax (if required)
• Tips
• Travel Insurance

• TRIP LEADER & GUIDE

  Guide: Meet Senad (if you haven’t already)!

  

  We met Senad three years ago in Croatia and spent two weeks cycle touring with him there, and now he lives in the Alps – so guess what! He’ll be with us every step of the way in Switzerland.

  Senad has been guiding cycling tours for 10 years in 6 different countries. That’s about 6,000 guests and over 25,000 kilometers. He is curious, he likes to eat all sorts of things, he loves to laugh, and he is definitely not shy about making a fool of himself on occasion. (Two words: belly flop. IYKYK)

  We LOVE Senad and are so excited to have him back for another JUMP cycling trip. We are 1000% certain you will love him too.

  JUMP Trip Leader: Alicia Bruce (she’s a 5x JUMPer and we are so excited about this – more info on Alicia coming soon to a newsletter near you!)

• BIKE RENTAL

  We know that a bike can make or break a bike trip. We offer good-quality, smooth-running, robust touring bikes designed to ensure that you don’t have anything to worry about and that you can ride comfortably everyday. Our bikes are equipped with gel saddles for comfort, removable water-resistant saddlebags (pannier), service kit, air pump and bike lock.

  You may choose between an e-bike or a touring bike upon booking. (Bike rental prices vary and therefore are separate from the trip price package).

  E-Bike (highly recommended) $345 for the week

  

  E-bike of the brand Flyer. Limitation of the speed to 25 km/h. Minimum age for this bike is 16 years (or 14 years with a moped license). Pannier bag for the carrier is included in the rental. One spare tube per bike, pump and tool kit are included, as well as one smartphone holder.

  Equipment:

  • Front and rear mudguards
  • Lights and hub dynamo
  • Luggage rack
  • Chain guard
  • Frame lock
  • Side stand

  Frame sizes:

  • XS = 41 cm (body height < 160 cm)
  • S = 45 cm (body height 160 – 170 cm)
  • M = 50 cm (body height 170 – 180 cm)
  • L = 55 cm (body height > 180 cm)

  Specs:

  • Frame: Aluminum
  • Gearshift:
    • built 2021: Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub gears
    • built 2022: Shimano Nexus 5-speed hub gears
    • Brakes: Magura HS22 (hydraulic) rim brakes
    • Suspension fork: SR Suntour NEX, 63mm
    • Motor: Panasonic 36V/250W mid-engine
    • Battery: Panasonic Li-Ion-Mangan 15Ah/36V (540Wh)
    • Operating distance: max. 100 km
    • Wheel size: 28″ (size XS: 26″)
    • Total weight capacity: max. 149 kg

    Touring Bike $185 for the week

    

    Touring Bike Country-Bike TdS
    Touring bike of the brand Tour de Suisse. Pannier bag for the carrier is included in the rental. A spare tube per bike, pump and tool set are included, as well as a smartphone holder.

    Equipment:

    • Front and rear mudguards
    • Lights and hub dynamo
    • Luggage rack
    • Chain guard
    • Frame lock
    • Side stand

    Frame sizes:

    • S = 44 cm (body height 150 – 172 cm)
    • M = 50 cm (body height 172 – 186 cm)
    • M = 56 cm (body height 186 – 196 cm)

    Specifications:

    • Frame: Aluminum
    • Derailleur gear: Shimano Alivio 3×9-Gang
    • Brakes: V-Brake Shimano Alivio
    • Wheel size: 26″

   

  Here’s our best advice on bike choice if you aren’t sure which to get:

  • E-bikes take the stress out of the journey, they are very easy to use, we recommend them for everyone.
  • Touring bikes are for those who LOVE the grind and are ready to go full beast mode, all day, everyday.

• LUNCH

  👉[Insert epic picnics on Swiss mountainsides here]. One of our favorite parts of this tour is that lunch is what and where you make it! Each morning before setting out for our ride, we’ll stop at the local COOP so you can buy whatever you feel like eating that day. We suggest salami, baguette, cheese, chocolate, and an iced tea or juice. This will be your road snacks and picnic lunch every day. We love this because it allows us to sample as much or as little of the local flavors as we’d like.

• FLIGHT & TRANSPORTATION

  This trip starts in Vevey, Switzerland on Lake Geneva and ends in Lucerne, Switzerland.

  Nearby airports include Geneva (airport code GVA) and Zurich (airport code ZRH). You will need to take a train to and from Vevey and Lucerne on either end of the trip.

  We are happy to review your potential flight schedule for you to make sure you’re getting the right times, dates, and airports!

• TRAVEL INSURANCE

  Deposits are non-refundable. Please click here to view our Booking Terms & Conditions. Each participant is highly encouraged to purchase CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason insurance) as soon as you book your trip, to protect your travel investment as well as have personal luggage and medical coverage, not to mention peace of mind! Click here to get quotes from our trusted travel insurance partner.

• PHYSICAL FITNESS REQUIREMENT

  We will bike somewhere around 150 miles throughout our trip. This is a big deal and will be a huge accomplishment. On top of biking, you will also be eating lots of chocolate and cheese, and all of this takes training!

  A proficient level of physical fitness is essential for this trip, even with an e-bike. We recommend training – getting some good bike rides or long hikes and other workouts in beforehand to prepare for this amount of cycling.

  It’s also a great idea to practice biking in the shoes you plan to wear, as you will be in them for a majority of the time. It’s worth being in great shape so you can recover quickly and feel your best every day on the trail, and so we can keep the group together with a good pace.

  We specifically recommend nuun tablets for electrolyte replacement and hydration during the days, compression socks to wear each evening for improved blood flow and fast recovery, and emergen-C packets to start each day with a boost of energy. These are in addition to physical fitness, they do NOT replace your training. And don’t worry, when the miles get you down, just turn your e-assist UP. 😉

• PACKING

  We will have luggage support every day, so our main luggage is transferred to our next hotel while we ride. Each participant will have one pannier to pack day use items and lunch for the ride. Please keep your main baggage to one item per person.

  A recommended Packing List will be provided to registered participants. Helmets are provided if you’d like one – please request upon booking.

• BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

  Click here to read our Booking Terms & Conditions.