Bike Switzerland
Bike Switzerland
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Since 2003, Bike Switzerland has helped visitors explore geneva and beyond by bike. We provide guides, bike rentals, gear and itineraries
Geneva, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland
Tours and Tickets by Bike Switzerland
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles51 reviews
Excellent
43
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
3

byronoberst
Bend, OR1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
John Klemme was terrific!! He was very responsive to all questions. It mattered to him we have a good experience. Everything about the trip was well organized, explained, & tailored to what type of ride we wanted. We used his bikes, did a ‘bike fit’ with Matt in the shop, & within half hour of riding it felt like my bike back home. Cycling in Switzerland is fabulous.
Whether you are new to cycling in Europe or a veteran I would highly recommend cycling in Switzerland & using John Klemme & Bike Switzerland. You will not be disappointed!! I absolutely plan to use him again.
Written 8 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lotsaboysmama
Perth, Australia39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Couples
Professional, organised, friendly, thorough, highly recommended! And all we did was rent a bike! Hopefully one day we'll be back for one of your amazing tours! Thanks heaps John & crew!!!
Written 11 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

runner13
New London, NH42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
Bike Switzerland gets it. We did an independent alpine tour but couldn't do the standard alpine itinerary, so John customized a trip for us. The bike routes were well planned and the GPS units guided us flawlessly. The rental bikes are new or like new and come fully equipped with multiple spare tubes and CO2, and the shop is an easy walk from the Geneva train station. Hotel accommodations were fabulous, our luggage was always at our next destination before we were, and Bike Switzerland had instant recognition at the hotel reception desks. Even details like shipping the bikes back to the Geneva train station at the end of the trip were worked out in advance. This trip can easily be done by inexperienced international travelers because Bike Switzerland has thought of everything in advance.
Written 17 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mikecohike
Chicago, Il158 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017
This is a review of The Challenge Tour offered by Bike Switzerland.
Let me begin that I write a lot of reviews for Trip Advisor and with the exception of two they are all positive. A little bit of torn wall paper or a slight inconvenience doesn’t cause me to write a negative review.
I struggled with this review because the tour was not as expected. I wanted to think this review through so so I waited 4 weeks before writing it. For the value of this tour it is the most expensive tour I have been on ( I have taken 5 European bike tours) I rode 1300 miles to prepare for this tour, and had been looking forward to this trip for 3 years. I was able to ride it because I am very fit and an avid cyclist, but it was not without pain.
Lets begin with the positive.
The guides Dave and Chris were very kind and informative. Antonio, the chef, prepared fabulous picnic lunches daily and upon our hotel arrival he had our luggage in our room. The hotels were very nice and a few exceptional. The scenery in Switzerland is beyond words of description. The people are kind, the roads are smooth, cyclists are accepted as part of the culture and the country has made remarkable provisions to keep cycling safe.
The undesirable portion unfortunately is John (owner), runs a very poor guided tour. He also rents bikes and self-guided tours. Be careful of the self-guided tours. One of our tour riders did a self-guided and was lost every day because of the poor GPS route. Luckily she is extremely fit and could do the daily extra mileage.
Very Large group - 19 riders and only two guides. Dave (a guide) use to work for John 6 years ago and flew in from the U.S to guide since John could not find local guides to help out. Dave, Chris and Antonio are contracted help. His web site lists 5 guides and 2 chefs. Umm
No SAG Wagon for support. On day TWO of this challenge tour 6 people opted not to ride and at noon another 4 dropped out. It was at noon they were told there was NO sag wagon and they would have to find transportation (at their cost) to the hotel With Their Bikes. Meaning at noon more than 50% of the group riders are no longer riding. His web site states there is support for weary riders. Umm
No energy bars, on all my other tours a sag wagon would be on the side of the road with energy bars, fruit, cookies…… every two hours you could count on fueling. With Bike Switzerland you’re on your own. Umm
The web site states the route would consist of 20% packed gravel. It’s a lot more than that. The route overview on the web site states the total trip is 597km of riding (353 miles) with 3020m (9908 feet) climbing. When you add up the daily trip pages from the web site the climbing is 4030m (13,221 feet) a difference of 1010m (3313 ft) of additional climbing. Our actual climbing of the standard route we rode, without additional climbs, was 4863m (15,955 ft) of climbing. Thus an additional 1843km (6,046ft) of climbing, when compared to the web site route overview climbing. Umm
You got into the hotels after 5pm and could not enjoy the amenities of the hotel or take in the beautiful towns we were staying in .
Bike fitting – make sure you know how to fit your bike and be assertive. Female riders had male seats, disc brakes dragged, derailleurs didn’t work etc. My bike had a female seat and I was told that it was ok the only difference is it has more padding. No the seats are altogether different due to male sit bones. When I reserved my bike I told them I needed a 56cm bike with a 100 mm stem, and this was confirmed. When I told the bike fitter this he said “hey I’ve got 20 bike to fit”. I did get the 100mm stem and a male seat.
The breakfasts were whatever the hotels served. Mainly cold cut meats, hardboiled eggs, bread. There were a few exceptions were you could fuel for the day. Because of the lack of fuel on the daily rides, riders took hard boiled eggs, bananas, fruit, etc for daily fuel.
Yes there is a reason this is called The Challenge Tour and its not all because of the cycling.
John lists and offers 4 different tours and for years he has not been able to fill them. In fact this one Challenge tour is all he is able to do this year. I believe it has been this way for several years.
I hope this review helps you make an informed decision where to send your hard earned money and vacation time. I will go back to Switzerland but not with this tour guide.
Written 22 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fred, Mike and Fernando each wrote a poor review of this specific tour. The very personal nature of their review shows that we obviously got off to a bad start and I wrote to them directly to apologise for my poor reception at their arrival. Although not excusable, it was due to serious and unrelated personal circumstances. I'll address here the criticism that I see as pertinent and fair. I agree that we should have done a better job assessing the levels of the riders. There were riders that were in over their heads and we should have caught this in our application process and will do better. We had only 2 guides on this trip and we needed a third. None of the reviews mention the heatwave with temperatures in the 30s. This made the riding unusually difficult and riders needed more attention. We should have been prepared for that by having a 3rd guide. We don't use a sag-wagon in the same way these reviewers are used to. We have one large van that supports our tour. The driver loads all the suitcases, shops for picnic supplies, prepares a large meal of salads, cheese, meat, etc., takes it all down and then drives to the hotels to deliver the bags. On occasion, if there is an accident or if a rider is in distress, then the driver will also be there to help. We would never expect someone in distress to sort out their own problems, as one of the reviewers implies. This did not happen. It is true, however, that the van driver does not have the time or room to take tired riders and their bikes to the next destination. Because our itinerary follows the train-line, riders wanting a shorter day are able to take themselves and the bikes onto trains to get to our destination. Our hotels are always very close to the stations and so this is easily done. This is not a rule and we often make exceptions, letting a rider or two ride in the van to make it easy for them. But putting larger numbers of riders and their bikes into our van just isn't possible. Myself and the staff have read these same 3 reviews many, many times now. We believe that the specific complaints reiterated above are fair and need to be addressed. J. Klemme
Written 11 August 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

fam1950
Libertyville, IL1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Solo
I have never written a negative review before, but I am strongly compelled to do so for the Bike Switzerland ChallengeTour in 2017. I am a decent rider and pretty fit, and of course I realized when signing up that it would be a challenge, however the website's disclosures were incomplete and inaccurate, as distances and climbs were significantly understated , leaving no time or energy for doing anything but getting from "A to B" every day. But, worse of all, no mention was made on the website of the lack of van support, or should I say, the complete absence of van support. Maybe it didn't help that the tour was way overbooked, with 19 riders of wildly different abilities, leaving the van driver and two guides unable to cope. Problem on the road? Too bad, catch a train and take your bike with you! I've been on 4 other European trips, and this is a first for me. Well, I could go on and on, but I was so disappointed, as the rude and arrogant Bike Switzerland owner cut corners at every opportunity on this trip. If you're thinking about this, all I can say is "buyer beware"!
Written 22 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fred, Mike and Fernando each wrote a poor review of this specific tour. The very personal nature of their review shows that we obviously got off to a bad start and I wrote to them directly to apologise for my poor reception at their arrival. Although not excusable, it was due to serious and unrelated personal circumstances. I'll address here the criticism that I see as pertinent and fair. I agree that we should have done a better job assessing the levels of the riders. There were riders that were in over their heads and we should have caught this in our application process and will do better. We had only 2 guides on this trip and we needed a third. None of the reviews mention the heatwave with temperatures in the 30s. This made the riding unusually difficult and riders needed more attention. We should have been prepared for that by having a 3rd guide. We don't use a sag-wagon in the same way these reviewers are used to. We have one large van that supports our tour. The driver loads all the suitcases, shops for picnic supplies, prepares a large meal of salads, cheese, meat, etc., takes it all down and then drives to the hotels to deliver the bags. On occasion, if there is an accident or if a rider is in distress, then the driver will also be there to help. We would never expect someone in distress to sort out their own problems, as one of the reviewers implies. This did not happen. It is true, however, that the van driver does not have the time or room to take tired riders and their bikes to the next destination. Because our itinerary follows the train-line, riders wanting a shorter day are able to take themselves and the bikes onto trains to get to our destination. Our hotels are always very close to the stations and so this is easily done. This is not a rule and we often make exceptions, letting a rider or two ride in the van to make it easy for them. But putting larger numbers of riders and their bikes into our van just isn't possible. Myself and the staff have read these same 3 reviews many, many times now. We believe that the specific complaints reiterated above are fair and need to be addressed. J. Klemme
Written 11 August 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Greg J
Marine on Saint Croix, MN5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Solo
I joined the Bike Switzerland Challenge Tour 2013. It was excellent. The guides did a great job, the hotels were top notch, and the included meals were delicious. The Bike Switzerland group made every effort to make the tour enjoyable. The roads and the riding in Switzerland were safe and scenic and challenging. I would do it all again.
Written 3 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sachin D
Pune, Maharashtra, India5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2013 • Solo
I took the lite tour in June 2013. It was really a memorable experience for me. Everything about this tour was top class.

Bikes: BMC hybrids. Wow excellent bikes! Comfortable for touring...

Route: the mittelland route. Beautiful. Good cycling route, good selection of town/city for a overnight stay

Hotels: mostly like 4* hotels.

Guides: Chris and jonno - wonderful people. Felt like I knew them for many years. Very friendly, caring, always ready to help.

Food: thanks jonno for the excellent picnic lunch everyday. Really paying attention to what everyone wanted. Jonno thanks for the paprika chips :-)

Dinner was always a pre decided menu. The selection was superb. A three course menu!!!

John Klemme: hats off to you. You clearly know how people would like to spend their 5* cycling holiday. Good pre booking support, providing GPS even though its a guided tour. starting the first evening in the farmers market and the last evening at a Chefs house (russel) was excellent thinking. At times it made me think whether John wants to make money in this business or just please the customers...total customer satisfaction surely is his motto.

Will I do a tour again: hell yeah!!!!
Written 3 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

F S
Ontario, CA2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Solo
I was one of the 19 on the June 2017 Challenge Tour and agree with agree with the poor reviews related to this tour. Right from minute 1, when I entered the shop for my fitting, I was greeted with a cold “can I help you?” by John, given a feeling that I was a bother.

A number of people received the same cold reception. One was nastily told he was to early (15 min), asked to come back later since he (John) was having a “private meeting”.

The group was amazing and a lot of fun. The guides were great. Antoine (cook and luggage) was unbelievable and always doing his best to please and making sure we were well fed. Almost as if he felt bad for us about John’s lack of everything and no give s**t attitude now that he has your money.

One of our riders (an experience and good rider) suffered a fall. No SAG vehicle or support for John. She couldn’t ride and was now on her own. Fortunately she had her husband who naturally accompanied her on the train to the next town. A few days later she had another bad fall on a gravel path and needed some medical assistance. Again, John did not give a rat’s behind and simply suggested they call an ambulance or a cab. Since no SAG van to pick-up bikes, she and husband are both still responsible for their bikes. WOW! Frustrated they told John to take the bikes back and they were done with the tour.

I can go on about the poor service and John’s poor attitude, but likely you will read posts of a number of people that were extremely disappointed with John & Bike Switzerland.

Yes! Country is fabulous for both scenery and best I’ve been to for bike friendly roads, paths….. But like others said, it would have been nice to have a little time to enjoy the towns and cities we arrived at, at the end of each day.

One site suggests Bike Switzerland as the Premier Tour Company of Switzerland. Far isn’t far enough from the truth. Don’t fall for the videos (old), and the write on their site.

I will go back to cycle other parts of Switzerland. NOT with this company!
Written 22 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fred, Mike and Fernando each wrote a poor review of this specific tour. The very personal nature of their review shows that we obviously got off to a bad start and I wrote to them directly to apologise for my poor reception at their arrival. Although not excusable, it was due to serious and unrelated personal circumstances. I'll address here the criticism that I see as pertinent and fair. I agree that we should have done a better job assessing the levels of the riders. There were riders that were in over their heads and we should have caught this in our application process and will do better. We had only 2 guides on this trip and we needed a third. None of the reviews mention the heatwave with temperatures in the 30s. This made the riding unusually difficult and riders needed more attention. We should have been prepared for that by having a 3rd guide. We don't use a sag-wagon in the same way these reviewers are used to. We have one large van that supports our tour. The driver loads all the suitcases, shops for picnic supplies, prepares a large meal of salads, cheese, meat, etc., takes it all down and then drives to the hotels to deliver the bags. On occasion, if there is an accident or if a rider is in distress, then the driver will also be there to help. We would never expect someone in distress to sort out their own problems, as one of the reviewers implies. This did not happen. It is true, however, that the van driver does not have the time or room to take tired riders and their bikes to the next destination. Because our itinerary follows the train-line, riders wanting a shorter day are able to take themselves and the bikes onto trains to get to our destination. Our hotels are always very close to the stations and so this is easily done. This is not a rule and we often make exceptions, letting a rider or two ride in the van to make it easy for them. But putting larger numbers of riders and their bikes into our van just isn't possible. Myself and the staff have read these same 3 reviews many, many times now. We believe that the specific complaints reiterated above are fair and need to be addressed. J. Klemme
Written 11 August 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dorin D
Ramnicu Valcea, Romania20 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Family
Very nice, Bike Switzerland is open all day on 22, Rue des Grottes, in Saint- Gervais, Geneva. Available website and they are affordable.
Written 25 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

charlesrhyne
Lincolnton2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Couples
Have to thank John, the owner of Bike Switzerland for arranging, such an enjoyable vacation for us. The hotels were a real treat at the end of the day. The bicycles fit well and were adjusted perfectly. Can't wait for our next trip over. So far we have ridden at least 6 tours with them . Independent and with groups.
We did have a near disaster that John gallantly helped avert. We had just cycled up a long mountain road in the Jura Mountains where we discover we had accidentally left a fanny pack with one of our passports inside at a restaurant in the village below... We called John who encouraged us to focus on enjoying our trip and he would take over finding our pack. After a restless sleep that night, John had located the pack through multiple phone calls and had made arrangements for it to be on the train to us that morning . Sure enough conveniently, right after breakfast ,we had it safely in our hands again. Can't say how thankful we were. John went the extra mile for us. That's how Bike Switzerland rolls .
We have traveled with several international bicycle tour companies. Bike Switzerland is the most consistent. Worth every penny and will provide you the assistance you need for an enjoyable and safe holiday. Thanks John!!!
Written 8 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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