Thursday 4 September 2014

Are you Taking Your Bike with You on Your House Move to Switzerland? Here’s a Brief Overview of Cycling in the Country

One of the things you might want to consider when you are packing your bike for your house move to Switzerland, is the ease of getting about on two wheels - especially as the country isn’t flat like Holland.

The good news is that when the date of your household removals to Switzerland arrives, you can rest assured that the country is pretty bike friendly. Nearly half the population have bicycles and one in ten people cycle to work.

Cycling is a great way of getting fit, enjoying the fresh air and appreciating the beauty of your new surroundings. Whether you are a beginner, or an experienced cyclist, there are routes of varying levels of difficulty to try – and you’ll discover some great sights along the way!

And, whether you have a lorry load of household possessions to move, or would prefer a shared container load, Hamiltons Removals can help. We offer regular removals to Switzerland for homes and businesses and are dedicated to customer service. Just click on the link above to find out more.

Cycling in the City in Switzerland – All cities in Switzerland differ in terms of their cycling facilities and, as we can’t give you the rundown on every Swiss city here, we shall just focus on two: Zurich and Berne.

If you are moving house from the UK to Zurich and don’t have your own bike, the city has several places where you can ‘hire’ a bike free of charge for the day during the months of May to October.

However, if you intend to commute to work by train and want to cycle to and from the railway station, here you will find a year round ‘hire’ facility. Again, this is free of charge: all you need is some ID and a deposit which you get back when you return the bike.

If you are moving house to Berne and don’t have a bike, the city has a number of free bike hire facilities – just bring along some ID and a deposit. Unlike in Zurich, bike hire in the capital is only free for the first four hours and there is a minimal hourly cost after this. Bikes can be hired all year round from the railway station while other places offer seasonal bike hire facilities.

Cycling in the country in Switzerland – If you love to cycle, Switzerland has a 9,000km cycle network and you will find routes that are as slow pace, or as challenging as you want them to be.

If you are looking for a leisurely cycle to enjoy the scenery or stop off at one of the many attractions, there are nine national routes to take and more than 50 regional cycle trails and 68 local routes. Some of the routes will take you along lakesides, rivers and through valleys, forests and pretty villages, while others are mountainous and are generally braved only by the fittest of cyclists.

For easy cycling, there are various family friendly routes including the Mittelland Route, a multi-day route from Romanshorn to Lausanne, which is ideal for beginners. Depending on which part of the route you choose to cycle on, you will get to admire stunning scenery, including lakes, rivers and valleys. Most of the route is mainly is on traffic free paths, so it is a great one to start on.

The more experienced cyclists will enjoy pedalling at least some, if not all, of the Alpine Panorama route which leads from St Margrethen to Aigle. As expected, the route can be quite hard going (you will be cycling up and down mountains for some time). However, it is well worth it as you get to see some fantastic scenery, not to mention the fact that your fitness levels will soar even higher.

Off Road Cycling – If off-road cycling is your style, Switzerland has three multi-day national routes to choose from, 15 regional off road routes and 172 local routes.

If you are an experienced off roader, cycling through the Alps is a wonderful way to see the true beauty of your host country. The Alpine route takes you from Scuol to Aigle and you will be rewarded with some amazing panoramic views. Expect to really work those thighs though as you will negotiate steep slopes and long descents. But the scenery makes it all worthwhile!

The whole route takes about 16 days, although you can take it in stages. However, if you do have the time to spare to do the whole route, from start to finish, it will give you a fantastic sense of accomplishment.

Professional UK to Switzerland Removals –  click here for a free quotation for home or office removals to Switzerland.

Related articles:

Removals to Switzerland: Most Picturesque Places to Visit
Removals to Switzerland: The Ten Highest Peaks in Switzerland
Removals to Switzerland: Extreme Sports in Switzerland

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