Switzerland (all)

After graduating from grad school, I decided it was finally time to do the trip that I had been thinking about for years--crossing europe via the EuroVelo 6. This journal is a light-hearted account of my trip. I try to include as much information as possible for other cyclists wishing to do the same trip, but I also try to make it entertaining. You can be the judge of that.

Biking across the Swiss Alps to Venice, along the adriatic coast of Italy to Greece; island hopping on Corfu, Crete, Santorini, Naxos, Samos; and finally following Turkey's Mediterranean coast to Antalya.

Durch die Alpen der Schweiz nach Venedig, der adriatischen Küste von Italien entlang nach Griechenland, Insel Spass auf Korfu, Kreta, Santorini, Naxos, Samos; und schlussendlich der Mittelmeer Küste entlang bis Antalya in der Türke

With three of my children at the foot of the Bernese Alps, then Bern, Solothurn, Lucerne and again, in the Bernese Alps. 5 days of the Swiss adventure.

This time we're already in a foursome. I am with my three children. The youngest is 10 years old Agatha. We drive along the Pennine Alps. In addition to biking trails great mountain tours - Zermatt with Matterhorn and Chamonix with Mont Blanc. Travel of dreams.

My first bicycle trip, which my son accompanied me. Drove along the river Inn from its source, through Swiss, Austrian Tyrol to Kufstain on the border with Germany. 300 km of great cycling adventure.

London to Paris. An adventure in July. Arriving in Paris in time to see the Tour de France. Read my blog of the journey.

Il Reno, fiume europeo per eccellenza, via d'acqua e di commercio, fonte di sostentamento e di ricchezza delle genti che da sempre si sono inseduate lungo le sue rive; oltre 1'300 chilometri molti dei quali sono diventati confini naturali degli stati che attraversa, dalla Svizzera all'Olanda passando per Francia e Germania.

Il Reno è uno dei simboli dell'Europa, le sue rive uno dei tracciati piú frequentati dai cicloviaggiatori. Questa è la prima tappa di un viaggio che intende percorrerlo tutto, dalle sue sorgenti nel cuore delle Alpi fino alla foce nel mare del nord, dai paesaggi naturali quasi incontaminati a una fra le aree industriali piú vaste del continente.

Lungo il cammino non mancherà l'occasione di visitare alcune città, alla scoperta della storia, dell'arte e della cultura d'Occidente.

La prima tappa del viaggio lungo il corso del Reno ha inizio nelle Alpi, nel cantone dei Grigioni e piú precisamente sul passo dell'Oberalp dove si trova una delle sorgenti del fiume, quella del Reno anteriore (Vorderrhein); l'altra sorgente, quella del Reno posteriore (Hinterrhein) si trova nei pressi del passo del San Bernardino.

Il fiume termina la prima parte della sua corsa nel lago di Costanza (Bodensee) a Fussach, in Germania, per poi formarsi di nuovo a Stein am Rhein (Svizzera).

La regione che si trova subito a nord delle Alpi svizzere è ricca di laghi, grandi e piccoli. Agli estremi si trovano i due bacini piú grandi, il lago Lemano a sudovest e il lago di Costanza (Bodensee) a nordest, che segnano anche i confini naturali del vasto altipiano e della stessa Confederazione, dal cantone di Ginevra a San Gallo.

Il percorso che attraversa la Svizzera centrale si snoda fra questi estremi restando ai margini del grande altopiano, e tocca buona parte dei laghi posti alle pendici della catena alpina, all'incirca fra Thun e Walenstadt, attraversando anche alcuni centri maggiori come Berna, Thun, Lucerna, Zugo, Zurigo, Rapperswil: siamo nel cuore della Svizzera, dove si trovano i cosiddetti cantoni primitivi.

Finché si resta sulle sponde dei laghi il percorso non presenta particolari difficoltà, anzi è spesso pianeggiante; d'altra parte siamo ancora in un territorio segnato dalle Alpi, quindi capita che ci si trovi a dover superare qualche dislivello o passo alpino (è il caso del Brünig fra Meiringen e Sachseln).

Ho suddiviso il tracciato in due parti: la prima da Berna a Lucerna (circa 160 chilometri da percorrere in due giorni, con sosta a Meiringen), la seconda da Lucerna a Rapperswil (100 km , percorso di una giornata). Questo è il resoconto della prima tappa.

In the summer of 2009 I cycled in the Alps again. I organized my tour around 3 milestones: I registered for participating in the 2nd hardest well known bicycle-marathon of Europe, the traditional and famous La Marmotte (174 kms + 4900m heightdiff. with the Col du Glandon, Col du Galibier and at last Alpe d’Huez.). The other event was the international BIG meeting in South Bayern (Germany) with other bicycletourers and at last a test tour along the route of the Ötztaler radmarathon (228 km + 5200 m heightdiff.). A participation on that event in the following year became one of my dreams in my life. Beside these I visited another nice and memorable climbs above 2000m, in Switzerland (Mattmarksee, Lac Moiry, Barrage Grand Dixence, Alpe Galm, Tatschalp, Oberaarsee besides snowwalls and the wonderful Männlichen, etc) and in France (Col de la Colombiere, Val Thorens, Col de l'Iseran, etc.) the country of the Tour de France.

I had successful days on the La Marmotte and the Ötztaler radmarathon testtour.

Totally I cycled 2335 kms + 47060 m heightdifference on 18-19 whole days.

For me this is the fifth year of touring and the fourth for my wife. Our site is about the cycle tours we've made through Europe. We've cycled trough nine countries so far (some several times) and hope to visit the rest in the years to come. Enjoy!

Cyling Passes and Summits in the alps: Here is a cross section of (sofar) 35 passes and unnamed summits - from the famous to relatively unfamiliar (ie from Timmelsjoch to Passo Cason di Lanza) - from a day long workout to pleasant afternoon climbs (ie from crossing Vrsic Pass to a nice hill outside of Vrsno) - from road to MTB rides (like the ride to the Karwendelhaus or Tiliacher Joch). All are represented with pictures, maps, approach elevation data -also many route descriptions, ride statistics and personal opinion. Content wil grow.

This is my travel blog of several years on the road. It started life as a round-the-world trip, but before long I realised that A-to-B cycling isn't as interesting as getting off the beaten track and really exploring a place. So since I left home I've had as much time off the bike as on it, earnt more than I've spent, learnt a new language, met an amazing girl and got married to her! Eager to travel by bike as a couple, we're currently seeing where this new dimension takes us.

I prefer to write about the way the trip affects me psychologically and about the cultural, political and historical curiousities I encounter. It's an uncomfortably personal story at times, but I think it's more interesting than reading pages of distance measurements, road conditions and visa hassles.

My creative outlet comes through photography and video which I also share on the site - I carry 6kg of camera equipment and don't regret it for a second!

Meine erste grosse Radtour begann zu Hause und führte mich in Richtung Asien. Ich bin aber nicht der Typ, der für alles einen Plan hat. Ich lasse mich einfach dahintreiben, und finde Unterwegs immer wieder Ideen, wo ich gerade hin könnte. Häufig durch Jemanden, der gerade unterwegs ist, und mir von seinen Erlebnissen oder Plänen erzählt.

J'ai fait le tour de l'Europe à vélo en solo durant l'été 2009. J'ai parcouru 12 000km à travers 11 pays. J'ai vécu une expérience magnifique! Venez lire mon blog!

We don't just have our house on our bikes, we also have our two dogs, Jack and Paco, along for the ride. That's 60kg of furry luggage and another 50-60kg of non-furry luggage between the two of us! Needless to say we don't go fast but we do go everywhere, refusing to let our extra load stop us from tackling hills with grades of up to 18%. We have been on the road with our two dogs since July 2008. So far we have covered 17,000 kms and 18 countries in continental Europe.

A six day ride across Switzerland from Basel to Zernez in the Lower Engadine, taking in some of the easier passes including the Glaubenbielen Pass, the Pragel Pass, the Wolfgang Pass and the Fluela Pass.

A tandem tour of the Alps, starting from Munich, then riding through Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

Another tour of the Alps for this Summer was being planned, but nearly had to be cancelled due to an accident in early June, when I fractured my collar bone and hurt my head and right leg. I had the goal of completing climbing all asphalted pass roads in the Alps from 1700m and higher (which I have detailed in a list at the cycloclimbing.com site).

The weather forecast for the next week looks promising, so I decide to take the train to Geneva, and start a cycle tour crossing Switzerland diagonally till St. Margrethen (at the Austrian border).

Travel By Bike is a website about a group of enthusiastic bikers with more than 10 years of travel experience. From Belgium through The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom. Do not forget look at to the page 'pregnant on bike', reading our travel stories and watching the beautiful pictures!

A five day cycle trip across Switzerland starting at Geneva following Swiss bike route 1 up the Rhone valley to the Furka pass, then joining route 3 over the Gotthard pass with a super long descent to Bellnzona, and finishing up on the western shore of Lake Como in Italy. With a bus lift over the Furka this was an easy way to cycle in the heart of the Alps and time was taken along the way to stop and meet people and visit some of the castles on the route. With nearly 100 photos this is a day by day account of the journey, the people I met and places I visited along the way.

A 9 day bicycle tour through Switzerland, originating from a ski climb to a 4000 m peak. Here is how it works: you go around by bicycle and, from time to time, your friends reach you to perform some ski ascent together. It is understood that the whole mountaineering gear is carried by them!

25,000 children die each day mainly from preventable causes. These children are not dying from incurable diseases or causes. These children are dying from diarrhea, pneumonia, measles and malaria - things that cost pennies to treat or prevent.

My aim is to raise £25,000 by riding 4,000 kilometres from London to Athens with an average of 25,000 spins of my legs per day.

I left home in September 2004. I was supposed to cycle to Tibet in 7-8 months. Until now, I never reached Tibet and I'm still on the road. A cold winter in Turkey make me change my itinery and then my travel's philosophy. I decided that the performance was not that important but the road itself brings me everything. In almost a total of 2 years where I worked as a safari tour guide in Namibia, I had enough money to continue and live the dream further and further. Soon, I will attempt to buy a boat in Amazonia and turn it into a bicyle-boat to cross the Amazonas on its bigest highways: the rivers! This tour is still in process and I will keep it updated on my website. nature, dirt roads, cultures and wildlife lover..

Starting in Switzerland and crossing the Alps in eastern direction through the Dolomites of Italy to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia; cruise around Mt.Triglav National Park, and finally mastering Austria's southern Alps on the way back to Switzerland.

World Biking: The web's most comprehensive Africa Cycling Expedition. Eric and Amaya pedalled 55,000 kilometers and traversed 55 countries (37 in Africa) when they cycled from France to Cape Town via West Africa and then back to France via East Africa and the Middle East between 2006 and 2009. The next stage of their expedition beginning in June 2009 will take them across the USA and then through South America all the way to its southernmost tip, Ushuaia. Lots of photos, tales of their adventure plus touring tips, practical information and gear reviews.

9 days cycling in the Easter week 2009 - one day trips from Bergamo (sometimes with train). Some figures: climbed 3854m/day; distance 169,5 km/day; temperature range 7-33°C; max steepness 26%; 50 new (to me) mountain passes; max altitude 1800m; hardest climb Alpe Vaccaro.

A lonely Hungarian cyclist who has the Summers free and likes to make new advantures on his bike.

Started with his short Croatian tours, but made it always longer, and in 2005 didn't stop before the 2700th kilometer in Greece. In the following year he decided to start the real adventure, to cycle out of Europe.

2007 was the year of cycling across Canada, the headwindy way - of course :) After this 9000km trip now he is in the planning stage of the South-American tour for 2009.

On my way to China from Switzerland, I left home on August 2008 and plan to arrive in China on September 2009. As biologist I try to meet other collegues and make some birdwatch on some famous bird's important areas. meeting people also take a good part of the trip.

The aim was not only to overcome the cycle route, but also to hold a mountain of interesting excursions. We are four persons: Agata (10lat), Ania (16), Krzysztof (22) and me, father siblings.

Website is in Polish, but it has a google translator. It is written in simple language. Try to understand all in your native language.

Cycling from Germany to Istanbul via Austria and the Balkan - and back via Greece, Italy and Switzerland in August and September 2007. Including tour diary in German, statistics, loads of pics and Google Maps.

The goal this Summer was to make sure I have climbed every asphalted (at least one side) pass throughout the whole of the Alps above 1700m (which I have detailed in a list at the cycloclimbing.com site). I also wanted to include some difficult roads that are not passes.

(Length: 4916.7 km for 29 days = 170 km/day; Height metres climbed: 105454 m for 29 days = 3636m/day.)

The winter of 1963 brought the longest cold spell to central Europe in a many years, freezing the landscape deeper than it had in 100 years. Realizing that such weather probably would not occur again in my lifetime, if ever, I decided to do more than read about frozen lakes and deep frost [...] The ice was glassy smooth here [in Zürich], the sun and warmth from the city having melted the surface during the warmest part of the day. I walked down onto the lake and mounted my bicycle carefully. From having ridden on snow packed streets, I was aware that the best gear was the highest (50-13) to prevent undesired wheelspin that could dump me onto the ice. Traction would have been even poorer had it not been -20 Celsius.

Stelvio summit with Valle di Trafoi background. Weather in the picture was typically cool with constant chance of rain and snow. It was a cold summer.

Ibach - Rosenlaui - Hospental - Biella - Ivrea - Tenda - St. Etienne - Arvieux - Lanslebourg - Bourg St. Maurice - Lavachey - Brig-Ried - Bignasco - Thusis - Brusio - Stelvio - Astfeld - Marebbe - Brixen - Landeck - Urnerboden - Alpnachstadt - Brunnen

From 28 August to 08 September 2008 I surrounded Switzerland.

A varied tour of flat country side to hills and Alpine passes.

I ve actually done quite a number of bike-trips myself. It was always a pleasure to be out in the nowhere for longer period of time just moving forward on two wheels.

Finally, after a longer period of absence from travelling I could free two months again. This time the challenge was to find a way of cycling with the entire family, with Juri (4) and Lenya (1), and my wife Angela of course. Thanks to the great Swiss invention of follow-me tandem we could attach Juris bike and de-tach it from time to time if traffic allowed. The bigger challenge was to find enough storage for our luggage which lead to the ``convoi exceptionnell'': two trailers in row behind my bike.

If you want so see how that worked out on the way from Zurich to the French Atlantic, read this live-blog written during the tour on my mobile phone (German). There are plenty of pictures of course as well.

From June 16 to August 1 2008, I cycled from Alta to the North-Cape, there I started a 7-week trip through Finland Sweden Denmark Germany Netherlands Belgium and France back to Switzerland.

An account of a weeks bike trip to the Italian Alps (Bormio), (and a bit of Switzerland) in September 2008.

The legend that is the Passo Stelvio had been on my itinerary for a few years. Between us, we'd expanded that to include the equally legendary Mortirolo and Gavia passes, and anything else we'd regard as a bonus!

Includes a daily ride report and route maps, plus loads of pictures of each days ride in the gallery section.