Ride Director Comments

For safety reasons participants must ride with a partner. No one is allowed to ride alone on the tour. SPACE IS AVAILABLE FOR A SINGLE MALE! Please contact the ride director.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: This tour was led in 2014, 2017 and 2019 and received excellent reviews. There are four 2-night stays during the 14 nights of the trip.  We can cycle, hike or boat to interesting sights around each town. The tour follows rivers and lakes from Zurichsee through the medieval towns of Schaffhausen and Stein am Rhein to Bodensee (Lake Constance, the largest lake in the German-speaking world) for 4 nights in Germany and Austria. Riding around Bodensee we visit Swiss towns, as well as the German towns of Konstanz, Friedrichshafen and Lindau, and Bregenz in Austria. We visit Lichtenstein for 1 night before continuing in Switzerland along Obersee, Walensee and Zurichsee before a short climb to the beautiful town of Zug on the shores of Zugersee. From Zug we pass by Lauerzersee and Schwyz, the town from which Switzerland got its name and coat of arms, to the small holiday resort of Weggis on Vierwaldstattersee (Lake of Lucerne). We then visit the charming but lesser known Swiss rose town of Rapperswil-Jona on the return to Zurich.  Terrain is mostly lake shore and rolling hills with limited climbing. Our overnights are in Dubendorf (Zurich), Schaffhausen, Konstanz (Germany, 2 nights), Bregenz (Austria, 2 nights), Vaduz (Liechtenstein), Weesen, Zug, Weggis (2 nights) and Rapperswil (2 nights). We ride on lightly traveled country roads, mostly paved and some unpaved cycle paths, with minimal distances on city streets and busy roads. Participants must be comfortable using maps with route sheets and following bike path signs.  Ridewithgps files will be provided to download onto a suitable device as well.

Highlights include ferry rides across Bodensee, Vierwaldstattersee and Zurichsee; cable car and rack rail train rides; hiking in the Alps; the Rheinfall, the largest volume waterfall in Europe; small medieval towns with painted Baroque house facades including Lindau and Stein am Rhine, which are among the best preserved medieval towns in the German-speaking world; Rapperswil-Jona's wooden bridge, the longest in Switzerland; and Weggis, the ‘Riviera’ of central Switzerland with easy access to Lucerne and Mt. Rigi.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Participants should be vaccinated for COVID and be prepared to present vaccination documentation for viewing by the Ride Leader, if requested. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Prior to the final payment for the tour, an infectious disease plan will be developed and communicated. The plan will identify possible actions for dealing with persons with an infectious disease on the tour that could affect their ability to ride or the health of others in the group. The plan will include items such as isolation protocols, testing, masking, distancing, and leaving the tour.

RIDE RATING: The ride is rated 1A! with an average daily distance of 34 miles and average elevation gain of 948 feet. There are 5 brief hills, approximately 0.2 miles each, where the grade exceeds 8%. Required riding days that exceed the 1A rating are:

      Day  2 – 41 miles, 1025 ft elevation gain
      Day  4 – 43 miles, 460 ft elevation gain
      Day  8 – 39 miles, 1425 ft elevation gain
      Day 11 – 36 miles, 1900 ft elevation gain

WEATHER: The temperatures average from the low 40s at night to daytime temperatures reaching the high 70s inland and low 50s to high 60s along the lakes (Zurich 41 to 77; Konstanz 51 to 68). Weather extremes could be 10 degrees colder or warmer. Average rainfall during this period is about 2 inches. Riders should always expect the unexpected and be prepared for any weather.

LODGING: The accommodations are five 4-star hotels and four 3-star hotels. Daily route reviews before our group dinners will include a glass of wine, beer, soft drink, juice or water with a small snack. Drinks at dinner are normally extra.

GROUP DINNERS: We use your Preferences in your Profile to try and accommodate your special medical and dietary needs. In order to provide you with some meal choices we ask hotels to serve two main dishes to each couple. If you receive one dish and prefer the other, you may trade with others. Very few hotels allow a group to order off the menu and some insist on serving only one main dish. Participants may not wear jeans, shorts or t-shirts to group dinners.

LOGISTICS: The tour begins in Dubendorf at 6:00 PM on September 14 and ends in Dubendorf after breakfast on September 28. Bike boxes will be stored at our hotel in Dubendorf. Dubendorf is located on the tram line between Zurich Airport (ZRH) and downtown Zurich. Detailed instructions will be provided. We will have a van driver whose primary role will be to transport luggage and supplies. While the van will be available to assist with any emergencies, it will not serve as as sag vehicle and participants are expected to complete each required ride day. Tandems are welcome. Good quality bike rentals may not be available.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: In addition to the $100 non-refundable BAC Fee the estimated cost is $3250 per person (at exchange rates of $1.19 per Swiss Franc and $1.17 per Euro) double occupancy for 14 nights including 9 dinners, 14 breakfasts, social hour refreshments, luggage van, maps, route sheets, bike box storage and sightseeing information. The initial deposit is $1500 and the second payment, $1750, is due November 1, 2023. Tickets for boats, cable cars and sight seeing are not included in the cost. Electronic versions of maps and route sheets will be sent, and participants are expected to print their own copies of them. GPS tracks will be provided for those who want them, but it is up to the rider to know how to use his or her GPS before the trip begins. Depending on currency rate fluctuations, there could be an additional payment a month or so before departure.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY: Singles are welcome and encouraged to find compatible roommates and/or riding partners. Ride Directors will introduce and assist singles to find roommates, but singles must make their own rooming decision. We do not accept solos, as the number of rooms available is limited.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US and your home country, regardless of your nationality. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for COVID and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible.

SIGN-UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the Tour Deposit and the non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee by credit card.. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.