Aare Trail

7 Nights Self Guided - 143 Miles
From April to October 2012
£725 Per Person Based Upon 2 Sharing

This Swiss cycling holiday follows the River Aare from the pretty village of Meiringen to Aarau, the capital of the Canton of Aargau and because it does so, the route is flat and therefore graded as easy.

Basic Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Meiringen
Day 2 Meiringen to Interlaken ~ 19 miles
Day 3 Interlaken to Thun ~ 19 miles
Day 4 Thun to Bern ~ 17 miles
Day 5 Bern to Biel ~ 31 miles
Day 6 Biel to Solothurn ~ 20 miles
Day 7 Solothurn to Aarau ~ 37 miles
Day 8 Departure

What's included:
* Meet and greet at Zurich Airport and transfer to first hotel
* Transfer back to Zurich Airport on Day 8
* Bed and breakfast accommodation in medium class hotels
* 21 gear hybrid/mountain bike with pannier bag, pump, tool kit and lock
* Guidebooks with maps (German text, but the route is easy to follow and well-signed)
* Daily route information in English
* Luggage transfers
* Emergency support

Meiringen is a popular and pretty village in the Bernese Oberland, close to the Reichenbach Waterfall made famous in the Sherlock Holmes adventures. From here you ride alongside the Lakes of Brienz and Thun and through the town of Interlaken. The scenery is spectacular as the high mountains of this region tower above you. Beyond Thun the countryside surrounding your riverside route becomes hilly rather than mountainous as you approach the Swiss capital, Bern. There is plenty to see here before continuing to the town of Biel and its lake. The route then takes you to the picturesque towns of Solothurn and Olten where it is fascinating to stroll through the narrow streets of the old parts of the towns. The River Aare is then followed further to your journey's end in Aarau.

Grade: Easy

Getting there: Fly to Zurich then travel by train to Meiringen. Return from Zurich.

Day 1 Arrive Meiringen.

Day 2 Meiringen to Interlaken.
Close to Meiringen there are a couple of attractions definitely worth visiting. One is the Reichenbach Waterfall, made famous in the Sherlock Holmes adventures. The other is the Aare gorge through which the river you will be following, squeezes. After leaving Meiringen a flat cycle route brings you to the end of Brienz Lake which you then follow on a traffic-free route past the Giessbach Waterfall to the pretty lakeside village of Iseltwald before arriving in Interlaken. ~ 19 miles

Day 3 Interlaken to Thun.
There is plenty of time for sightseeing again today as the cycle ride to Thun is an easy one. After leaving Interlaken you follow the shore of Lake Thun all the way to your destination. Be sure to spend some time exploring the delightful lakeside town of Spiez on the way. ~ 19 miles

Day 4 Thun to Bern.
You ride away from the high mountain scenery today and the valley of the River Aare gets wider. Once again, the short distance to travel gives you plenty of time to explore the charming Swiss capital of Bern. ~ 17 miles

Day 5 Bern to Biel.
A longer distance is to be covered today but the going is not difficult. The route takes you past another lake, the Wohlensee. Further on you ride through arable farmland to reach the Bielersee, which you then follow to your accommodation in the interesting town of Biel. ~ 31 miles

Day 6 Biel to Solothurn.
The flat valley of the River Aare guides you from Biel to Solothurn passing the village of Altreu, famous for its nesting storks. Solothurn has a lovely old town in its centre and with many atmospheric pavement cafes. ~ 20 miles

Day 7 Solothurn to Aarau.
The final day's cycling is through an enchanting landscape as the River Aare passes the small medieval town of Wangen and the pretty villages of Berken, Aarwangen and Wolfwil. On reaching Olten you should once again seek out the old town before cycling the last stretch to Aarau. ~ 37 miles

Day 8 Departure.

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