Possibly our most demanding trip, the Trans-Swiss Challenge crosses Switzerland from west to east, and includes many of the legendary climbs that feature regularly in the Tour de Suisse.

Included in the itinerary is the spectacular St Gotthardpass - one of the few cobbled passes in Europe.

But the Trans-Swiss is more than just climbing - it's a magnificent journey through the most beautiful mountain landscapes in Europe.

The trip starts in Charmey and makes its way through the Pre-Alps region towards the high peaks and glaciers that surround Ulrichen. From Ulrichen we head east towards the Italian border where a certain Passo Stelvio awaits to close off our journey!

Trip Profile

Trip Highlights

• Climb the spectacular St Gotthardpass - one of the few cobbled passes in Europe!
• Conquer the mighty Passo Stelvio - from both sides!
• The views of the surrounding glaciers from the Grimselpass
• 2 days of beautiful rides through the Pre-Alps region to the north of Interlaken - over the Gurnigel and Glaubenbielenpass.
• Almost 54,000ft of climbing in 7 days!
• As always the top support in the industry!

Top Support in the Industry

Throughout the trip you can relax and enjoy the rides knowing that you have the best Support Team in the industry right behind you all the way!

1 Sag Van and 1 experienced TBT ride leader for every 10 clients. And the highest staff to client ratio....1 staff member per 4 clients!

Your daily rides

Day	Itinerary	Ride Distance	Elevation Gain
1	Warm-up ride around Charmey	30 miles	2,500 ft
2	Charmey › Gurnigel › Schallenbergpass › Kemmeriboden	76 miles	6,600 ft
3	Kemmeriboden › Glaubenbielenpass › Brunigpass › Grimselpass › Ulrichen	82 miles	10,500 ft
4	Ulrichen › Nufenenpass › St Gotthardpass › Oberalppass › Disentis	58 miles	8,750 ft
5	Disentis › Obersaxen › Lenzerheidepass › Lenzerheide	53 miles	6,300 ft
6	Lenzerheide › Albulapass › Passo del Bernina › Forcola di Livigno › Passo d'Eira › Passo di Foscagno › Bormio	81 miles	8,950 ft
7	Bormio › Passo Stelvio › Passo Umbrail › Passo Stelvio › Bormio	61 miles	10,200 ft
TOTAL:		441 miles	53,800 ft
DAILY AVERAGE:		63 miles	7,686 ft

 

What's Included

• 8 days / 7 nights fully accompanied trip
  
• All breakfasts
• All but 1 dinner
  
• Lunch on the first day
• Pick-up at Geneva Airport
• Drop-off at Milan Malpensa Airport
• All ground transportation
• All luggage transfer
• Services of our expert guides
• Support vehicles
• Thomson Bike Tours maps, cue sheets and elevation profiles

What's Not Included

• Airfare
• Travel and personal insurance
• Additional hotel expenses i.e. phone charges, mini-bar, gratuities
• Lunches (except lunch on the first day which is included)
• 1 Dinner

Climb these Famous Cols

In just 1 week climb many of the legendary cols in the Swiss Alps and a few famous cols in Italy! Here are some of the cols included in our itinerary (sorted by Difficulty Index):

Climb	Elev. Gain	Average Grade	Length	Profile (m/km)	Difficulty Index
Passo Stelvio (from Prato)	5932 ft	7.4%	15.1 miles		172
Passo Stelvio (from Bormio)	5030 ft	7.1%	13.4 miles		144
Grimselpass	5052 ft	5.9%	16.1 miles		142
Nufenenpass	3714 ft	8.5%	8.3 miles		133
Albulapass	4793 ft	4.7%	19.1 miles		130
Lenzerheidepass	2890 ft	5.0%	10.9 miles		111
St Gotthardpass	3058 ft	7.3%	7.9 miles		104
Gurnigel	2428 ft	4.5%	10.2 miles		76
Glaubenbielenpass	2388 ft	4.7%	9.7 miles		75
Oberalppass	1982 ft	5.7%	6.6 miles		72
Mittelberg	1926 ft	5.3%	6.9 miles		68
Brunigpass	1667 ft	4.1%	7.8 miles		59
Forcola di Livigno	863 ft	6.7%	2.5 miles		57
Passo d'Eira	1293 ft	5.9%	4.2 miles		51
Passo Bernina	1991 ft	3.0%	12.7 miles		46
Passo di Foscagno	886 ft	5.9%	2.9 miles		44
Schallenberg	853	5.7%	2.8 miles		43

 

 

The Thomson Bike Tours Difference Your trip to Europe may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you deserve the best! Performance cyclists now rate Thomson Bike Tours as the premiere provider of performance trips to Europe. Here are a few details that set us aside from the rest: LESS VAN - MORE BIKE: NO Van Transfers between your hotels and the start/finish of the bike rides. Each day we ride from and to the hotel. Our local knowledge, extensive planning and vast experience mean that you spend less time in a van and more time on the bike! Best-in-class Support & ride leaders: another key to our success! Sag van and ride leader for every 10 riders. Highest Staff to Customer Ratio: 1 staff member per 4 customers! THE THOMSON RIDES: over the years we've also gained a reputation for providing the best (and most challenging!) rides. 25 years experience riding in the Swiss Alps counts!