Switzerland
A road-riding country, not an offroad one. Forest tracks are closed to motor vehicles by default — but the paved alpine pass network here is among the best on earth.
The Honest Take
Switzerland is a magnificent country to ride a motorcycle in. It is also one of the most restrictive in Europe for offroad riding. The two are not in conflict — but most ADV-marketing assumes they are. The truth: Switzerland's paved alpine passes are world-class, the road network is immaculate, and you can plan a 7-day loop that hits 15 of Europe's most famous mountain passes without touching a single dirt track. What you cannot legally do is ride forest roads or cross-country tracks the way you would in Spain, Italy or Eastern Europe.
Forest roads in Switzerland are owned by communes, cantons, or private forestry operators and managed under cantonal Forstpolizei rules. The default rule across all cantons is that motor vehicles are prohibited unless a specific exception is signed. Some forest roads carry Anlieger-frei (residents-only) signs; that exception does not apply to ADV touring. Penalties for unauthorized forest-road riding range from CHF 100 fines to CHF 500+ for sensitive areas (alpine pasture, protected zones), occasionally with bike confiscation. Cross-country riding outside marked roads is prohibited federally.
The Roads
The classic alpine triangle. Three high passes you can ride in a single day from Andermatt or Meiringen, with views over the Rhône glacier and the Bernese Alps. The most-photographed paved riding in the country. Best Jun–Sep when all three are open; Susten typically closes Oct–May.
Eastern Switzerland's pass collection — quieter than the Bernese triangle, equally spectacular. Davos and St. Moritz are natural bases. The Bernina Pass connects to Tirano in Italy on a paved railway-shadowing route. Best Jun–Oct.
The southern Alps connect Switzerland to Italy via three paved high-altitude passes. Great St Bernard and Simplon are open year-round (with tunnels for winter); Nufenen — the highest-elevation paved road entirely in Switzerland — is summer-only. Pair with the Stelvio across the Italian border.
When to Ride
Switzerland's pass season is short. Most high passes (Furka, Grimsel, Susten, Nufenen, Flüela, Albula) open in late May or early June and close in October when the first heavy snow falls. The reliable window is mid-June through late September. May and October are shoulders — passes can open or close on a week's notice. Year-round you can still ride the lower paved network and the tunnel-served corridors (Gotthard, Simplon, Great St Bernard tunnels), but the country's reason-to-ride is the high passes during their open window.
Regions to Plan Around
Practical
Stations dense everywhere — even small alpine villages have 24/7 automated pumps. Premium 95 standard, 98 widely available. Fuel quality is excellent. Prices are among the highest in Europe.
Swiss franc (CHF). Cards accepted everywhere; contactless is universal. Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe — budget CHF 100+/day for accommodation, CHF 30+/meal at sit-down restaurants. Mountain refuges are slightly cheaper.
An annual motorway vignette (CHF 40, valid the calendar year) is mandatory on motorways and certain main roads. Buy at border crossings or fuel stations. Several alpine tunnels (Great St Bernard, Munt la Schera) charge separate tolls. Switzerland is not in the EU but is in Schengen.
Mountain hotels and Gasthäuser (CHF 100–180) in pass towns. SAC alpine huts in summer (CHF 60–90 with breakfast) — usually with secure bike parking. Wild camping is restricted to above-treeline overnight bivouacs; below 2,500 m it is generally not permitted.
Excellent coverage country-wide — among the best in Europe. Even high alpine passes typically have signal. Mobile data via roaming or eSIM is straightforward.
Mountain weather. Summer pass tops can be 5–15°C even on a hot August day at the valley floor. Pack layers. Thunderstorms develop quickly in the afternoon — ride early, descend before 14:00 in changeable weather.
Set your start and end across Switzerland or to a neighbouring country — GoraAdv routes you on the road network. (Forest-track routing is technically possible in the planner but legally inadvisable here — stick to public paved roads.)
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