Reasons for cycling holidays by train
Inexpensive: The bike transport costs only around CHF 20 extra per bike.
Flexible: Get off the train in one place, do your cycle tour, and then travel back home from another place. With the train, you are not tied to a vehicle and can organise your bike tour however you like.
Direct: There are numerous train connections from Switzerland on which you can easily take your bicycle without having to change trains. Wherever possible, we will reserve seats for you right next to the bicycle zone.
FAQ: Taking Your Bike on the Train Abroad
Yes, many international trains from Switzerland have bicycle spaces available. For example, on the direct trains to Germany, Austria and Italy. You can see which connections are suitable in the route map further below, or our booking team will be happy to help you. A bike reservation costs approximately 5 to 15 francs per train and bike.
Yes, a bike reservation is mandatory on all international long-distance trains. In most countries, you can take your bike on regional trains without a reservation. In France, bike spaces on regional trains must also be reserved during high season and on weekends. If you book through SimpleTrain, we reserve the bike space for you at the same time - so you don't need to worry about it yourself.
Ein halbes Jahr im Voraus ist optimal. Je früher, desto besser. Besonders im Sommer aber auch zu anderen Zeiten sind Veloplätze sehr gefragt und dementsprechend knapp. Du kannst uns deine Anfrage aber auch schon ein Jahr im Voraus schicken. Wir melden uns dann bei dir, sobald die Verbindung buchbar ist.
Unter anderem Deutschland, Österreich, Italien und die Niederlande. Mit Direktverbindungen ab der Schweiz zum Beispiel nach Berlin, Hamburg, Wien, Salzburg, Graz, Milano, Venedig, Amsterdam und Budapest. Mit Zug und Fähre sind auch Veloreisen auf den Balkan, Skandinavien oder Nordafrika kein Problem für uns. Wichtig ist bei allen Ländern: Früh buchen!
Hat es auf der gewünschten Verbindung keine Veloplätze mehr, sucht dir unser Buchungsteam eine passende Alternative. In gewissen Zügen kannst du dein Velo auch in einem Velosack verpackt (Transbag) mitnehmen.
Direct trains from Switzerland with bicycle spaces are available to these destinations
BerlinFrom 39 CHF
Travel time 8h
0x transfer
BratislavaFrom 65 CHF
Travel time 8.75h
0x transfer
BudapestFrom 46 CHF
Travel time 10.5h
0x transfer
GrazFrom 52 CHF
Travel time 9.5h
0x transfer
HamburgFrom 39 CHF
Travel time 8h
0x transfer
MilanoFrom 29 CHF
Travel time 3.25h
0x transfer
SalzburgFrom 34 CHF
Travel time 7.5h
1x transfer
VenedigFrom 48 CHF
Travel time 6h
0x transfer
WienFrom 55 CHF
Travel time 8h
0x transfer
Connections
Whether travelling on the German ICE, the Austrian Railjet or the Eurocity to Italy, all of these trains offer bicycle transport. For journeys to France, bicycles can also be taken on TER express trains and selected TGV trains. This makes it easy to take your bike on the train without folding it up.
Travel wherever you want!
SimpleTrain takes you to any train station in Europe. And if you want to take your bicycle with you, there is usually a way to take it on the train as well.
Information about travelling with a bike
Sur les espaces vélos ou emballé dans un Transbag
De nombreux trains internationaux longue distance et la plupart des trains régionaux en Europe disposent de leurs propres espaces vélos, sur lesquels les vélos peuvent être garés très confortablement pour le voyage. Le vélo peut être accroché aux crochets à vélo et verrouillé pendant le voyage, tandis que tu peux profiter de ton voyage dans ton compartiment ou dans la voiture-restaurant.
Les espaces vélos sont rares, surtout en été, c’est pourquoi il vaut la peine de commander à l’avance. Si tu as commandé sur SimpleTrain, les espaces vélos sont également réservées – tu n’as donc pas à t’inquiéter que ton vélo ne puisse pas monter dans le train.
Dans les trains sans espaces vélos, les vélos peuvent être transportés dans des sacs spéciaux pour vélos (Transbags).
Yes, the night trains from Switzerland to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Graz all have bike spaces on board. These must be reserved. The night trains to Zagreb and Budapest do not take bikes.
Whenever possible, we try to reserve you a seat close to the bike space. However, due to limited availability, we cannot guarantee this.
You can find information about refunds for delays and cancellations on our page on refunds for delays and cancellations. With bikes, it's even more important to contact the train staff directly. This way, in case of a delay, the bike can usually still be taken on the next train.
Send us a booking request via our booking form. We'll find the right connection for you.
In some countries, bike transport is only possible with a transport bag (e.g. TranZbag). This is the case, for example, on almost all trains in Spain and Sweden. The Eurostar to London only takes bikes if they are packed, and requires a complicated registration process. For the UK, we therefore recommend the ferry from the Netherlands to Hoek van Holland or Newcastle.
Yes, on most trains your bike needs its own ticket. The cost varies depending on the country and connection. On average, it's around 20 francs per bike.
Travel stories by train and bike
Have you already travelled there by train and would like to share your experience with the community? Share your tips with the community!
We are always happy to receive a guest contribution for our blog.
Questions, errors or feedback
Have you got a question, discovered a mistake or want to tell us about your last train journey? We look forward to hearing from you! Please send us your booking inquiry via our booking form.