Switzerland: summary and route

We didn't love Switzerland as much as we'd expected....but this may be due to the route. Eurovelo 5 follows national route 3, which feels a bit like it's just a way to get you from south to north, if that makes sense! It's mostly well-signed; we lost it a few times but soon found it again. Our GPS of Eurovelo 5 mostly followed the route, as did the app - but not exclusively.

The Gotthard pass is great, and not too difficult (if you're used to mountain passes and don't mind cobbles of course!). After that, we felt like we spent a lot of time near main roads, and on them for short sections. The bit around Lake Lucerne is particularly bad for this, but don't be put off as you can ride on the pavement! We also encountered a fair bit of gravel, but it was of good quality. We never got to grips with the road markings and priorities, but no one seemed to mind! That said, we didn't think the drivers were as courteous as the Italians. The cycling was far better in the less dramatic north of the country, which looked a lot like Devon! The part of Switzerland we rode through is surprisingly built up, although the mountain backdrops are stunning of course.

Switzerland has a well-known reputation for being expensive, and that is certainly true, but it's possible to live cheaply if you're careful. We found the campsites to be surprisingly cheap - cheaper than Italy, but we have gone into off season. Our first site by Lake Lugano was 40CHF, but after that they were always less than 30, and often closer to 20. Food is expensive, BUT look out for Lidl, and also Denner and Migros. Coop is to be avoided - so expensive!! We treated ourselves to one coffee when we missed the ferry across lake Lucerne, and that was a but painful at 4CHF each. We even managed to eat Fondue, albeit bought from Lidl and cooked on our Whisperlite - works surprisingly well!

Overall, I'd like to return to Switzerland but either to cycle more in the mountains, or to do some hiking.

I'll post a map of our route when I have better wifi!