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If you’re a road cycling fan, cycling in Switzerland is an experience you need to have at least once. I’ve been lucky enough to have already had one Swiss cycling adventure on a 3-day bicycle tour exploring the Jura & Three Lakes Region with Switzerland Tourism.
In 2024, I got the opportunity to return to Switzerland to ride the LA REINE Strictly Female Gran Fondo series thanks to Gstaad Tourism Board and boy do I have some tales and insights to share with you, especially if you’re keen to take part in what will be the 5th year of the original LA REINE festival in 2025.
I’m pretty certain that sharing my experience and learnings from my trip will help ensure you have the best time, so here goes.
About Gstaad Region
(pictured is my view when visiting the Cheese Grotto in Gstaad)
Gstaad is located in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, in the southwestern part of the country. It sits at the intersection of four valleys and is surrounded by the stunning Swiss Alps. The town itself is part of the municipality of Saanen and is about a 2-hour drive or train ride from major cities like Bern, Montreux, and Lausanne.
Gstaad is a stunning region that perfectly balances natural beauty with a touch of luxury; I’d call it Bond Street in the Alps (IYKYK). The region is known for its charming villages, pristine lakes and world class hospitality all whilst being the perfect spot for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors.
The region has over 500km of cycling routes, catering to everyone from casual riders seeking leisurely bike paths to seasoned cyclists craving challenging alpine climbs.
With picturesque views of snow-capped peaks, lush meadows, and quaint chalets, every ride in Gstaad literally feels like a journey through a postcard or CALM app sleep story (again, IYKYK).
Getting To Gstaad From The UK
Getting to Gstaad from London is probably easier than you think, with a few options depending on your budget and preference. The most straightforward route is to fly from London to Geneva, which takes about 1.5 hours.
From Geneva Airport, Gstaad is roughly a 2.5-hour train ride away.
I actually flew with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) from London City Airport (THE BEST UK AIRPORT EVER) to Zurich. The train journey from Zurich to Gstaad takes around 3 to 3.5 hours, depending on your connections.
You’ll typically travel from Zurich to Montreux via Lausanne or directly to Zweisimmen, and then switch to the scenic GoldenPass train for the final leg to Gstaad.
I travelled on a panoramic train on the GoldenPass which has to go down in history as the most beautiful journey I’ve ever been on. Chugging along the single track on the side of the mountains made for stunning views with rolling hills, passing picturesque villages, and snow-capped peaks.
If you prefer a more eco-friendly approach, you can take the Eurostar from London to Paris, and then connect to a high-speed TGV train to Lausanne or Montreux. From there, you can hop on the GoldenPass train line, which takes you straight to Gstaad.
Highly recommend getting yourself a Swiss Travel Pass before you travel; a single ticket allowing unlimited travel by public transport – train, bus and boat.
The Swiss Travel System is known for it’s efficiency and trains run frequently, which made the journey stress-free even solo and as a first timer.
If you’re only planning on going to and from Gstaad from the airport, then a point to point ticket may be a better (and cheaper option).
Oh and download the SBB Mobile app.
Where To Hire Road Bikes in Gstaad
There are a few bike shops located in and around Gstaad. My bike rental for this trip was arranged via Bikesport Reuteler GmbH in Saanen. I’ll speak more about the pros and cons of bike hire later.
Travelling With Your Bike
If you choose to travel with your own bike, all of the above travel options are pretty straightforward with a little planning.
You can read my full guide on using a bike box and flying with your bike, but airlines typically allow bikes as checked luggage (some free, some at cost), while Swiss trains and the Eurostar offer spaces for bicycles with advance booking.
About LA REINE Strictly Female Gran Fondo Series
If you’re thinking of signing up for La Reine Sportive in the Gstaad region, I can’t recommend it enough. Whilst it is a challenging cycling event, your effort is rewarded with the alpine views, blue skies, and the sound of cow bells along the route.
The route features big (for me) climbs and technical descents that tests both your endurance and bike-handling skills.
The event was really well organised, with support stations on the route, mobile mechanics and a sweeper van. Whilst the roads were still open, the route had clear markers alongside being provided the route to upload to your GPS unit.
As well as the ride itself, there were a number of workshops and social events scheduled over the weekend so if you travel alone, you’re able to meet other riders and get to know more about the event and the region.
LA REINE Medio Fondo Route (90km)
The 2024 Medio Fondo route was approx 90km with ~1700m elevation starting in the main street of Gstaad and ending in Saanen. The biggest ride I’d completed before La Reine was RideLondon-Essex 100 in 2023 which was 166km with 1200m of elevation.
The Medio Fondo route contained 5 aid stations and 2 timed sections, in which you can test yourself against the other riders.
Just a few weeks prior to flying out for La Reine, I completed RideLondon-Essex 60 (~100km, ~800m elevation), so I knew I could handle the distance. However, I always knew the elevation might be biting off more than I can chew. And I wasn’t wrong.
As much as I’d love to blame the weather (i.e torrential rain) for my first DNF, it was also equally down to me not being fully prepared.
Whilst the rain was off-putting, I didn’t fly all the way to Switzerland to not even make it to the start line. Once we left the start line, we only had a short section before we turned off the main road and into the first climb of the day.
Walking up a climb in cleats (when you’re untrained and unprepared) is honestly as hard as attempting to ride the climb. However, once you start walking, it can be hard to get going again.
One bonus of walking much of the 20km that I did complete meant I had plenty of take to take in the views and my surroundings.
There really are no words that can fully describe the view – you have to be there.
After making my way to the peak around 15km into the event, I attempted the descent before calling it a day. With the rain, narrow roads and cows (yes, cows) giving me dirty looks whilst stood in the middle of said narrow roads, I decided I wanted to stop while I was still enjoying myself and to make sure I’d be returning home in one piece.
One of the race mechanics had caught up with me by this point and stayed with me while I shot down through the clouds to the aid station where I waited for the sweep van. Whilst there, I cheered through the last couple of riders behind me and watched as they continued on the course.
Once the sweep truck picked me up, I was relieved to be in the warm and dry to be honest. I had a little cry and knew deep down that I’d made the right decision.
The sweep van dropped my off at a station where I could get a direct train back to the finish line (I used my soggy Swiss Travel Pass, remember that?!).
At the station, I bumped into a couple of other riders who had also called it quits for various reasons so we had each other for moral support for that journey.
I honestly can’t fault the La Reine organisers at all for the support to get me and the other riders back safely.
What I Wish I Knew Before Cycling in Gstaad (& How To Avoid My Mistakes)
Whilst things like the weather are outside of our control, there are plenty of things within our control that we can do to prepare for events to make evebt day run a little smoother.
I basically want you (and me) to learn from my mistakes.
Analyse The Event Routes
This isn’t the first time I’ve made this mistake, but it might be the last. Yes, I may only have signed up to the event around 6 weeks in advance but it wasn’t until shortly before that I looked at the route and realised how concentrated the elevation was.
In the 20km of the event I completed, I’d already crunched through nearly 800m of climbing, which for a girl from the flat lanes of Essex, is alot.
Follow A Training Plan
With my invite to the event being quite last minute, I didn’t have the time to train. Having trained so well for RideLondon 100 and my London to Paris ride, I know the difference that being trained can make.
My advice to you, would be to dedicate 12 weeks (minimum) to a training block for this event, where you can train for the hills as well as the distance. If a training camp is out of your budget before the event, download the route to your GPS or Zwift and ride it indoors on your turbo trainer so you get a ‘feel’ for the course.
With this in mind, for 2025 (and beyond), I worked with the organisers and an awesome female Cycling Coach to create a 12 week plan to support riders to prepare for the event – free of charge. You can download the training plan on here on the LA REINE website.
It’s super easy to adapt for any ride around the 100km mark and includes strength and conditioning sessions off the bike too.
Get Used to Altitude
According to Google, where I live in Essex is approximately 52 meters above sea level whilst you’ll start your ride in Gstaad at 1,050 meters, which’ll have a moderate but noticeable impact on your performance.
Basically, at altitude, oxygen pressure is reduced resulting in less oxygen for you to breathe in and use during exercise. It translates to reduced aerobic capacity (VO₂ max) potentially leading to quicker onset of fatigue during high-intensity or endurance efforts.
When you start at 1,000m and keep climbing, and climbing, not only is the elevation making it hard work, the lack of oxygen is too.
There are only two ways (I’m aware of) to get acclimatised to altitude. The first is of course to spend time at altitude so your body can adapt. At the levels you’ll experience in Gstaad, a day or two before the event could help.
Alternatively, there are facilities that offer altitude training in gym environments and also passively, but of course, this comes at a cost.
When you arrive, aim to get outside and up in the mountains either for an easy walk / hike or ride to acclimatise and spin out the legs ready for event day.
Plan & Practice Your Nutrition Strategy
For any activity that is classed as endurance – or over one hour – it’s imperative that you create a nutrition strategy. It’s much easier to eat and drink on the bike than say running, but this is something you can practice in the lead up to the event.
You can use the Precision Hydration Fuel & Hydration Planner to get an idea of how much fluids you should be taking on during training and your event. Then make sure you carry fluids on your so you’re not fully reliant on aid stations.
Alot of the nutrition and products I used for running London Marathon are actually my favourites from cycling! You can find them in my Marathon Training list on my Amazon Storefront.
Clothing & Weather Layers
The weather can be unpredictable on any given day and throughout any given ride, so it’s best to be prepared for all eventualities. Pack a raincoat and windproof jacket so you can make your decision the night before / on the day when the forecasted weather is more reliable.
I took my bar bag to hold a jacket and snacks along with a saddle bag for spares like my tubeless plugs and small bike pump. I go into more detail on what to pack in your saddle bag and your velopac on the blog.
The main thing I’d want you to take away from this post is that despite the weather, and my unpreparedness, I would without a doubt return to Gstaad for La Reine Sportive!
Where To Stay – HUUS Hotel Gstaad
I stayed in the HUUS Gstaad Hotel for my trip which is also the Event HQ.
The room was cosy and warm, with the most stunning views into the valley.
This made picking my my race pack super easy and attending the workshops was a breeze as they were in the conference area of the hotel.
The hotel has a swimming pool amongst other amenities, a bus stop directly outside to get the bus too / from Saanen and the food was amazing.
Just like Bond Street, HUUS Hotel Gstaad and Gstaad itself, offers you a taste of luxury in the Swiss Alps, which is reflected in the prices.
However, other riders I spoke to were staying in shared accommodation / apartments and some had even opted to camp nearby.
Other Things to Note For Your Swiss Cycling Holiday
One last thing worth noting is to check whether your travel insurance covers damage / theft of hire bikes and make sure it covers you for such an extreme activity as cycling (rolls eyes, lol).
It could be worth getting out a policy that covers the excess for the bike hire, like when you hire a car, or paying that little bit extra when you rent the bike for that extra peace of mind.
If you’re keen to ride further afield than your local routes, LA REINE could be just the event for you. In 2025, a new route (and flatter!) route has been added in Frieburg, Germany. And there has been mention of more events for 2026 so keep an eye out!
If you’re thinking of signing up and have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. If you’ve ridden the event before, let us know how it went for you!
See you in Gstaad?!
Elle
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