Self-Launched Alps E-Bike Grand Tour: Geneva to Chur

Fly or train into Geneva (Geneva Cointrin is a short tram ride from the centre). Check into a hostel near the station. Spend the afternoon walking the old town, the Jet d'Eau and the Lake Geneva promenade — all free. Pick up your e-bike the evening before or first thing tomorrow from a city hire shop (Geneva has several e-bike rental points; a day's e-bike hire is roughly £30–45). Stock up on supermarket picnic food instead of restaurant dinners.

🚌Tram/bus from airport to centre (~CHF 3–4); free public transport pass often included with accommodation

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Geneva Cornavin station (~£35–45/night)

• →Self-guided walk of Geneva old town and Jet d'Eau
• →Lake Geneva waterfront stroll
• →Collect pre-booked e-bike from city rental shop

Take the cable car or ride up Mont Salève for the panoramic view over Geneva, then follow the quiet roads over the Pont de la Caille into the Savoy Alps, descending to Lake Annecy. Lock the bike and wander Annecy's old town and lakeside. In the evening take a regional bus or TER train onward toward Chamonix (Annecy–Chamonix via rail/bus ~£12–18, 2.5–3.5 hrs). Overnight in a Chamonix hostel.

🚌E-bike day hire; Annecy–Chamonix TER train/bus ~£15

🛏Chamonix hostel dorm or basic guesthouse (~£30–40/night)

• →Mont Salève cable car or summit ride
• →Pont de la Caille crossing and Savoy Alps bike route
• →Annecy old town and lakeside walk

Book an early Aiguille du Midi cable car slot online in advance (~£60–70 for the full ascent and Vallée Blanche crossing) — the highest you can get by cable car in the Mont Blanc massif. Ride the Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola across the glacier to Pointe Helbronner, then descend by cable car into Italy. From Courmayeur, take the local bus down the Aosta Valley to Aosta (about 1 hr, ~£4). Explore Aosta's Roman old town on foot and overnight in a budget guesthouse or hostel.

🚌Cable car combo; Courmayeur–Aosta local bus ~£4

🛏Aosta hostel or budget B&B (~£30–38/night)

• →Aiguille du Midi cable car (pre-book online)
• →Panoramic Mont-Blanc / Vallée Blanche gondola to Pointe Helbronner
• →Descent by cable car into Italy and self-guided walk of Roman Aosta

Hire an e-bike in Aosta for the morning and ride the former railway line toward Châtillon, then take the local bus up the side valley to Breuil-Cervinia (~£4–5, 1 hr). Ride the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing cable cars up to the Theodul Glacier and over into Zermatt (book the crossing online in advance; roughly £100+ one way — the single biggest cost of the trip; there's also a cheaper option of bus over the valley to Tasch then train). Check into a Zermatt hostel/hostel-style dorm (Zermatt is pricey even for dorms — £40–55).

🚌E-bike hire ~£35; Aosta–Cervinia bus ~£5; cable car crossing ~£100 one way

🛏Zermatt hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (~£45–55/night)

• →E-bike ride from Aosta toward Châtillon
• →Local bus to Breuil-Cervinia
• →Matterhorn Alpine Crossing and Glacier Ride cable cars
• →Evening walk in car-free Zermatt

Take the Gornergrat Bahn up to Riffelalp (Swiss Half-Fare/regional passes often reduce this significantly; a full fare is around £40–50 return, or ride one-way and walk down free). Lunch on the Riffelalp terrace if you want a treat, or bring a picnic. In the afternoon hike back to Zermatt through the stone pine forest above Findelbach — an easy, well-signed descent of about 1.5–2 hours. Rest day for the legs, and buy your Glacier Express seat reservation online tonight.

🚌Gornergrat Bahn ~£45 (reduced with Swiss rail passes)

🛏Zermatt hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (~£45–55/night)

• →Gornergrat Bahn to Riffelalp
• →Optional picnic or terrace lunch with Matterhorn views
• →Self-guided hike Riffelalp–Zermatt via stone pine forest

Ride the Glacier Express route from Zermatt to Disentis (the Panoramic train has a mandatory seat reservation, roughly £30–40 on top of the Swiss Travel Pass/Half-Fare fare; cheaper option: regular regional trains over the same Oberalp Pass line with no reservation fee). At Disentis, hire an e-bike locally and descend the Surselva region through the Vorderrhein gorge past Sumvitg and Valendas to Chur — mostly downhill and glorious. Drop the bike and settle into a Chur hostel or budget hotel. Chur is a far cheaper base than Zermatt.

🚌Rail Zermatt–Disentis (~£60–80 incl. reservation); e-bike hire ~£35

🛏Chur hostel or budget hotel (~£30–40/night)

• →Glacier Express / Oberalp Pass rail journey Zermatt–Disentis
• →E-bike descent through Surselva and Vorderrhein Gorge
• →Evening in car-free Chur old town

Take the Rhaetian Railway from Chur to Thusis on the Albula line (a Swiss Travel Pass or Saver Day Pass covers this cheaply; the Albula stretch onward to St Moritz is UNESCO-listed and worth a look if time allows). Hire an e-bike in Thusis and ride the Hinterrhein valley through the dramatic Via Mala gorge, with castle ruins and fortifications along the way — return the bike in Chur or Thusis in the afternoon. Tidy up your last evening in Chur old town.

🚌Rhaetian Railway ~£12–20; e-bike hire ~£35

🛏Chur hostel or budget hotel (~£30–40/night)

• →Rhaetian Railway Chur–Thusis on the Albula line
• →E-bike ride through Via Mala gorge and Hinterrhein valley
• →Castle and fortification viewpoints

Slow breakfast, another wander through Chur's old town and cathedral quarter, then take the direct train to Zurich Airport (~1 hr 15 min, roughly £25–35 with a Supersaver ticket if booked ahead). Alternatively continue toward St Moritz or the Engadin if you're extending.

🚌Chur–Zurich Airport train ~£30 (Supersaver fare if pre-booked)

🛏None — onward travel day

• →Morning in Chur old town
• →Optional cathedral and Bishop's Court visit