E-Grand Tour of Switzerland — Driving Through Switzerland by Electric Car

An electric-car road trip in Switzerland is an efficient, eco-friendly way to travel through nature, cities and mountain villages, and one that suits the times by keeping contact to a minimum. The Grand Tour of Switzerland route, which debuted in 2015, gave travelers a delightful way to see the whole country by car. The E-Grand Tour, introduced two years later, redefined electric-vehicle travel as a way of getting around with less impact on the natural environment. Winding along small roads and mountain passes through unspoiled landscapes, it presented an everyday vision of e-mobility well ahead of its time. With 227 electric-vehicle charging stations and 105 official E-Grand Tour charging stations spread over a total of 1,970 kilometers, drivers can set out on long journeys without worrying about running out of charge.

Courtesy of Switzerland Tourism

Best E-Grand Tour Routes

1. Alpine Passes
● St. Gotthard Pass ● Furka Pass ● Grimsel Pass

2. The Shores of Lake Lucerne
● Weggis ● Vitznau ● Auto Ferri ● Bürgenstock

3. Pastoral Cheese Country
● Burgdorf ● Affoltern i. E.

4. Where Switzerland, Germany and Austria Meet
● Stein am Rhein ● Ermatingen ● Romanshorn ● Rorschach ● St. Gallen

5. To the Dalai Lama’s Vineyards
● Ardon ● Saillon

6. Along the Vineyards of Lake Geneva
● Corseaux ● Lutry

Before setting out in your electric car, don’t forget the Grand Tour Snack Box. On a journey that aims for contactless travel, a picnic box is especially handy. About 30 official sales points sell a picnic snack box for two, containing two drinks and five snacks made up of each region’s signature foods. They are made with local ingredients by well-known neighborhood bakeries, cheese makers, sausage shops and the like.

Website: www.MySwitzerland.com/snackbox

1. Alpine Passes

● St. Gotthard Pass
● Furka Pass
● Grimsel Pass

This route takes you through hairpin turns on winding mountain roads and into the Alps’ most spectacular scenery. It links three passes. First, set out from Airolo in the southern canton of Ticino and cross the St. Gotthard Pass on its old cobblestone road. Heading west, you reach the Furka Pass, which climbs and descends to 2,429 meters above sea level, and then continue to the Grimsel Pass on the border between the cantons of Valais and Bern for a dizzying driving adventure.

2. The Shores of Lake Lucerne

● Weggis
● Vitznau
● Auto Ferri
● Bürgenstock

Lake Lucerne (Luzern) has some of the best waterside drives in Switzerland. Follow the road along the northern shore through the villages of Weggis and Vitznau, then load your car onto the Auto Ferri and cross to Beckenried on the opposite bank. Charming, picture-perfect Swiss villages are only part of the show; a panorama of the Alps reflected in the lake keeps you company the whole way.

3. Pastoral Cheese Country

● Burgdorf
● Affoltern i. E.

This route heads into the home of Switzerland’s Emmental cheese. Leaving Burgdorf, cross the Emme River and turn right onto a quiet road that runs through deep forest and climbs the highland meadows toward Hueb. Driving past storybook scenery, pretty gardens and broad open fields, you will see some of the most rural landscapes in all of Switzerland.

4. Where Switzerland, Germany and Austria Meet

● Stein am Rhein
● Ermatingen
● Romanshorn
● Rorschach
● St. Gallen

This drive follows Lake Constance (Bodensee), the vast lake in eastern Switzerland where three countries meet. Starting at Stein am Rhein, you pass plains and old villages around the German-Swiss border, then head east along the lakeshore. As you near Austria, you turn off to St. Gallen, a city famous for its UNESCO-listed abbey, where the route ends.

5. To the Dalai Lama’s Vineyards

● Ardon
● Saillon

Ride through the vineyards of Ardon, where grapevines spread across a wide valley. In Saillon, named the most beautiful village in French-speaking Switzerland in 2013, you can climb the historic Bayart Tower and take in the grandeur of the Valais Alps beyond the vines. The tower stands on the hill of Colline Ardente, Switzerland’s smallest vineyard, which is owned by the Dalai Lama.

6. A Route Along the Vineyards of Lake Geneva

● Corseaux
● Lutry

This route follows the Lavaux vineyards, which cover the slopes above Lake Léman. As you pass hillside vines, stone walls and wine villages, you can enjoy dazzling views of the lake and the Alps. The road from Route de Grandvaux to Lutry offers a magical panorama of Lake Léman.