HowToSwiss

Save money · Bikes

Free & Cheap Bike Rentals in Switzerland — By City

Three Swiss cities run completely free city-bike schemes. The rest are covered by PubliBike, SBB Rent a Bike and a growing fleet of e-scooters.

1. PubliBike — the national network

PubliBike is Switzerland's main bike-share. Pay-as-you-go: CHF 1/30min for regular, CHF 3/30min for e-bikes. Annual subscription CHF 99 = unlimited 30-minute trips on regular bikes.

  1. 1Download the PubliBike app (or open SBB Mobile and search 'PubliBike').
  2. 2Register with email + payment method (TWINT, card).
  3. 3Find the nearest station on the map.
  4. 4Scan the QR code on the bike's handlebar to unlock.
  5. 5Return to any PubliBike station in the same city to end the trip.

2. Free city bike schemes

  • Big saving
    zurich: Züri rollt — free city bikes May–October from HB, Globus, Velogate Enge. CHF 20 deposit, refunded on return.
  • Big saving
    geneva: Genèveroule — free bikes 4h/day Apr–Oct from Plainpalais, Bains des Pâquis. CHF 20 deposit.
  • Big saving
    bern: Bern rollt — free city bikes Apr–Oct from Hirschengraben and Bahnhof. CHF 20 deposit.
  • Good to know
    basel: PubliBike + nextbike — no city free scheme. Donkey Republic available.
  • Moderate
    lausanne: PubliBike well-covered. Lausanne Roule offers low-cost rentals (CHF 12/day).
  • Good to know
    lucerne: nextbike Luzern: CHF 1/30min. No free city scheme.

3. SBB Rent a Bike at train stations

SBB Rent a Bike at 100+ stations: CHF 27/day regular, CHF 42/day e-bike. Half-Fare card holders get ~20% off. Reserve via rent-a-bike.ch.

4. Electric scooters

Tier, Lime and Voi scooters are in Zurich, Basel, Lausanne and Geneva. CHF 1 unlock + ~CHF 0.30/min. Cheaper than a taxi but pricier than a bike for trips over 10 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Are there free city bikes in Switzerland?
Yes — Zurich (Züri rollt), Geneva (Genèveroule) and Bern (Bern rollt) all offer free bike rentals from spring to autumn against a CHF 20 deposit, refunded on return.
How much does PubliBike cost?
CHF 1 per 30 minutes for regular bikes and CHF 3 per 30 minutes for e-bikes. An annual subscription costs CHF 99 and includes unlimited 30-minute rides on regular bikes.
Can I rent bikes at SBB train stations?
Yes — over 100 stations offer SBB Rent a Bike. Day rates start at CHF 27 for regular and CHF 42 for e-bikes; Half-Fare card holders get about 20% off.
Are e-scooters worth it in Swiss cities?
For trips under 10 minutes — yes. Above that, a PubliBike subscription or city bike scheme is much cheaper. Tier and Lime cost about CHF 1 unlock + CHF 0.30/min.

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