Here’s our advice on how to rent a motorbike safely in Zürich, Switzerland! Regulations, equipment, licences, the best time of year, itineraries, etc. We cover all the bases so that you can make the most of your rental.

Where to rent a bike in Zürich?

That’s an easy one!

Browse our catalog of available vehicles for hirer, growing every week or so. You can filter out by brand, type of motorcycle, price, etc.

Then, if you have already created an account and verified your profile by uploading the required documents, a.o. drivers’ licence, ID, etc., make a booking request and wait for the owner of the bike to respond to it. See our infographics where we explain the booking process.

Your credit card will be charge only if the request is successful and provided you do not cancel your booking, according to our cancellation policy (here).

Want to discover more about our platform? Wonder how it works for the equipment such as helmet, etc. click on the image below to be redirected to our user guide for renters.

Is it safe to rent a bike in Zürich?

Renting and riding a motorbike in Zürich, respectively in Switzerland is very safe.

Roads, even secondary ones, are well maintained and signage is clear.

You can also read our article on the best navigation systems for bikers.

Drivers in Switzerland are generally respecting the law. Yet, like all around the world, there are exceptions.

We can also witness an ever-growing plague of people using their smartphone whilst driving and not caring about their environment.

So be safe and always assume that the driver has not seen you. Just as a rule of thumb to stay safe at all time.

Now, traffic reinforcement is strict in Switzerland, and speeding heavily punished.

A biker who intentionally runs the risk of an accident involving severe injuries or fatalities is considered to be committing a serious offence. This is established in the Swiss Road Traffic Act (Art. 90 para. 3).

For example, dangerous overtaking, drifting, unauthorized races with motor vehicles and exceeding the maximum speed limit by a large amount are all punishable offences. The law on serious speeding applies to these offences:

• At least 40 km/h, where the speed limit is 30 km/h.
• At least 50 km/h, where the speed limit is 50 km/h.
• At least 60 km/h, where the speed limit is 80 km/h.
• At least 80 km/h where the speed limit is over 80 km/h.

Serious offenses can be punished with jail time (min 1 year). And fines are quite hefty too.

On top, there are a lot speed cameras and police forces make random speed check on alpine passes, especially during sunny week-ends when they are very busy. So definitely not a good idea to race on the road.

Last but not least, with the automatic exchange of information between countries, police forces will make sure the fine will get to the biker who committed the offense. So don’t expect to get a bypass too.

Cruizador will not tolerate reckless behavior and will provide information to the police forces when required to.

rent motorbike safely Zürich

What are the license requirements to ride a motorcycle in Zürich?

Switzerland complies with European laws when it comes to the drivers’ license. There are three categories:

• A1: max 125cc
• A limited: two-wheeler with max 35kw
• A: full motorcycle (unlimited)

So, make sure, when renting a vehicle, that you do have the corresponding motorcycle endorsement. More info about the categories here in FR/DE/IT

To rent a vehicle on Cruizador, we ask you to be min 25yo and have a valid license for min 3 years of the corresponding category. This is for insurance reasons but also risk management and trust vis-a-vis our hirers.

Do I need an international driving licence?

Generally speaking, an international driving licence is not necessary.

However, make sure that your licence is translated into an official Swiss language or at least into English.

In addition, people wishing to stay in Switzerland for more than a year will have to exchange their driving licence for a Swiss driving licence. More info –> here <-

For non-European motorcyclists, particularly Americans/Australians, the 1st issue date of your licence is not shown on your driving licence, which is renewed regularly. Only the new date of issue is shown.

This can be a problem when you need to attest that you have held a valid licence for at least 3 years. As a work-around, you can provide us an old driving licence, with an older issue date, to attest that. Contact-us if you need support.

Any other requirements such as compulsory equipment?

Unlike other surrounding countries, the only compulsory equipment you need to wear when riding a motorcycle in Switzerland is a UE-approved helmet.

We ask you also to consider the local requirements should you want to cross border with your rental. For instance, French laws require you also to wear motorbike gloves at all time.

However, riding a motorcycle is a risky hobby and we can only encourage you to wear also a comprehensive biker gear: abrasion-resistant jacket and pants, gloves, shoes, etc.

Want to ride fully protected and in style? Check out our numerous product reviews!

rent motorbike safely Zürich

When to ride out in Zürich?

Motorbike season in Geneva and Switzerland to a broader extent lasts more or less from April to End of October.

Yet it varies a lot according to the weather and location.

Alpin passes are gradually opening, starting usually end of May, but sometimes, even later in June, depending on the amount of snow.

Check this website to have real-time information.

On the plateau  you can sometimes even ride all year around.

However, many bike owners winterize their bikes and park them away during the cold months. But some do keep them running to be able to ride out when the weather/temperatures allow it.

So do not hesitate to make a booking request on our platform if you feel like riding out, even during winter time. You can rent a bike on Cruizador by 24h installments.

Finally, the roads can be very busy during the summer months, and not just with motorcyclists, but also with cyclists, camper vans and so on. And some of them behave almost recklessly, sometimes stopping in the middle of the road to take photos.

We would therefore recommend that you drive outside the busy peaks and adapt your driving to the situation at the time.

Can you cross borders with your rental?

If you plant to ride outside of Switzerland, make sure you mention this with the bike owner, to make sure he/she is ok with it.

But most of them are, since Switzerland is a small country and it’s easy to cross border as we are a member of the Schengen space.

Additionally, our insurance cover most of the European countries: Yet, namely a.o. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Benelux, etc. Should you want to travel to a more remote country, make sure you inform the owner AND check that our insurance covers it. See more info here.

Where to ride out around Zürich?

Switzerland is a rather small country and you can discover a lot, even during a short daily ride out!

So we publish regularly road books with tons of tips and tricks: accommodation, sights, restaurants, etc. See for yourself in our dedicated section. We hope that will give you inspiration!

rent motorbike safely Zürich

Other things to consider?

We think we cover the basics here. If you have open question, do not hesitate to browse our help center where we provide additional tips and tricks.

We wish you the greatest time with your rental, as Switzerland boasts some of the most beautiful scenic roads in the World.

Being in the center of continental Europe, it is also a great starting point to discover the surrounding countries.

Ride safe!

Your dedicated Cruizador Team

rent motorbike safely Zürich