Thu evening out, Tue back, remote-work Fri from a friend's place in Besançon on the way out and Mon on the way back. Bike stored inside (front wheel off, no range penalty), two genuinely swimmable turquoise Alpine lakes, and the gateway to the Jungfrau region.
Interlaken sits literally "between the lakes" (Inter-laken) — Lake Thun to the west, Lake Brienz to the east, both fed by glacial meltwater and both a startling turquoise on a clear day. It's the launch point for the entire Jungfrau region (Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, the Eiger/Mönch/Jungfrau massif), but even without going up into the high peaks, this is a legitimate lake-and-swim weekend: two of the cleanest, bluest lakes in the Alps, flat paved cycling paths along both shorelines, and the Harder Kulm funicular for a classic postcard view over the whole town without needing a full mountain-railway day. Switzerland is expensive — this trip leans harder than most into free camping, self-cooked meals, and one deliberate rösti splurge.
Same pattern as the Savoie/Lyon trips: a friend's place in Besançon becomes a free overnight waypoint each way, splitting the ~627 km one-way drive into two manageable legs instead of one long push. Given the extra distance to Switzerland versus the Alps trips, this only really works as an extended weekend (Thu evening out, Tue evening back) rather than a standard Fri–Sun.
Real-world range on this car is ~330–370 km, so the Meudon↔Besançon leg (412 km) needs one Supercharger stop each way (Beaune/Dijon-area Superchargers sit right on the A6/A31 route). The Besançon→Interlaken leg (215 km) is comfortably inside range on a full charge from Besançon, so no charging stop is needed there.
There is no Tesla Supercharger directly in Interlaken itself. The nearest confirmed Supercharger is Bern-Westside (104 Riedbachstrasse, Bern — 12 stalls, up to 250 kW, 24/7), roughly 45–50 km from Interlaken, useful as a top-up before or after the trip into town. Interlaken does have Tesla Destination Chargers at a couple of hotels (e.g. the Victoria-Jungfrau), which are slow AC chargers for overnight top-ups rather than fast charging.
Load the bike inside (front wheel off) before you leave. Arrive Besançon late evening, free night at your friend's.
Full remote workday from your friend's place. If you have time after logging off, it's worth a short walk up to the Vauban Citadel or along the Doubs loop — but no driving today. Free night again.
Morning drive out, arrive Interlaken by early-mid afternoon. First stop: a swim. Lake Brienz's Bönigen Lido (Strandbad Bönigen) is an easy walk from Interlaken Ost along the riverbank — shingle beach, heated 24°C pool, kids' pool, entry only CHF 6. If you'd rather head straight for open water, both lakes have public lidos scattered along their shores (the region counts 22 open-air pools/beaches total, 17 of them right on the lakeshore).
This is the full lake day. Ride the paved Lakes Route section between Interlaken and Spiez that hugs Lake Thun's shore (part of a longer ~47 km full loop around Thun), then, if legs allow, the flatter stretches of the ~38 km Lake Brienz loop toward Bönigen and Iseltwald. Swim wherever the water looks good — both lakes are genuinely swimmable, and the water clarity/turquoise color is real, not a filtered photo. In the afternoon, take the funicular up Harder Kulm (opposite Lake Brienz side, above town) for the classic view over both lakes and the Jungfrau skyline — round-trip tickets run roughly CHF 38–44 for adults (50% off with a Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare Card, which you likely won't have). Rösti or Berner Platte splurge dinner tonight in town.
Work remotely from an Interlaken café in the morning (or from the campsite if the wifi holds up), one last swim at lunch, then drive back toward Besançon after logging off. Free night at your friend's.
Home in time for Wednesday.
Bike travels inside the car with the front wheel removed — zero range penalty, unlike a roof or hitch rack (see the Car Camping, Food & Bike Guide for the loading method). Both lakeshores here have genuinely excellent flat, paved cycling infrastructure: the Lake Thun circuit (~47 km full loop, largely lakeside paved path between Därligen and Faulensee) and the Lake Brienz loop (~38 km, flatter on the north shore toward Bönigen, hillier and more technical on the south side toward Brienz). You don't need to do a full loop — even a short out-and-back from Interlaken toward Spiez or Bönigen covers the best of the scenery.
| Category | How it's calculated | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| French tolls | Meudon↔Besançon round trip, A6/A31/A36, ~€35/leg | ≈ €70 |
| Swiss vignette | CHF 40, one-time, valid ~14 months (reusable on future Swiss trips) | ≈ €43 |
| Charging | ~1,254 km × ~0.17 kWh/km ≈ 213 kWh × ~€0.42/kWh blended FR/CH rate | ≈ €90 |
| Lodging | 4 free nights (Besançon friend, both ways) + 2 nights Camping Lazy Rancho (~€35–39/night) | ≈ €70–75 |
| Groceries + 1 rösti/Berner Platte splurge | 6 self-cooked days (~€10–14/day, Swiss groceries pricier) + 1 dinner (~CHF 35–40 ≈ €37–42) | ≈ €105 |
| Harder Kulm funicular + lido entries + parking | Funicular ~CHF 40 (≈€42) + Bönigen Lido CHF 6 (≈€6.50) + misc parking | ≈ €60 |
| Total (mixed free/paid lodging) | €438–443 | |