jm5916

hello!

Im traveling to Geneva for only two days and I would love to do some hiking, maybe a museum or two. Any recommendations? Also: is it possible to bike outside of the city and see some nice views? I really love to bike, but I don't want to get caught out in some random suburbs....

I'm a student, so on a tight budget and will be staying in hostels. Is Lausanne a feasible day trip or should I plan to make a reservation at a hostel? Also, so people kayak on the lake?

Thanks!

PalenQ

Lausanne is very close by train to Geneva - best as a day trip as Lausanne does not have IME that much to hold one's interest for more than a day though can be a nice base.

There are bike paths along the lake shores that are nice enough but yes 'random' suburbs.

kja

One option you might consider for hiking in the area would be to hike through the Lavaux vineyards on the north side of the lake. You can take a train to, say, Lutry (just east of Lausanne) and the follow the marked trail. I went only as far as Cully, but you can go further. And then take a train back.

I agree that Lausanne is an easy day trip, but unlike PalenQ, I thoroughly enjoyed my day or so there. The cathedral has a well preserved portal that I was glad to have seen. The Collection de l'Art Brut -- a museum featuring "art on the fringes of mainstream artistic practices," often by artists with mental health or emotional challenges. I thought it VERY interesting and impressive.

You might consider a long day trip to Lausanne for the cathedral and and the Collection de l'Art Brut (or one of the other museums there), then the vineyard walk, then return to Geneva. Just a thought!

There are several other sites that I enjoyed in Geneva and Lausanne -- just click my name to find my trip report. Details on what I saw in those cities begin a bit more than halfway down the thread; search it for "Geneva" in the phrase "Things I did in Geneva." My notes on Lausanne follow just after that.

Hope that helps!

kja

NOTE: The poster has another active thread -- see
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ake-geneva.cfm

swandav2000

Hi jm5916,

I personally would head for a smaller town like Nyon, Lutry, Vevey, or Montreux. There is an incredible hostel just outside Montreux in Territet right at the lake's edge:

http://www.youthhostel.ch/en/hostels/montreux

From Montreux, you can walk to Vevey and further to the vineyards of the Lavaux, or, of course, you can bike it. There is hiking in the hills above the lake -- some examples are:

http://www.montreux-vevey.com/en/cul...F/Randos/Sport

or through the vineyards:

http://www.montreux-vevey.com/en/cul...ignoble_UNESCO

Be sure to spend a few hours in Vevey, getting lost in the winding, tangled streets of its old town, right next to the lake. You may also want to visit the castle of Chillon, which is pretty famous.

Have fun!

s

kja

Viva la difference! I treasure the opportunities that cities provide. I also enjoy roaming the streets of small towns, but not for quite so long -- after an hour in Vevey, I was ready to move on. But I agree with Swandav that the Château de Chilean is worth visiting, if your time permits -- and that, I think, depends on what else you decide to do and experience.

neckervd

There are more than 1000 kms of well signmarked hiking trails in the Lake Genevy area, from the vineyards up to the hights of Jura (up to 1700 metres) and the pre-Alps of France and Montreux up to 2000 metres).

Lausanne:
cathedral, Olympic museum, Rolex learning center, Lavaux vineyards, Museum of archeology and History, Museum of fine Art, Musee de l'Elysee, Fondation de l'Hermitage, Vidy Roman Museum, City Museum.......