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Day trips ideas from Lausanne, Switzerland

Day trips ideas from Lausanne, Switzerland

Old Jan 20th, 2017, 05:56 AM
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Day trips ideas from Lausanne, Switzerland

Hi all,

I'll be travelling to Lausanne for 7 days this coming May. I'll have 2 days of conference. And, I plan to have 4 more days exploring Swiss. So, my plan is:

Day 1: Lausanne -> Martigny -> Chamonix -> Lausanne
Day 2: Lausanne -> Montreux -> Gstaad -> Lausanne
Day 3: Lausanne -> Stein-am-Rhein -> Interlaken
Day 4: Interlaken -> Geneva

I've visited Jungfrau region, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Lucerne and Bern 2 years back. Now I want to explore the lake area. I add Stein-am-Rhein as I found it very beautiful. Yes, the journey is very long, but based on my previous experience, the journey will never be boring since there are a lot of beautiful things that we can see along the way. That's why I include it too. And, I missed Interlaken before since I need to catch the scenic train from Interlaken to Luzern (forgot its name) just after I alight from the Jungfraujoch train (forgot its name too). So now, I add it again. I plan to stay one night there and have a tour around the town the next day before going to Geneva that late evening.

How does it sounds? Is it too hectic? Are there any other day trips ideas from Lausanne other than Gstaad? I found it too similar to Zermatt though. I really love to visit Swiss small villages and towns. I don't like big cities, that's why I skip Zurich, Basel, etc. And, anyone know about the Mont Blanc Express? How much it costs?
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:11 AM
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Day 2 - Take the boat from Ouchy below Lausanne to Montreux, visit nearby Chateau Chillon, take the mountain-goat of a little train up to the wildflower paradise of Les Rochers de Naye (google all these names), on the way down stop in Glion or Caux for refreshments on a terrasse restaurant overlooking Lake Geneva and the French and Swiss Alps cross - Mont Blanc etc. Unbeatable!

Day 3 I question the beauty of the ride to Stein am Rhein - a long way to go on fast trains that don't really traverse scenic regions.

Instead I'd take the train to Broc, a lovely traditional country village in the unspoiled Gruyere region (yes, Gruyere as in cheese - green meadows and healthy cows galore), visit the chocolate factory that has an interesting display on the history of cocoa on the world market - https://www.cailler.ch/en/maison-cai...aterie-suisse/ and the nearby Gruyere Castle - www.myswitzerland.com/en/gruyere-castle.html

More at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti..._Fribourg.html

and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruyères_Castle
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:15 AM
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You can take a boat on Lake Geneva and go to Vevey, and to the Castle du Chillon. wont take a whole day and it's beautiful. No need to travel far.

The trip to Chamonix from Lausanne is 2 1/2 hours long so you'll be traveling 5 hours total that day. Just to let you know. And I would do it ONLY if it's a clear day in Chamonix. We've gone. The Aguille du Midi is great but you need a good weather day. to really enjoy the views.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:29 AM
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Thanks @michel
I love your ideas for my second day! Will definitely follow it. lol

Thanks for your idea too @diane
Yeah, I'll be checking the weather for that day. If not, maybe I go for @michel 3rd day idea.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:31 AM
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If it were me, I would spend the whole day at Montreux. Gstaad is out of the way Lausanne-Montreux, and if you found it too similar to Zermatt. Montreux is a small quiet picturesque town, it is not a big city. The lake side walk is pretty. Château de Chillon can easily occupy your time. For me a visit to Queen Studio was/is a highlight, even if you are not a fan of the band (I am). In that studio, where Freddie Mercury has recorded his last song, you can mix Queen's songs yourself with original sounds, or see the band's many personal archives and memorabilia. Lots of the fixtures and sound equipment remain exactly as they were when owned by the band. I spent 2h there and didn't want to leave.

Interlaken has nothing to visit, it's only a transportation hub to Jungfrau region. Have you seen Trümmelbach waterfall and Staubbach falls in Lauterbrunnen? It can easily make for a day trip.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 07:03 AM
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I'm surprised you are either bypassing Montreux or not spending hardly any time there, you must get bored easily to want to visit two cities on a day trip.

YOu could go to Verbier instead of Chamonix in about 1/2 hr less time and you take a cable car up there from Le Chable, which is kind of fun in itself (meaning a hanging gondola car, great views). To get to Chamonix, I believe it is a TER train.

Basically you go to Martigny for either, but to get to Verbier, you take a small train to Le Chable and from there you can take the cable car up http://www.televerbier.ch/en/domaine...-verbier-0-687

At that point, you can just walk around the village, it isn't that large.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 07:45 AM
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There's always the boat over to Evian while you are in Switzerland
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 09:05 AM
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A few years ago, at the request of some friends, I detailed everything I did and saw within a 2 hour radius of Lausanne and added it to my trip report on a month in Switzerland. You might find it helpful, along with the trip report itself. The trip report is:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...any-thanks.cfm
and the section on things within 2 hours of Lausanne begins with an entry on Feb. 4, 2014.

Hope that helps!
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 11:00 AM
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I'd want to spend my time in Vevey and Montreux also right on Lac Leman next to Lausanne. Maybe day trip to Gruyere. Maybe walking the wine region of Lavaux.

(I really liked the castles at both Montreux and Gruyere, very different, and both worth seeing).

I don't think you need to go all over the country to fill 4 days' time with beautiful scenery.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 12:29 PM
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Yvoire is a gorgeous flower-bedecked medieval town on the lake not far from Evian les Bains.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 01:54 PM
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Yvoire is just one of over a dozen stops of the public boats on Lac Léman ("Lake Geneva").
Ouchy is the stop down below Lausanne.
Those boat rides just might become your best memories!
Timetables at http://www.cgn.ch/en
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:30 PM
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Thanks guys. I've googled for all the places you guys mentioned. And, I think I'll revise my plan. Maybe a day trip to Yvoire instead of going all the way to Interlaken. And maybe a full day trip to Gruyere or Gstaad (or maybe I can stay one night at either, and go visit the other the next day).

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm actually not that familiar with the Lac Leman area. I always think of the east-side (interlaken, jungfrau, bern, lucern) whenever people talk about Switzerland. Happy to know there are actually many to explore there.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 07:01 PM
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FWIW, I far preferred Gruyeres to Gstaad. I'm sure others have different perspectives.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 08:49 PM
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Hi billsein,

Here are a few more ideas --

The town of Lutry lies between Lausanne and Vevey (closer to Lausanne), and it has a sign-posted walk of its medieval buildings. It also has a very, very pretty lakeside area. When you're finished enjoying the town and the lakeside, you can stroll back up to the train station, and keep going up, and you'll be in the vineyards of the Lavaux. From there, you can stroll through the vineyards over the lake -- to Epesses is about 1h30, and to Rivaz is 2h.

Rivaz has a central wine-tasting station, called the Lavaux-Vinorama, where you can pay a fee and then taste a certain number of wines of the region (which are excellent). Some snacks are also included.

Also leave some time for Vevey so you can explore the tangled streets of its old town, right next to the lake.

Another gorgeous little town is Morges, on the other side of Lausanne. It also has a very sweet little lakeside area, and a very nice pedestrian street lined with cafes and shops to get to the lakeside. I've heard that you can walk (or bike) between Morges & Lausanne along the lake (3h to walk it), but I haven't done it myself.

Yvoire is a very pretty little village/town, but really there's not much to do there except look at the buildings and the flowers or eat in a restaurant. All of the shops I saw were touristy (selling hats, t-shirts, etc). I was bored after about an hour.

Finally, make sure you spend some time walking (not on the ferry or the bus) the lakeside promenade from Montreux. It will take about 45 minutes to walk from Montreux to Chillon, and about 45 minutes to walk from Chillon to the next town over, Villeneuve. You can take bus #201 from Villeneuve back to Montreux (or to Vevey) for about 3 chf. The flowered lakeside promenade is one of my favortie things to see/do in Montreux.

Have fun as you plan!

s
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 09:25 PM
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"I always think of the east-side (Interlaken, Jungfrau, Bern, Lucern) whenever people talk about Switzerland"

I'm glad that you appreciate the diversity that we're outlining here, the riches of the Westschweiz (Western Switzerland), most of which is called "Romandie" - the french-speaking parts (not to be confused with Rumantsch, Switzerland's fourth language, at the other end of the country).

Not for this trip, but for your next one: Rest assured that Interlaken, Bern, Luzern are not the East but Central Switzerland.

The EAST: Wait until you discover the "Ostschweiz", Eastern Switzerland, and - in the Southeast - the large canton of Graubünden! There are a great many treasures awaiting your discovery - you have only just begun to scratch the surface!

So while you enjoy this trip, look forward to the next one - there is a lot of information already on this site, and we'll spell it out for you when the time comes.

And just when you thought that might cover it, there's always the Ticino!
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 09:31 PM
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What michelhuebeli said!
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Old Jan 29th, 2017, 08:09 AM
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We spent a week based in Thun and found plenty to do. On the best day of visibility we went up to Jungfrauich (stand where the wind is blocked and enjoy the views.
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Old Jan 29th, 2017, 08:10 PM
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