Ash112

Can anyone suggest the best way to get to Montreux from Geneva???
Boat/Ferry, train or Bus?? also which would be the cheapest

Also is it a good idea to go to Mont Blanc Chamonix from Geneva? I will be travelling with my sister in April (21-23)

Dukey1

"Best" can mean many things. Rail would be the overall fastest

If YOU want to look at schedules and prices for the train you can do so at www.sbb.ch and click on the EN version (Mi upper right)..or you can wait for someone else to answer

PalenQ

Trains are the fastest and cheapest - I would doubt if buses even serve that route but usually in Switzerland seem to go from train stations to towns without rail service. You could go by boat but it would take a lot longer than the train and services are spotty.

For Mt Blanc the best way I think is to take a bus from Geneva to Chamonix - trains go as well but a more round about route.

But from Montreux you could take a train up the Rhone Valley to Martigny, then hop on a thrilling narrow-gauge mountain climbing train to Chamonix, from which Mt Blanc is a short excursion via train. But it takes so long to get to Chamonix I think you would want to stay overnight in Chamonix and there are lots of sweet sights there as well - glaciers to walk to, the world's most thrilling aerial cable car ride IMO - over the Mer de Glace to Pte Heilbronner, Italy and back, etc.

For lots on Swiss trains, buses and lake boats, etc check out these fab IMO sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com. And yes a Swiss Saver Pass could be a great deal for you both if you do take the train from Montreux to Chamonix and back and lake boats from Montreux and other excursions from Montreux, like to Gruyeres, a fine walled town or the Golden Pass specialty scenic train from Montreux to Interlaken, etc.

suze

Take the train. They run frequently and take approx. 1 hour. Check the schedule though because some trains go straight thru, while others you have to transfer in Lausanne. Are you coming from the airport or the city?

Yes there are boats/ferries which would make for a nice activity but I belivee they take something like 5 hours so are not really viable for straight-out transportation.

PalenQ

Actually from Montreux it could only take a few hours by train to reach Chamonix (via change of trains at Martigny) so you could well get to Mt Blanc and back in a day. But if you are returning to Geneva, then consider staying a day or two in Chamonix and then take a bus or trains back to Geneva from there - doing a nice loop.

Lynn_Gibson

The scenery on the train ride between Chamonix and Martigny is fabulous!

PalenQ

fabulous for sure - I think I have ridden every railway in Europe that is called a top scenic line and this line, which hugs a cliff edge when climbing ever so slowly out of Martingy is certainly in my top ten. And it, unlike the Glacier Express is short - just a few hours and not an all-day marathon run.

Ash112

Hi Suze, i will be going fron the city - So planning on taking train from Cornavin

Thanks all for the fab suggestions, will reveiw the best option for me!

PalenQ

Check out the link "Mont Blanc Express" on www.swisstravelsystem.com for a nice photo of this great train (Martigny to Chamonix)!

PalenQ

Check out the link "Mont Blanc Express" on www.swisstravelsystem.com for a nice photo of this great train (Martigny to Chamonix)!

Ash112

Thanks Palenq... Watched the video, makes me want to travel to Switzerland alone for a month! 2 days are certainly not enough!

Tulips

There's a ski bus from Geneva to Chamonix and other places; I think it would still run at Easter, but check on Geneva airports website; there's more information on the buses there.

suze

Two days is a very short trip, that's too bad. You'll see how *beautiful* it is once you get there!! The train system is incredibly efficient, organized, and easy to use, no worries there.

suze

I see you'll be there on Th/Fri/Sat. There are wonderful open air farmers markets that are fun, interesting, and good for getting a snack. If you happen to be in Montruex on Fri AM it's under the pergola on the main street and Sat AM is in the town of Vevey the main public square by the lake. It's a great way to see a little slice of local life.

Ash112

Thanks Suze and Tulips! more info certainly helps.

PalenQ

Many folks love Vevey even more than Montreux - if staying in Montreux, which I also find very nice due to its lakeside setting, hop the trolley bus, train or boat to nearby Vevey, which is even more lovingly set IMO as it juts out into the lake - anyway one of the more old-world towns in a fairly modern Switzerland.

suze

I agree about Vevey, but this is an awful short trip, I'm not sure they'll have time. Don't miss Chateau de Chillon.

PalenQ

Chateau de Chillon is easy to reach from anywhere on Lake Geneva - trains roll right by it and stop within a short walk or you can take a lake boat to it as well - though these do not run regularly outside the tourist season as trains do - and from Montreux you can take a bus or even walk the few miles on shoreside paths.