sasark

Hi there,

I have a short time (two nights) to spend at Lake Geneva and am wondering which city would be the better base: Vevey, Morges, or perhaps another town?

For context: I will be in Switzerland for a week but do not have a lot of flexibility in this trip. For the rest of the time, I will be in Basel and will be somewhat limited even in being able to do day trips from there. I want to see at least one other region of the country and have chosen Lake Geneva because I have always wanted to visit it. I have been to Switzerland before (Lucerne) but it was a long time ago.

For these nights at the lake, I am mainly looking to relax and see some beautiful scenery. I love longs walks but would like close access to restaurants and cafes. I dislike places that seem a bit touristy, which is why I am not inclined to stay in Montreax or someplace similar.

I will be there in either late March or early April and have found centrally located hotels in both Vevey and Morges that I would think would fit my price range and be fine. So I'm just wondering how these two towns compare in terms of atmosphere, lake views, and so on. The one excursion I want to do is to get some exterior photos of Chateau de Chillon, for which I guess Vevey would be better the choice. On the other hand, I feel a little more positive about the hotel in Morges.

So does anyone want to vote one way or the other? Thanks a lot for any input!

swandav2000

Hi sasark,

I would suggest Vevey, where its shops and cafes are pretty much adjacent to the lakeside. I love its old town with winding streets and little shops tucked into the corners. Everything is very nearby, from the lake to the grocery store to specialty stores, etc. I also love getting Gruyeres cream right there in the old town.

Morges is a great little town, but the shops are closer to the train station and between the train station and the lake. There are some restaurants at the lake, but they are very touristy. I have heard that it's possible to walk from Morges to Lausanne along the lakefront, but I haven't yet done that to verify it.

I prefer the lake views from Vevey because the mountains appear larger. From Morges, the mountains look smaller and farther away.

Perhaps we could help you find a hotel that you would feel as positive about in Vevey as the one in Morges. Have you looked at the Hostellerie de Bon Rivage, which sits right at the lake in the little town of La Tour-de-Peilz (adjacent to Vevey, walk to Vevey old town in about 10 minutes).

Have fun as you plan!

s

sasark

hi there,

Thanks so much for your comments -- exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for!

With the hotels -- the Hostellerie de Bon Rivage looks nice, but I think I'd prefer to be right in the town. I also have been looking at the Hostellerie de Genève. The reviews seem to be a bit mixed, but I like the location and it would probably be good enough. Any thoughts on that place?

thanks again,
Sasha

swandav2000

Hi again,

The Hostellerie de Geneve is one of my favorite places to eat in the area -- but that might be a problem as a hotel. It is a very popular place to eat, always packed with patrons, and I think it might be noisy. I once stayed in a lovely inn above a popular restaurant (not this one), and the diners were noisy until after midnight with their dinner conversation and the clunking of cutlery.

You may want to consider the Guest House Le Charlot.

http://www.lecharlot.com/englishsite/chambres.html

It also sits on the main square, just across from HdG, and right next to the water. I've never stayed there myself, but friends of mine have, and they said it was good. Its reviews at Trip Advisor are ok (94%).

I'll also add that your hosts will give you a Riviera Card, which makes the town busses free. Bus #201 runs between Vevey and Montreux and in fact goes all the way past Chillon to the town of Villeneuve. Make sure you spend at least one morning or afternoon walking on the lakeside promenade -- walking from Chillon to Montreux takes about 45 minutes, and it's well worthwhile.

Hope you find just the right place!

s

neckervd

The Vevey - Montreux area is by far the better choice:
milder climate, small railways to fine viewpoints (with restaurants), etc.

sasark

Vevey it is.

And just to follow up on the hotels: after much back and forth, I did decide on the Hostellerie de Bon Rivage. I liked the description of how it sits right on the lake, and I think the short walk to town should be fine. Now I just have to resist the urge to book one more night... this always happens to me....

Thanks again to all -- much appreciated!
Sasha

swandav2000

Ah, I'm glad; I think you'll have a great time!

I now stay in apartments when I'm in Montreux, but if I were looking for hotels, I'd definitely stay at the HBR for its lakeside location.

s

kawh

sasark... i am not seeing prices on this hotel (hbr) for a lake-view room. can you tell me about what they run for 2 people??

sasark

Thanks again swandav! I like staying in apartments, too, but for some reason, with this trip, I am drawn to the luxury of a front desk and housekeeping.

kawh, the web site is confusing. You can display some prices (look for the "Learn More" button on the picture of the room), but I don't think they make clear what the lake views cost. The prices they quoted me for lake views were 165 and 175 swiss francs (for standard and superior rooms). I was asking for single occupancy, though. If I were you, I would just write to them -- you almost have to, because you can't tell from the site whether or not any particular room is free on your travel days (anyway at least, I don't think you can). They are not super fast getting back to you, but I think they probably will within a few days. I also called once and got someone who spoke English well. Good luck!!

Sasha