Traveller2015

Hello everyone.

I will be flying to Geneva for 5 days, here is my rough plan so far:

Day one: Arrive Sat morning 9 am, drop bags off at hotel and pick up Geneva free transport card to take a bus to Mont Saleve for a few hours, bus back to Cornavin (where my hotel is) and explore the area, see jet d'eau.


Day two: Sunday, what should I do in Geneva on a Sunday?

Day Three: Monday; buy a train ticket (CHF 30) to Montreux drop bags off at hotel, buy a train tick from Montreux to Lausanne (I believe the Mobilis Day Pass CHF 12.60 cover a return trip to Montreux and also travelling on all networks in Lausanne?), Le Port d'Ouchy, any other ideas?

Day Four: Tues; Use our free Riviera pass from our hotel to travel to Chateau de Chillon in the morning, Lunch, train to Rochers-de-Naye (does my free Riviera pass cover this journey?) explore for a few hours , nothing else planned for the rest of the evening, ideas welcome.

Day Five: Weds - Any suggestion for the morning? I have to train back to Geneva for my flight at 4pm. CHF30 back to Geneva

I'm trying to be as cost effective a s possible with my traveling and it seems like I will only pay about CHF73 to travel to the places above, does this all look correct (my free travel pass from the hotels should cover most of my travels?)

Thanks so much

kja

Have you consulted the Michelin Green Guide or Rough Guide? IME, both have great info on the area -- including information on what you can do on Sundays. You can also check my trip report for ideas -- click on my name to find the report, scroll just over half-way down to see detailed comments, or search it for the phrase "Things I did in Geneva". (I cover Geneva, Lausanne, and Montreux, in that order.)

Day three: There are luggage storage areas in Lausanne, so you might consider going from Geneva to Lausanne and storing your luggage at the train station (be sure you have coins for the locker) rather than moving on to Montreux and then backtracking.

According to its web-site (google is your friend, Traveller2015), the Riviera Pass covers 50% of the fare for Rochers-de-Naye:
http://www.montreuxriviera.com/en/Ri...x_Riviera_Card

swandav2000

Hi Traveller2015,

I agree with kja that it would make more sense to see Lausanne while enroute to Montreux rather than back-tracking. Your train ticket from Geneva to Montreux will be good all day so long as you use the route described on the ticket.

The Riviera Card will cover you for free as far as Caux, then from Caux to Rochers-de-Naye, you'll pay half fare. Just show your card to the ticket agent, and s/he will charge you correctly.

Even though the bus is free to Chillon, I would walk it. It's a gorgeous 45-minute walk along the flowered lakeside promenade, which imo is the best thing about Montreux. After seeing Chillon, you may want to continue the walk to Villeneuve (another 45 minutes), then take bus #201 back (free with Riviera Card).

I would also include half a day for Vevey, with its tangle of winding streets next to the lake. You could easily do this while enroute to Geneva; again, just put your bags in lockers at the train station.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Traveller2015

Thanks Kja - I didn't realise there were other perks to getting the free Riviera Card, will definitely use to to get 50% off. I will also have a look through your trip report for some ideas and tips

Thanks Swandav2000 I will include a stop by in Vevey and possibly other areas within the Canton of Vaud it looks gorgeous.
I didn't know the individual ticket from Geneva to Montreux meant I could get off at Lausanne to explore and then hop back on the train again to finish off to Montreux, in that case I will stop off at Lausanne first and then take the train back to Montrexu in the evening

Thanks both

PalenQ

You will find lockers in Lausaane's train station but carry some franc coins - train station kiosks can be very fussy about changing bills for lockers - there may be change machines but best be ready.

Be sure to ride the lake boats somewhere - iconic lake steamers as they're called - take one from Vevey/Montreux over to Evian-les-Bains in France perhaps to see a bit of France too and a swank health spa resort famous of course for its Evian mineral water and classy casino.

Consider taking a train from Montreux up the mountain behind town - thru the vineyards for superb views all around the lake - Mt Blanc if it is out is glorious (seems like the many times I've been in this area Mt Blanc, Europe's highest mountain, is oft obscured by clouds or smog though! Just a short train ride up and then walk down thru the vineyards is what I've done.

Or take the train to Gruyeres - a fine fine walled cheese town and onto neighboring Broc for a Willy Wonkaesque tour of the Nestle-owned Callier chocolate factory - there is the fancy Chocolate Express but local trains do the same route much cheaper.

and if you want to see the high Alps in all their glory take a bus from Geneva to Chamonix where glacier tumbles right down to near the town and there are awesome aerial gondola rides like the one from Aiguille du Midi to Pt Heilbronner across a sea of snow and ice - the most incredible cable car ride I've ever taken in centuries of travel. Not sure how much the bus costs but it may not be that much and what awaits is the dramatic high Alps of which there is nothing to compare around Geneva-Lausanne.

For lots of great stuff on Swiss trains, lake boats, etc check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and eee.ricksteves.com.


If into high-speed particle physics you an tour the CERN complex in suburban Geneva, straddling the Swiss-French border - get there by bus:
http://www.stfc.ac.uk/research/parti...visiting-cern/

I enjoyed the boat ride in Geneva that went along the lake shores and pointed out all the lush villas of past and present rich and famous and in Lausanne the Olympic Museum - Lausanne being home of the IOC.

Traveller2015

Thanks PalenQ, great suggestions, can not wait for Switzerland!

PalenQ

No matter where you go in Switzerland it is beautiful albeit very very expensive. Thanks for the thanks!