Best Day trips from Geneva-Please post!
Aug 2nd, 2005, 11:44 AM
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Best Day trips from Geneva-Please post!
Hi, we will be in Geneva for 10 days with our 6 month old baby. I would love suggestions from fellow switzerland lovers of the absolute best day trips from Geneva. We can rent a car, or take a train whichever....This will be our first time in Switzerland-Maybe you can post your top 4 favorite day trips or must-sees? Thanks!
Aug 2nd, 2005, 12:05 PM
#2
#1- The Saturday early AM open air farmers market in the Vevey town square is fantastic. Vevey is only ~1 hour by train from Geneva. You might continue on to Montreux and see either Chateux de Chillon (old castle) or take a tram from the train station up to the lookout (Roche de Nayes) if the weather is clear. In either town you can stroll along the quai (lakeside promonade and find a nice place for lunch).
#2- The village and castle at Gruyere is very beautiful. Have a meat and cheese board lunch at one of the quaint local restaurants.
#3- A boat ride on the lake. There's a number of choices of ferries, etc. You could even use this for transportation between Geneva and one of the lakeside towns above but it takes a LONG time (like a 5 hr boat ride vs. a 1 hr train ride).
#2- The village and castle at Gruyere is very beautiful. Have a meat and cheese board lunch at one of the quaint local restaurants.
#3- A boat ride on the lake. There's a number of choices of ferries, etc. You could even use this for transportation between Geneva and one of the lakeside towns above but it takes a LONG time (like a 5 hr boat ride vs. a 1 hr train ride).
Aug 2nd, 2005, 12:13 PM
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Hi joaniejd,
I have a standard list of my favorite things -- sorry (!) can't whittle it down to four -- that I'll post below. They all assume a Montreux base, but each one is easy from Geneva as well. Morges & the flowered promenade might be the two I would recommend for you the highest. I usually rely on the trains, with schedule info at www.rail.ch. If you want more info on any of these, let me know.
Here ya go:
Spend a morning walking along the 11km flowered lakeside promenade from Clarens to Villeneuve, passing the Chateau Chillon between Territet and Villeneuve; there are plenty of cafes to stop and have a coffee & snack along the way to replenish your strength. There are also plenty of benches to sit and read, watch other walkers, or simply stare at the majesty of the lake and the mountains in the distance.
If you make it all the way to Villeneueve, top off your long walk with a wonderful pizza & beer lunch at a lakeside café in Villeneuve, then take the ferry back to Montreux (I think the ferry stops in late Sep/Oct).
You can do the promenade by bicycle too; rent bikes at the train station.
Spend a morning walking up to Montreux's old city and the old church for fantastic panoramic views from the church’s terrace. Have lunch at the Hotel/Restaurant du Pont at 12 rue du Pont (I had a ravioli in cream sauce with shaved truffles that was out of this world!). Montreux’s website is at www.montreux.ch
Spend the morning in Vevey hunting down the antiques shops in the old town. Then have lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve on the Pl. Marche. Vevey’s website is at www.vevey.ch
Be sure to walk from Vevey to the town of La-Tour-de-Peilz, just a few blocks. Walk along the lake past stately trees and park benches until you come to an old fort, a small park, and the port. You'll see lots of folks out playing in good weather.
Take the train (the “wine train”) from Vevey to Chexbres, then spend a morning walking the vineyards down to the lake, hitting Rivaz & St. Saphorin. For lunch, find the Auberge du Rivaz (in Rivaz . . . ) with a terrace lake view or see if any of the cellars are having a cheese/wine tasting. Website: http://www.lavaux.com/navigation.asp?page=balades.asp
The lakeside village of Cully, just east of Lausanne, is a picturesque stop and has two recommended restaurants, the Auberge du Raisin and the Au Major Davel.
The lakeside village of Lutry, just two miles east of Lausanne, has a well-posted tour of medieval buildings as well as some good wine caves for tasting. Website: www. lutry.ch
Spend a day in the mountains, taking the train to the resort of Gstaad. On the way back, stop at Chateau d'Oex for lunch.
Take the funicular from Territet up to Glion and have lunch at the Hotel Victoria, enjoying its panoramic views of the lake.
Spend an afternoon in the medieval village of Gruyeres, making sure to sample the berries in creme-double. Website: www.gruyeres.ch
Spend an afternoon in Nyon at the Roman museum and the Caesar's columns nearby. The Fodors guide recommends a meal at the Auberge du Chateau just steps from the Roman museum. It was closed when I was there, but it looked charming. Website: www.nyon.ch
Go to the small, charming village of Celigny. Not much to see here but a picturesque place (it was actor Richard Burton’s home during the last years of his life). Have lunch at the Auberge du Soleil -- great prix fixe feast!
Spend the morning in the town of Morges, just west of Lausanne. Morges has a cobbled main street that is lined with shops and patisseries; it has a flowered lakeside promenade that signs say runs all the way to Lausanne; and it has a large, green park next to the lake that is filled with stately trees. Here's the Morges tourism website: www.morges.ch/view.asp?DomId=51
The website for the tourist office of the region is: www.lake-geneva-region.ch
My personal travel journal (w/photos) of Montreux: http://www.igougo.com/planning/journ...JournalID=7825
Montreux photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swanda.../ph//my_photos
Enjoy!
s
I have a standard list of my favorite things -- sorry (!) can't whittle it down to four -- that I'll post below. They all assume a Montreux base, but each one is easy from Geneva as well. Morges & the flowered promenade might be the two I would recommend for you the highest. I usually rely on the trains, with schedule info at www.rail.ch. If you want more info on any of these, let me know.
Here ya go:
Spend a morning walking along the 11km flowered lakeside promenade from Clarens to Villeneuve, passing the Chateau Chillon between Territet and Villeneuve; there are plenty of cafes to stop and have a coffee & snack along the way to replenish your strength. There are also plenty of benches to sit and read, watch other walkers, or simply stare at the majesty of the lake and the mountains in the distance.
If you make it all the way to Villeneueve, top off your long walk with a wonderful pizza & beer lunch at a lakeside café in Villeneuve, then take the ferry back to Montreux (I think the ferry stops in late Sep/Oct).
You can do the promenade by bicycle too; rent bikes at the train station.
Spend a morning walking up to Montreux's old city and the old church for fantastic panoramic views from the church’s terrace. Have lunch at the Hotel/Restaurant du Pont at 12 rue du Pont (I had a ravioli in cream sauce with shaved truffles that was out of this world!). Montreux’s website is at www.montreux.ch
Spend the morning in Vevey hunting down the antiques shops in the old town. Then have lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve on the Pl. Marche. Vevey’s website is at www.vevey.ch
Be sure to walk from Vevey to the town of La-Tour-de-Peilz, just a few blocks. Walk along the lake past stately trees and park benches until you come to an old fort, a small park, and the port. You'll see lots of folks out playing in good weather.
Take the train (the “wine train”) from Vevey to Chexbres, then spend a morning walking the vineyards down to the lake, hitting Rivaz & St. Saphorin. For lunch, find the Auberge du Rivaz (in Rivaz . . . ) with a terrace lake view or see if any of the cellars are having a cheese/wine tasting. Website: http://www.lavaux.com/navigation.asp?page=balades.asp
The lakeside village of Cully, just east of Lausanne, is a picturesque stop and has two recommended restaurants, the Auberge du Raisin and the Au Major Davel.
The lakeside village of Lutry, just two miles east of Lausanne, has a well-posted tour of medieval buildings as well as some good wine caves for tasting. Website: www. lutry.ch
Spend a day in the mountains, taking the train to the resort of Gstaad. On the way back, stop at Chateau d'Oex for lunch.
Take the funicular from Territet up to Glion and have lunch at the Hotel Victoria, enjoying its panoramic views of the lake.
Spend an afternoon in the medieval village of Gruyeres, making sure to sample the berries in creme-double. Website: www.gruyeres.ch
Spend an afternoon in Nyon at the Roman museum and the Caesar's columns nearby. The Fodors guide recommends a meal at the Auberge du Chateau just steps from the Roman museum. It was closed when I was there, but it looked charming. Website: www.nyon.ch
Go to the small, charming village of Celigny. Not much to see here but a picturesque place (it was actor Richard Burton’s home during the last years of his life). Have lunch at the Auberge du Soleil -- great prix fixe feast!
Spend the morning in the town of Morges, just west of Lausanne. Morges has a cobbled main street that is lined with shops and patisseries; it has a flowered lakeside promenade that signs say runs all the way to Lausanne; and it has a large, green park next to the lake that is filled with stately trees. Here's the Morges tourism website: www.morges.ch/view.asp?DomId=51
The website for the tourist office of the region is: www.lake-geneva-region.ch
My personal travel journal (w/photos) of Montreux: http://www.igougo.com/planning/journ...JournalID=7825
Montreux photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swanda.../ph//my_photos
Enjoy!
s
Aug 2nd, 2005, 12:37 PM
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Annecy in France is within driving distance from Geneva. It's a lovely old town situated next to a lake with water canals and pedestrian bridges throughout the town, surrounded by the French Alps. Have a wonderful trip!
