I am having a two day stopover in Geneva in the first week of September - and want to see some mountain scenery - which direction best to go for a day trip? I won't be driving so a tourist bus will probably be my fate. Or maybe the intercity buses will work - to Montreux? to Freiburg? to Gstaad? to Annecy?
Really appreciate some recommendations please - and how to get there suggestions if possible.

Hi janinelouse,

Switzerland has one of the world's best train systems, and it will take you everywhere you'll need to go. No need for a tourbus certainly.

Montreux is a great spot, and I've been lucky enough to visit for two weeks every year for the past several years. However, it's not in the mountains.

I would say to go to Gstaad; the trip is about 2h30, and you'll have one change in Montreux. You'll be travelling on the scenic Golden Pass route.

More information at

www.gstaad.ch
www.rail.ch (for train schedules)
www.goldenpass.ch

Gruyeres
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR..._Fribourg.html

Saanen
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...wiss_Alps.html

Gstaad
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...wiss_Alps.html

Have fun!

s

Gruyeres or Gstaad would be my choices in the time you have, but to add to the list:

Gryon - cute, pretty, definitely mountain scenery, accessible by train in 2h20 with a change or 2, usually in Bex

www.gstaad.ch

your best bet

If it doesn't need to be Switzerland, you can go to Chamonix, its not at all far. Few things more impressive mountain-wise than a ride up to Aiguille du Midi and seeing Mont-Blanc nose-to-nose..

Another vote for Gstaad or Gruyeres. The design museum in Gruyeres and its cool Alien-themed cafe are not something you normally see in a little mountain village.

There are lovely hikes around Gstaad and you have all the village activities as well.

FYI, if you take a Golden Pass train, reservations advised. We had reservations the last time we took it and it was packed. An young woman and a middle-aged man were in our seats. The woman was very annoyed about vacating her seat and asked us where the *!$@! she was supposed to move to? Every seat was taken. We told her that we're sorry she feels inconvenienced but we had taken the trouble to reserve the seats and finding her another place to sit was not our job.

FoFoBT there are trains over the same route every hour, so unless you want the panoramic coaches on the Golden Pass Train take the ordinary trains the view is the same.

Yes, I know that the view is the same, I've gone that route several times. My advice was that if she OP decided SHE decides to take a Golden Pass train.

FoFoBT -- I once spent two weeks in an apartment in Chateau d'Oex and took those trains nearly every day. I only found them to be that packed around lunchtime, and that was in August. I don't think that finding seats will be a problem at other times.

s

We've been in them when they were SRO in June, April, December, and October.

That does surprise me! Lunchtime?

One was, the others were mixed - morning and late afternoon (around somwhere 6 pm). And always in first class.

Yes, that surprises me; that wasn't my experience at all for the two weeks I was there. The trains were long, and there were many cars for both the GP carriages and the normal ones.

s

Thanks all..of course the trains! Booking sounds worthwhile. Appreciate all this.

Chamonix would certainly fill the mountain scenery brief, but bear in mind it's around 3.5hrs by train one way, so makes for a long day trip.