Evian les Bains, France or Lausanne, Switzerland?
 

I'll be leaving Montreux, Switzerland on my way to Geneva and will have 2 nights to spend somewhere in between.

I know the distances are fairly close but like to spend the night instead of day tripping. I will have a car so the time 'packing, checking in/out, traveling, etc.' isn't an issue as it would probably take longer to wait for and ride a train back and forth. Not looking for any advice in this regard, please.

I can stay in Evian at the Hilton using points. I'd need to pay for a hotel in Lausanne which is not an issue. I had planned on Lausanne until I just realized how Evian could play into the itinerary.

Looking for relaxation, good food, and wonderful scenery... and some local interesting sites.

Will have already done the things around Montreux (Chillon, Gruyeres, cog train up mountain, etc.).

So, the ONLY question is... which of these 2 towns would you pick?

Thanks!

I would pick Evian as change from being in Switzerland. Of course, Evian is a smaller city than Lausanne.

Thanks very much, Kerouac!

Small doesn't bother me at all... I prefer the small cities and towns over the large cities.

And, I will have spent a total of 15 nights in Switzerland excluding these 2 nights.

ditto what kerouac wrote.

If you like small places, you may also want to check out Yvoire, which is not far from Evian and also on the southern shores of Lake Geneva. Maybe as a stopover on your final drive to Geneva.
http://www.yvoiretourism.com/index.html

Just some probably unnecessary remark re. crossing the CH/FR border:
While both countries are within the Schengen common travel area and you won't have immigration procedures at the border, Switzerland is not in the EU Customs Union. You probably won't travel with many bottles of liquor, but the general limit is (when I remember correctly!) €300 pP for any goods you bought while in CH. Customs controls are still in place at the border.

Wine is cheaper and better in France. I used to smuggle wine from F to CH and from F to D. Swiss customs controls may still be in place but French customs controls at the Swiss border have been gone for over a decade.

Forgot to mention. Evian is a very cute village on the shore of Lac Leman. There is a casino and up scale eats. The *water factory* is just outside the train station.

Cowboy and Spaarne, thanks very much! Very much appreciate your comments regarding customs between the two countries. Will buy some wine in France.... but, I'm betting that it won't make it as far as the border! ;-)

Cowboy, just checked out your link to Yvoire. It is now added to my itinerary! Just the type of place that I love.

Thanks very much!

The checkpoints are shared by both countries at many locations, so you will not necessarily see two seperate buildings. You rarely have to stop, but you can be stopped. Even if the checkpoint looks vacated.

CH has a significantly lower VAT than France, esp. for luxury goods, or Germany. And you have EU citizens which harbor money and other funds in Switzerland and take that cash home in the proverbial suitcase.

So French Customs would be looking for the new Rolex or (lots of) cash, and not a bottle of wine over the limit.
If you plan to shop luxury goods of significant(!) value in CH, try to postpone that until you get back into CH in Geneva.

i would stay in Annecy...... a beautiful city not far away from Evian... Found personally Evian to be boring

Thanks very much, Clausar! Annecy looks very cute... I will have to spend some time there!

Staying in Evian does not prevent you from exploring other nearby cities.

You're absolutely right, Kerouac! I will be exploring these other suggestions during my stay in Evian.

Hi Joan,

I'll be traveling with my wife in the area in August and I'm pretty much looking for the same things you described above...

Also, would love to use some points at the Hilton. - Would you reco to stay at the Hilton while exploring the area? (we will travel around 5 days +/-, and was thinking o stay there 3 nights...)

It has been already 2 years, but if you have any tip regarding your vist, would be great...

I've been looking at the places that Cowboy1968 & spaarne recommended; they look absolutely great!

cheers!

Hi Mandel,

Yes, I'd recommend staying at the Hilton. Very nice hotel although I had a room in the back so my view wasn't of the lake. Guess I could have requested a change.

Enjoyed market day there. Some very good restaurants too.

And you have to go to Yvoire!!!! It is gorgeous!!!

Chateau de Chillon and Montreux are both close, too. Highly recommended. Also recommend Gruyere and the chocolate factory in Broc.

Joannyc,

Thanks a lot, itinerary is getting in good shape now, Yvoire, Montreux, Gruyeres & Broc are definitely in!

So far we will stay 1 night in Laussanne, 2 in Montreux and 3 in Evian.

Best Regards!

If you like staying in "small" towns there is no questuon whatsoever IMO. Lausanne is not in any way, shape, or form some small town. Even if you confined yourr stay to the port area of Ouchy on the shores of the lake it would not seem like a small town.

Of course, if for some reason you wanted to visit it from Evian there is frequent lakeboat service back and forth between the two.