Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Geneva Day Trips

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Geneva Day Trips

Hello, my family and I are traveling to Europe in May arriving in Geneva. We are planning on staying there a couple of days before we depart for the rest of our trip with our first stop being Paris. What are some recommendations for some day trips via train or bus around the Geneva region? We are looking for more sightseeing, scenery and outdoor activities as opposed to activities inside. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi Terry, I love the Lake Geneva area and usually stay in Montreux. Here are my favorite activities in the area: Spend a morning walking along the 11km flowered lakeside promenade from Clarens to Villeneuve, passing the Chateau Chillon along the way; there are plenty of cafes to stop and have a coffee & snack along the way to replenish your strength. Every few months, the city gardeners construct witty and elaborate sculptures along the promenade. The first one I saw used colorful flowers to represent paint spilling from large cans, with large straw brooms to represent paint brushes; another year there were six-foot spiders in the trees and nine-foot ants along the way; one year there were large cows; last November I saw the gardeners working on six-foot godzillas and lizard monsters. Each time I return, I look forward to seeing their latest efforts! 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). 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 (reviewed -- sort of-- in NY Times Travel section. Go to www.nytimes.com, then to the archives of "What's Doing," then find "What's Doing in Vevey" from summer '99). 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. Cully (esp. the Auberge du Raisin) and Lutry's well-posted tour of ancient buildings are worth a trip as well. Spend a day in the mountains, taking the train to the resort of Gstaad. On the way back, stop at Chateaux d'Oex, where the only successful round-the-world-by-hot-air-balloon trip was launched. Or stop at Glion for lunch at the Hotel Victoria with its panoramic views of the lake; then walk the rest of the way down to Montreux on a stair-step path through the forest (or take the train or the funicular to Territet). Spend an afternoon in the medieval village of Gruyeres, making sure to sample the berries in creme-double. Spend an afteroon in Nyon at the Roman museum and the Caesar's columns nearby. If you have the time, walk up to Montreux's old city & the museum & the old church. Fantastic views from the old church (can't remember the name -- but it's prominent in the old city). Have lunch at the restaurant at the museum. Here are the websites: www.montreux.ch (find their picture gallery) www.vevey.ch www.lake-geneva-region.ch www.gruyeres.ch www.nyon.ch www. lutry.ch www.concierge.com (type in "Switzerland" as a destination, then go to "Lausanne & the Alps"). www.myswitzerland.com This is my personal travel journal with photos of the area. Just copy & paste the address onto your browser. If it does not work, go to www.igougo.com then search for "Montreux" travel journals. http://www.igougo.com/planning/journal.asp?JournalID=7825 s

You can easily take the train along the lake to various lakeside towns such as Montreaux (Chillon), Lausanne (medieval center), and Vevey (waterfront walk). Perhaps a boat in one direction and train between towns on the return.

Hi. May I suggest a day trip to Chamonix and another day trip to Lake Thun? Look them up in any Eurail or Cook train schedule book. You can get to and from both places by train and the scenery you will see is spectacular. In Chamonix you can take the tram up the mountain and get an eagle's-eye view of Mt. Blanc and an incredible sight of the valley below (absent clouds). When visiting Thun be sure to bring a tissue to wipe away the tears of joy that will come when you ponder that there may be a no more beautiful spot in Europe. You may take a ferry across the lake to catch a different train (and route) back to Geneva. Both places can be done easily in one day each. (Wish I were going with you.) You're welcome.

Take the boat to Ivoire, a small, medieval town in the French side. Absolutely charming. Consider also Evian, a small thermal resort, on the French side too.

Thanks so much to all that took the time to respond. The information is very informative and will be of great use. This is really a great web site. Just wish I had discovered it the other three times I've been to Europe.

We were in Geneva 4 years ago, actually stayed on the French side of the border. On a weekend we rented a car in France - Annemasse (spelling?) and spent the day driving down the French Alps and back. Lovely scenery, we drove up L'Alpe D'Huez and up the Col du Galibier where there is monument to founder of the Tour de France. Also we had Eurail pass and took the train from Geneva to Montreaux and spent the day sight-seeing there, and took the ferry back to a connection for the train. Really enjoyed our trip.

Hello Terry! Are you still with us? If you feel like a relaxing day to recover from the plane before continuing on to Paris, try a day out on the lakeboats of Lac Leman. They are marvelous -- and I'm sure you can access their schedules on the net (maybe even via the SBB site). Anyway, you can make stops at Yvoire (Ursula's recommendation), Nyon, Montreux, Vevey, the castle of Chillon, St. Saphorin, take a walk in the vineyards, or ride all the way to Lausanne -- a lovely old city. I can't think of a better way to begin your trip gently and aesthetically. J.

Terry, We were in Switzerland in May and stayed in Lausanne, traveling from there by boat to Geneva. We found the old town of Lausanne to be very beautiful. There is a little funicular (said to be the shortest in the world) that takes you from the lake to the old town. We were fortunate that a concert was scheduled at the Lausanne Cathedral that evening(Haydn's Creation) and we were able to get last-minute tickets. We enjoyed spending all the daylight hours outdoors and the evenings attending performances. The boat trip was very scenic. Switzerland, and then Paris. A winning combination. Enjoy your trip! Karen

See my recent post http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=1347050 "Choice tables is back at www.nytimes.com this weekend: Geneva." which I will top for you. Best wishes, Rex