schnauzer

I'm trying to meet up with a friend who will be coming from Monaco and flying back home from Nice. (all booked and locked in) I'm coming from Bristol UK and am trying to find a place to catch up for say 4-5 nights tops. I would love to see some more of Switzerland having only been there very briefly a long time ago. We can both fly directly into Geneva which is good and thought perhaps a night or two in Geneva and then the train to Lausanne and or Montreux for the remaining two nights and then back to Geneva to fly home. Does this sound like a plan and is there enough to see and do in these two towns, having never been to either and I'm only in the initial stages of researching? From other Fodor's threads it sounds like a very pretty area around the lake.

Any advice from the Swiss experts would be appreciated. I looked at the Golden Rail journey but I don't think we'd have time to get there and back.. but open to ideas. There being Lucerne. Also I'm talking last couple of days in June, first couple in July. Perhaps not the right time for the scenic train ride?

thanks for any insights, Schnauzer

schnauzer

just discovered the Montreux jazz festival starts 29th June, presuming this will make accommodation expensive and busy. But if we stayed near by could this still be an option?

swandav2000

Hallo schnauzer!

Well, that's one of my favorite parts of the world, so I hope you enjoy it. I usually spend 2 weeks there every year or every other year... so, yup, I do think there will be plenty to do.

Yes, it'll be expensive during the Jazz Fest, and yes the lakeside promenade will be elbow-to-elbow with folks, but you should still manage to have fun there! You can cut costs by staying outside of Montreux itself, for instance in Glion above Montreux (linked by funicular to Territet or train to Montreux) or in Vevey (linked by train or by bus #201). You will receive a Riviera Card from your hosts, which will make all the transport in the area free for you, so it's quite easy to get around. It's very important to me to stay on the lake (to see all the folks parading by), and one place on my short list (if I can ever tear myself away from Montreux) is the Hotel Bon Rivage. The hotel sits in the suburb of La Tour-de-Peilz, but you won't be able to tell that you're not in Vevey proper. There is a bus stop just outside the hotel, so it's very convenient.

http://https://www.bon-rivage.ch/en/

I have some things to add about things to do, but will do that in the next post, as I'll be experimenting with formatting.

s

swandav2000

Well of course it's not working. I have a list of about 12 things to do/see in or from Montreux, with 12 attachments. I went through the tedious, very tedious, very very tedious, process to attach each separate link... and this darn new format would only accept about four of them. And those I had to go through the steps of attachment two or three times just for those four. Too tedious.

If you'd like my list of things to do, with links, send me a pm, and I'll see if they will attach on the return pm.

In the meantime, it's back to the Help board.

Sadly.

s

Dukey1

We often stay in Lausanne and there is plenty to see there (and across the lake in France) BUT I think you might be better off staying further east along the lake somehow. When I think of Montreux I think of the trip up to Rochers de Naye as well as Chillon castle. I'd center myself somewhere in that area. As to Geneva I'm sure many will disagree but when we stayed there some years ago we ended up doing a lot of day trips to places elsewhere for some (perhaps foolish) reason.

kja

I would strongly encourage you to get a good guidebook, perhaps the Michelin Green guide. The cost will be nominal in comparison to the cost of your trip, you will have a wealth of information at your fingertips, and you will find answers to questions you don’t even know to ask.

Failing that, you might consult my trip report, paying particular attention to posts #28 and following:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...thanks-983126/

I found more than enough of interest in Geneva and Lausanne and Montreux to easily fill the time you have in the region.

Hope that helps!

Dukey1

Yes, KJA brings up a good point: a guidebook. Looking at it might help you decide just which places are worthwhile in the very short time you have to spend.

neckervd

All depends on your interests. You may do tousand things in June/July, like visits of
Red Cross and human Dignity Museum in Geneva
Olympic Museum, Charlie Chaplin Museum, Alimentarium along the Riviera Lemanique
Steam trains at Blonay and le Bouveret
Aquapark at Le Bouveret
Alpine thermal spas at Lavey, Saillon, Ovronnaz
Menhirs at Yverdon and Grandson
Roman theatres and museums at Avenches and Martigny
medieval city centers of Orbe, Yverdon, Gruyeres, Murten, Neuchatel, Biel/Bienne, Romont, Fribourg, Berne, Sion, Brig.....
Castles of Chillon, Aigle, Sion (ruined), Brig, Grandson, Yverdon, Oron, Bulle, Gruyeres........
Caves at Vallorbe
Salt mines at Bex
Celtic Lake dwelling museums at Neuchatel and Biel/Bienne
Swiss watchmaking museum at La Chaux-de-Fonds
18th century music boxes, automata, clocks, singing birds, animated pictures and gramophones museums at L'Auberson
Cheese diary at Gruyeres
Chocolate factory at Broc nearby
Hikes along the endless water irrigation channels in Valais
Hikes through the vineyards of Lake Geneva, Lake Neuchatel, Lake Murten, Lake Biel/Bienne, Valais (up to 1200 metres above sea level)
Cog wheel railway trips to Les Pleiades, Leysin, Champery, Bretaye, Chamonix, Montenvers, Mer de Glace, Zermatt, Gornergrat.....
Rope wheel railway trips to Chaumont, Sonloup, Emosson, Montana, Tignousa, Sunnegga, Mittelalallin....
dozens of Postbus and gondola trips to viewpoints
boat trips on Lake Geneva (historic paddle steamboats), Lake Neuchatel, Lake Murten, Lake Biel/Bienne and on the rivers Broye, Thielle and Aar...
Gorges of the rivers Orbe, Areuse, Douanne, Suze (Taubenloch), Trient.....

suze

Yes there's plenty to do. Vevey is my favorite, then Montreux. Lausanne is very pretty too, but quite a bit larger city as far as navigating and getting around.

In the summer there's the Marche Folkorique that happens at the Vevey Saturday morning farmers market (in the square by the lake) which is the regular Saturday market PLUS the wineries come and have tastings. Also often there's the municipal orchestra or some kind of live music. Here's the info from last year's festivities:
Programme - Marchés folkloriques de Vevey