Hello! <BR>Does anyone have any suggestions on day trips (for 1-2 days) from Geneva? Recommendations and specific details are greatly appreciated! <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR>Karen

When are you going to be here ? Will you have a car ? <BR> <BR>Possibilities are plentiful, from Route du Vignoble (Wine road), to the Swiss or French Alps, Annecy, Lyon, Paris, Bern, Lucerne ...

If you are going to be there with nicer, warmer weather, I would highly suggest a day trip to beautiful Annecy. <BR>Ellen

-Chamonix --- check at the tourist office, they used to run daily from there. Easy drive if you'll have a car. Also doable by train. Excellent trip by cablecar over the glacier to Italy and back. Pretty cold if you'll be there in winter, though the snow-covered landscape would be gorgeous on a sunny day. <BR>-Chateau de Chillo, just outside Montreux. Easy car trip, and a nice drive. Or train to Montreux and take the bus (#1 from the front of the station.) A long day's trip from May/June to September by boat. Best boat one way, train the other. <BR>-In boat season take in Yvoire on the French side ... interesting 'medieval' town ... a bit touristy, but interesting with some good shops and food. <BR>-Our favorite spot in Switzerland, the Jungfru region, is only three hours by train. Worth more than 1-2 days, but you can still get a good taste ... which will bring you back for more someday. Best visited June through August/September, but with decent weather a lovely trip at other times as well. <BR>-Bern, the capitol, is little more than two hours away and certainly worth a day's visit. <BR> <BR>If you're just starting your research you may find www.twenj.com/swissdest.htm#Geneva of interest as a starting point to explore some of what's available in our favorite country. <BR> <BR>Ed

Karen, <BR> <BR>This is probably lots more information that you'll ever want, but Montreux & Lake Geneva is my favorite European destination. I find lots to do there: <BR> <BR>Spend a morning walking along the 11km flowered lakeside promenade from Clarins 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. Top it off 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). <BR> <BR>Spend the morning in Vevey hunting down the antique shops in the old town. Then have lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve on the Pl. Marche (find a review/info on Vevey in the New York Times Travel archives on "What's Doing in Vevey."). <BR> <BR>Take the 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 with a terrace lake view, the Cafe de Raisin in St. Saphorin, or see if any of the cellars are having a cheese/wine tasting. <BR> <BR>Explore Cully, outside Lausanne, and have lunch at the Auberge du Raisin, a Relais & Chateaux restaurant. Explore Lutry's (also outside Lausanne) well-posted tour of medieval buildings. <BR> <BR>Spend a day in the mountains, taking the train to the jet-set 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). <BR> <BR>Spend an afternoon in the medieval village of Gruyeres, making sure to sample the berries in creme-double. <BR> <BR>Spend an afteroon in Nyon at the Roman museum and the Caesar's columns nearby. <BR> <BR>Spend a morning walking 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. <BR> <BR>Here are the websites: <BR>www.montreux.ch (find their picture gallery) <BR>www.vevey.ch <BR>www.lake-geneva-region.ch <BR>www.gruyeres.ch <BR>www.nyon.ch <BR>www.lutry.ch <BR>www.concierge.com (type in "Switzerland" as a destination, then go to "Lausanne & the Alps"). <BR>www.myswitzerland.com <BR>www.rail.ch (for times/cost of connections) <BR> <BR>Let me know if you need more (!) info. <BR> <BR>s <BR> <BR> E-mail me if I can help with other information -- <BR>

Find myself traveling to the Swiss ski resort of Villars this Xmas to visit relatives. (Flying through Geneva and thinking of renting a car instead of taking train.) Any suggestions for side trips (in warmer temps) at end of week before flying back would be appreciated. Also any food, ski suggestions for Villars would be helpful, too. Thanks.

I think wou never could have chosen better place to be your base from that you can explore the surroundings. <BR>Great day trips from Geneva are: <BR> <BR>Annecy, Talloires and the Lake Annecy. <BR> <BR>Chamonix and its viewpoints ( I know the Montenvers, great!) <BR> <BR>Montreux, Nyon, Laussanne and Gstaad, Freiburg, Neuchatel. <BR> <BR>The French Jura and its waterfalls ( Source du Lison, Source du Loue, Saut du Doubs ) and mountains. <BR> <BR>Bern, Thun, Interlaken, Grindelwald and its gorges, Lauterbrunnen and its waterfalls, The Jungfrau region. <BR> <BR>The Vercors region and Grenoble. <BR> <BR>Lyon

Annecy - it's absolutely beautiful. I lived there for 6 months last year and was in awe everyday. Beware of the touristy cafes and restaurants in the Old Town (near all the canals) - they're way overpriced and the food isn't that good. There are some really good restaurants in nearby towns on the lake, including a Michelin-starred winner. Also, Cafe des Artists on a side street near the train station is very nice, not too expensive, friendly, and delicious.