Kathysa

Any recommendations for lodging for 4 nights (24 June through 28 June) in the Vevey area? Kids are 14 and 11. Negotiants has no availability. We'd like to stay around $300 per night, if possible. We'll be traveling by train, so easy access to the train station is important. Thanks.

swandav2000

Hi Kathysa,

I just tried the Montreux Riviera central booking site with your dates, one room, and four persons, and only three properties came up with any availability: A Capell'Art (1200 chf), Baron Tavernier (1516 chf), and the Riviera Lodge (640 chf).

I tried again with two rooms and two persons per room, and the prices were over your preferred range.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the hotels above, but there have been good things written about the Riviera Lodge. It is a back-packers type of place, though, if that makes a difference. Bathrooms are down the hall.

I got this information from

www.montreux-vevey.com

Good luck!

s

suze

Actually Riviera Lodge is what I thought when I saw this thread! Granted it's technically a "hostel" but it's in a beautiful building right on the town square, right on the lake in Vevey. The website is www.rivieralodge.ch and there's also a place to click thru to some apartments they manage.

Kathysa

Thank you. I saw the Riviera Lodge but didn't know how sharing the bathroom would be for a family. How about Hotel Masson? I sent an inquiry and they have availability for a 4 bedded room for around $300 per night, including breakfast. My only concern is location. We'll be traveling by train and will need to get from the train station (Vevey or Montreaux?) to the hotel. Thanks.

swandav2000

Hi Kathysa,

Lots of folks have enjoyed the Masson and it is recommended highly here. It lies on the other side of Montreux in the suburb of Veytaux, very close to Chillon castle. I'm sure you can find its location easily if you do a search for "Hotel Masson Montreux Switzerland" at google maps.

It's very easy to get from the hotel into town; it'll be about a 30 minute walk along the gorgeous flowered lakeside promenade. You can also take the town bus, which runs parallel to the lake shore; it is bus #1.

When you arrive at the Montreux train station, you go downstairs to the street. Cross the street, then take the escalator downstairs again to get to the lake level. Cross that street, find a bus stop, and stand with your back to the lake. The bus will be going in the direction "Villeneuve." I believe the fare will be 2,80 per person, and I believe the closest stop will be "Veytaux-Chillon." You board in the middle of the bus, and pay with the machine tucked into the back of the bus.

The easy way may be to take a taxi when you arrive and use the bus or walk during your stay.

Be sure you take a ferry at least once during your stay --

www.cgn.ch

Hope you find a good place!

s

swandav2000

Hi again,

Have to say -- if you want to stay in Vevey, I personally would increase my budget for those nights and stay at the lovely Hostellerie Bon Rivage. It lies right at the lake in the Vevey suburb of La Tour-de-Peilz about a 10-minute walk from the Vevey train station.

Have fun!

s

Kathysa

Thank you. I'll check out the Hostellerie Bon Rivage also. The Masson seemed a little out of the way, but did sound nice. We definitely want to do a lake cruise one day, and then were going to do The Chocolate Train to get to Gruyere. Also maybe a trip to the vineyards. I've seen mixed reviews on the Chocolate Train. Any advice? Anything with the word chocolate appeals to us, especially the kids, but we don't want to fall for some tacky tourist trap.
Thanks again.

swandav2000

Hi again,

I visit Gruyeres regularly but have never done the "Chocolate Train"; like you, I wouldn't enjoy being herded with strangers through it. It's very easy to do on your own -- just get the schedules at the Swiss rail site

www.rail.ch

To get to the factory from Gruyeres, your stop will be "Broc Fabrique." Information on the factory is at

www.cailler.ch

Must admit though that a factory tour doesn't really interest me much -- better chocolate to be had from the small, artisan bakeries where the locals go.

If you haven't seen them yet, here are links to my "reviews" (w/photos) of my favorite activities at or from the lake:

Montreux old town
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Lavaux
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Promenade Fleuri
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...reux_Vaud.html

Morges
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...rges_Vaud.html

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

Vineyards might not be so pretty in June though, maybe barely more than some sticks with a few buds. The village of Lutry would be my favorite Lavaux village.

Anyway, have fun!

s

suze

My friend who lives there took me to the town of Gruyeres. We toured the castle (fantastic!) and had lunch at a charming little place in town. She didn't mention chocolate train.

I'll make my usual pitch for going to the open air farmers markets. They are one of the highlights of each trip for me. In Vevey it's on Tues & Sat AM, Fri AM in Montreux.

If you have clear weather, the tram that leaves from the Montreux train station and goes up the mountain (Rochers de Naye) is a great thing to do.

Kathysa

I think we'll pass on the chocolate train and venture to Gruyere on our own. We're not big fans of group tours...like to explore on our own and at our own pace. Thanks for the info on which train stop. Also, I sent an e-mail to Bon Rivage regarding lodging. I think we'll skip the wine area and do 1 day with a lake cruise, another day with a trip on our own to Gruyere, and a 3rd day for the Rochers de Naye. That leaves one day unscheduled to do whatever we might come upon.
Great information on the farmers markets. Hopefully, we'll be in Vevey or Montreux for this 4 night part of our trip and will definitely check those out.

Kathysa

Swandav2000, I just finished looking at all your information on Tripadvisor and something has piqued my interest. Cycling from Gstaad to Gruyeres? How difficult/safe is this? My husband is an avid cyclist and does fine at altitude. The kids and I can hold our own. It sounds like it would be beautiful but I'm wondering how safe it is regarding traffic, and how many steep inclines there may be. I'll see if I can find more information online as to how long it would take, etc. Could we take the train to Gstaad, rent bikes and bike to Gruyere in one day, spend the night and bike back the following day? I'll see what I can find but you may want to stop me now if this is something best left to those with strong quadriceps.

swandav2000

Hi again,

I've cycled a few routes in this valley, but never from Gstaad to Gruyeres. I looked around at google maps and got this information

The route would be Gruyeres to Chateau d'Oex (I have cycled this route; it's scenic and pleasant) then turning north to Gruyeres. It is 41.1 km. Gstaad is at 1050m, Chateau d'Oex is at 958m, and Gruyeres is at 810m, so it looks like a mostly-downhill way.

This is also part of the Lakes Route (Route #9) of the nine national cycling routes in Switzerland; specifically, it is the Bulle-Gstaad part. Here is more information than you'll ever need about this route:

http://www.veloland.ch/en/routen_detail.cfm?id=20811

And details for this part of the route:

http://www.veloland.ch/en/routen_eta...Route&id=20859

I think this is an absolutely spectacular idea, and it may well be the favorite part of your vacation.

Have fun!

s

Kathysa

Excellent. Thank you!
I have quotes back from 2 hotels in the Montreux area, both a little higher than I had planned, but we were able to get a chalet in Wengen at lower than planned, so it all evens out. The Hostellerie Bon Rivage versus the Royal Plaza Montreux. Both sound nice. I'm now leaning toward Montreux instead of Vevey since all of our day trips will most likely be by train. Any thoughts?

swandav2000

The Royal Plaza is a 5-star hotel! I cannot believe that their rates would be comperable to the 3-star Bon Rivage! They must be running a special. If you can make it work, YES, stay at the Royal Plaza.

Be sure to check all the fine print with the RP offer. Many hotels charge by the person, so make sure your offer notes whether it is per person or per night.

I love views over the lake from the RP. Gorgeous. I stayed there once when I was working and they were running a special, so I could afford it. I stayed a week, and it was one of the best visits I've had.

It'll be about a 10- or 15-minute walk to get to the hotel; it sits right next to the Auditorium Stravinski almost in the suburb of Clarens. Just do a search at google maps to find it and map out your walking route.

I also adore their lakeside cafe and make it a point to hit it usually on my first day in town. They usually run a silly kind of special -- one year it was fresh strawberry torte by the cm, and one year it was all-you-can-eat Raclette. I always consider it a must to get a glass of champagne and a snack there early in my trips.

Anyway, have fun!

s

suze

(little bit more...) The train is exactly as easy to catch in Vevey as in Montreux. That doesn't need to be a deciding factor between the two towns.

Kathysa

I'll double check the fine print on the hotel offer. There is about a 70 US dollar difference per night with the Royal Plaza being the more expensive. Bon Rivage only has 2 double-bedded rooms available, which pushes their rate up. Royal Plaza does have a family special for 2 double-bedded rooms.
I'll look into the fine print and also pull up both locations again. Thanks for the advice.

Kathysa

Another question, this time on trains. After spending 4 nights in Montreux (we booked the Royal Plaza), we'll be heading to Wengen for 3 nights. I was thinking we'd take the Golden Pass train and just get off in Wengen. Can you do that or do you have to go all the way to Lucerne? I don't know if the train stops in Wengen, or in any other towns, so you can get off and sight-see. Is the Golden Pass much more enjoyable than the regular trains? I'd like to see Gstaad too, so was thinking we could get off there, walk around, get back on and go to Wengen. From what I can tell of the Golden Pass, it goes through these towns, but doesn't look like it stops.

swandav2000

Hi again,

Just use the rail site I gave you above; you can start and end your journey anywhere you like.

The Golden Pass line is very scenic, and it's one of my favorite scenic rides in Switzerland. Its route is Montreux-Gstaad-Zweisimmen-Interlaken-Luzern; the fast route is Montreux-Lausanne-Bern-Interlaken. To get the schedules for the scenic route, just use

From Montreux
To Wengen
Via Zweisimmen

Yes, you can get off and sightsee as much as you want then grab the next train. If you use the Swiss rail site, you will see that the train does stop in all of these towns! I always get the schedule covering several hours of any place I may want to stop. Yes, Gstaad is a great place to stop for a walk and a bite to eat. Lots of rich & famous live and visit there, so the window shopping is great, and the restaurants are fabulous.

More information on the route is at

www.goldenpass.ch

Also, you should know that there are many trains that run over the very same tracks as the Golden Pass; you do not have to restrict yourselves to the one that's marketed for tourists. Just choose any of the trains that fits your schedule.

Have fun!

s

Kathysa

We're getting ready for our upcoming trip this week and I have one last (hopefully) question. We will be taking the train from the Geneva airport to Montreux. Can we walk to the Royal Plaza from the Montreux train station? It sounds like it's about a 10-15 minute walk, but I'm wondering if it's well marked. We'll be arriving from an all-night flight with kids and luggage along, so won't be at our sharpest.
Thanks again for any and all advice.

swandav2000

Hi again,

You can actually walk from one end of town to the other, from the top to the bottom, too, in about 30 minutes. It's a pretty small place!

I have done that walk, from the station to the Royal Plaza, with luggage, in August. Yes, I guess it's about a 15-minute walk. However, when I did it, it was during the heat of the afternoon, and I arrived at this 5-star place looking like something the cat dragged in!

The walk isn't really marked, and there are two ways to go. You can take a right as you leave the train station and head along Ave des Alpes as it heads downhill. Bear left at Rue de la Gare and go down to the Grand Rue in the same direction. You'll see the Royal Plaza across the street on your left before long.

The other way is to leave the train station and cross the Ave des Alpes and take the stairs down to the lake side. Cross the Grand Rue to get to the lake, then take a right. Walk all along the lake until you come to the RP.

I think, after an all-night flight and with luggage and children, I might take a taxi. Taxi would be in the 20 chf range. You could also take a bus down Grand Rue, but it would only be for 2-3 stops and may not be worth the hassle of herding everyone aboard.

I always like to get an idea of where I'm going and what I'm doing, so I suggest you rummage around google maps. Pull up a map of Montreux, then find the train station (there will be two blue icons of a bus and a train on Rue de la Gare, a bit inland from the lake). Click on the arrow, and it will offer "directions" or "search nearby." I just asked for directions from the train station to the Royal Plaza, and it came up with a time of seven minutes.

Have fun!

s