Sorry for posting this twice but I meant to put it under the France and Switzerland topics......

I'm looking for opinions about our trip in August (and yes I know it'll be very crowded then but unfortunately we don't have a choice!). I'm thinking of flying into Geneva spending three nights in Montreux and then heading to Beaune for three nights before ending up in Paris and our flight home. How does that sound? I'm trying to reduce the stress factor of a car rental and figure Montreux is a beautiful spot where we can conveniently use the train for day trips. Am I right about that? My husband wants to go to Burgundy for wine tasting so we'll probably have to break down and get a car there..... unless there are convenient organized tours of villages, wineries, etc that we could do. Anybody know if that would be an option Beaune? Do those two places sound doable and like a good plan? Do you think its better to train to Dijon and get a car or go to Beaune and rent one there?

Any feedback or different ideas of what to do is appreciated. Thanks!

Taking the train to Dijon or Beaune would work for car rental. But if you got the car at Dijon you could work your way down the wine villages of the Côte d'Or on your way to Beaune. I do think having a car simplifies visiting the many vineyards.

There are organized wine tours from Beaune, if you don't want to rent a car. You can get one through the tourist office. There are several different ones offered by a couple of companies. I loved Beaune.

Yes, Montreux is beautiful, convenient to Geneva by train, and perfect for day trips. Chateux de Chillon is just outside town, there are wonderful boat tours along the lake, and trams up into the mountains.

August is not necessarily crowded to my experience (three trips). Montreux during the Jazz Fesitval is packed but that's earlier in the summer. There are many fantastic wineries you could visit nearby (within the Vaud region).

If wine is your main agenda for going to Burgundy, then you should stay at Beaune. It's the quintessential French wine town. Lots of good restaurants - a couple of very good brasseries at the main town square of Place Carnot, Ma Cuisine and Le Gourmandin, where good Burgunidan dishes and excellent wine choices by the glass or bottles.

From Beaune you can drive north to the Cote d'Or or Cote Nuits where the greatest Pinot Noir are produced (Gran Cru Classe) or south to Cote de Beaune, Maconnaise and Beaujoulais (sp?) for more good stuff to drink. All this within 30 minutes drive from Beaune.

Two things I would like to recommend. In Montreux, take the wine train (maybe you have to leave from Vevey - 10 min. from Montreux by train). Also, you can wander through the vineyards and visit small wineries... no car needed!

Also, take the steamer to Geneva and train back. The trip takes several hours there (less than one back) and is such a pleasure. It's so beautiful to see the lovely towns and villages along the lake from the water.

Have a wonderful time!

Thanks everyone for all the advice.... looks like Montreux and Beaune it is.

I'm thinking Villa Toscane in Montreux. Looks like I can get a decent rate of about $161 per night there - the location looks good - near the train station. Or, I'm maybe considering splurging on Suisse Majestic but don't know if its worth it. Any comments? Looking at Hotel Grillon in Beaune -- it looks charming and the price is reasonable. Lots of positive comments on this board. For both places I want something convenient -- walking distance to restaurants, bars, train station, etc. is pretty important to us.

Thanks!

Hi CollK,

I love Montreux, and have enjoyed four different hotels on numerous trips to the area. I've never been drawn to the Villa Toscane, mainly because it's across the street from the lake, with a large hotel (the Royal Plaza) blocking its views. The Toscane is not *very* close to the train station; it'll be about a 15-minute walk -- I've done the walk in August from the train station to the Royal Plaza and arrived as a melted mess. Here's a rather bad review of the place as further evidence: http://fodors.com/rants/rrread.cfm?d...ntity_id=48739

May I make a few suggestions? I think the Suisse & Majestic would be a good choice; have you e-mailed them to see if they have a special? They may have.

You may want to try the Golf Hotel (www.golf-hotel-montreux.ch), which is running a 20% off promotion from July - November. The hotel is right on the lake in the suburb of Territet. I've been trying to get in for my May trip, but they're booked solid. I love its views & its location away from the crowds of the central-Montreux area.

You may also want to try the three-star Hotel Masson (www.hotel-masson.ch), a favorite with many Fodorites. It's farther out then the Golf Hotel, but if you don't have much luggage, you can get there easily by bus (or maybe splurge on a taxi for the first trip from the train station). Though they're not directly on the lake, they do have lake-view rooms.

I hope some of this helps. I really hope you don't choose the Toscane!

s

S, thanks for the input about Villa Toscane -- I looked at the Golf Hotel and it does look really nice and just sent them an email. My only concern is that it sounds a bit away from things -- is that right? Is it convenient to the train, bars, etc.

Thanks so much and I'll also send an email to the Suisse Majestic.

Hi CollK,

Well yes, the Golf-Hotel is a *bit* far from the center of town. I just tried the pedestrian route tool at mappy.com and saw that it's 14 minutes from the train station, just about the same as the Toscane (only in the opposite direction). It'll be about 10 minutes on foot from the central Forum, where most of the cafes and bars are. I don't think that's a hardship -- you'll be strolling along a flowered promenade by the gorgeous lake with majestic mountains across the lake. Quite a nice way to end an evening!

But of course there is the bus (#1 I think) that runs parallel to the lake. It's about 2F80 to go from the town center to Chillon, so I would guess maybe 2F to get to your hotel. Alternately, you can catch the ferry from the dock in Montreux and get off in Territet -- but then the walk is about the same distance! The ferry schedule is at www.cgn.ch, in pdf format.

Some of my favorite cafes/restaurants in the area: Hotel Restaurant du Pont, 12 rue du Pont in the old town; La Rouvenaz, an Italian place across the street from the tourist information office at the lake; les Terrasses du Pavillon, a cafe across from the dock at Territet, next to a small playground & swingset; the Hostellerie de Geneve, an Italian place on the main square in Vevey; and Auberge de Rivaz across the street from the lake in the vineyard village of Rivaz. Also note that La Rouvenaz put in a wine bar a few years ago, so you may enjoy checking it out. You can find photos & addresses at www.montreux.ch.

Let me know if I can help more --

s