One night between Geneva and Venice?
 

We will have a car, leaving Geneva airport, we're looking for a one night stay to get over jet-lag (so not too far from Geneva) before 2 days in Venice

Chamonix? Courmayeur? Aosta?

Any recommendations?

Outside Turin?

We would like a scenic area, small village/town, thoughts anyone?

Anyone?

Well, it's not exactly on the way, but I would recommend Vicenza to anyone anytime.

Thanks tarquin, I think Vicenza is too far too drive after an overnight flight.

Aosta would be my choice if not too far for you.

hi wrenwood,

i had a look at the map, and it rather depends how far you want to drive on the first day. Via michelin is saying that the quickest route from Geneva to Venice takes about 6 hours but you may need to add a bit of a detour to get somewhere interesting, like Asti.

i think that i would get hold of a decent size map and do some old fashioned route planning, with an eye to finding somewhere which is no more than 2 hours drive from geneva. Shouldn't be that hard!

had another look at the map. we went skiing once [a very long time ago] in Courmayer, and I seem to remember that Aosta was quite an interesting place.

I think that it's probably your best bet, if you want to stay reasonably close to the quickest route.

I do want to stay close to the route from Geneva to Venice, and probably somewhere around a two hour drive from the airport. That's why Chamonix, Courmayeur and Aosta seemed to be possibilities, wanted something charming in Alps location, nice place to stay and nice restaurant, maybe a 2 hour walk in the morning (or cable car) before heading to Venice.

It's my understanding all of these areas are pretty cool, just don't know how to choose between them or if there is another alternative.

Do I remember Cogne as also being mentioned as a pretty village and area? Not much on this board, a little more on TA.

While it doesn't really get you much closer to Venice, it's only an hour from Geneva so you could very easily drive to Vevey or Montreux and spend the night. Two towns right on Lac Leman, really beautiful. I'd be more focused on something close by from the airport after getting off a long flight, jetlagged, more than getting to the most charming spot that same day/night.

I was also going to suggest Montreux or Vevey but suze beat me to it. Also like in the area Lausanne and Morges.

If you choose the Chamonix/Courmayeur route rather than around Lake Geneva then I would suggest that you spend your first night in Italy so that you have at least passed the Mont Blanc tunnel. After the fire the tunnel is subject to very strict traffic regulations so depending upon when you travel you may have to queue just to enter the tunnel quite apart from the time to get through it if starting from the French side - not the best way to start your morning trip to Venice.

By the way if you do spend the night somewhere in the Valle d'Aosta DON'T have the bagna cauda for dinner. You will never get over your jet lag if you do!

Thanks Suze and Surfergirl, I should have been more specific. We do want the route towards Chamonix as we have stayed before in Montreux and Nyon.

We have always wanted to see the French and Italian Alps in this area, we have never been there, so would like a "quick look" to see if we would like to spend more time there someday.

Nochblad, hadn't thought of that, thanks for the heads up.Our flights usually get into GVA around 7:30- 8AM, once we get through baggage claim and customs and pick up the rental car, it's around 9. So maybe the best idea might be to stop in Chamonix for a look at Mont Blanc (if the weather co-operates) stretch our legs and get a bite of lunch. Then onward through the tunnel to stay in Courmayeur, Aosta or Cogne?

Are Courmayeur and Aosta mainly ski towns? Is Cogne smaller, less a resort?

I have done this several times viamichelin.com for best route via Interlaken Simplon Pass Hotel Grand Dino Baveno
for me last for 110 euro no breakfast right after you
come down from the Simplon Pass. hotelscombined.com
Beautiful Hotel views. Enpress Regina in Stresa is also
awesome there from past personal experience.

gstadd.ch is nice if you want closer to Geneva.
Interlaken Hotel booking.com nice for me a
little farther.

I would agree that Chamonix is good for lunch - there are some excellent restaurants.

Although Courmayeur is principally a skiing resort it is perhaps the most chic resort in the Aosta valley and also frequented in the summer - it has a well known book fair. Aosta is not known as a skiing resort but is the regional centre and is of course the point where you access the route of the Great St. Bernard pass into Switzerland.

I do not know Cogne other than it being famous for the dreadful killing of a small boy by his mother some 10 years ago roughly.

qwovadis (why not quovadis?) - Interlaken as your route!!! Look at the map!

wrenwood - I suggested Aosta because i remember it being as nochblad describes - a very interesting town in its own right.

Courmayer is more for skiing and I've never been in the summer. the ski lifts are somewhat out of the town as I recall, and if wanting get into the mountains was a reason for going, i would check that they will be running at that time of year.

wrenwood - perhaps you have mentioned it on another posting but when are you travelling?