Paris to Murren, stop in Montreux?
 

I received some wonderful advice on this forum a few months ago when we were starting to put together our itinerary for our trip this summer. "We" also includes my husband and our seven year old son. Our itinerary looks roughly like this:

6/10-6/14, Amsterdam (visiting family)
6/14-6/18, Paris
6/18, Paris to Montreux
6/19-6/23, Murren
6/23-6/25, Lucerne

I am trying to figure out our travel from Paris to Murren. My initial inclination was to stay in Montreux for a night to break up the amount of travel time (we are going by train). I thought we would arrive in Montreux around lunchtime, talk a nice walk to Chillon, stay in a hotel near the train station, and leave for Murren the next morning. We are taking the Golden Pass scenic railway.

I have now discovered that there is a large event (Fete Federale de Musique) in Montreux from June 17-19. Hotels are barely available on 6/18. The only opening I have been able to find is at Hotel Eurotel for 450 CHF.

Should I abandon the plan to stay in Montreux for a night? Is there another good stop-over point between Paris and Murren? We really want to take the time to enjoy the Golden Pass scenic railway and not have to rush it after the journey from Paris.

Any advice is much appreciated!

Neighboring Vevey is preferred by many to Montreux itself or if all full there Lausanne is a bigger but pleasant town, especially down on its lakefront.

Take the Golden Pass to Interlaken-Ost- then transfer to the mountain train there to Lauterbrunnen - at Lauterbrunnen transfer to the aerial cable way that goes up to Grutschalp where you get a tiny train to Murren. The whole route is covered by a Swiss Pass as would be the Golden Pass trains, including one you can take up and over the Brunig Pass to Lucerne.

Offhand since you are staying in Murren especially a Swiss Pass could be a great deal as it covers the expensive conveyances up there 100% and gives 50% off the thrilling long cable way to The Schilthorn/Piz Gloria - a remote icy outpost in the middle of nowhere - was featured in James Bond movie "On Your Majesty's Secret Service"- the revolving restaurant, ice tunnels and all.

For lots on Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Thanks so much, PalenQ. We will definitely consider Lausanne and Vevey as alternatives. The TGV from Paris to Lausanne, then potentially on the Vevey. I am looking at Hostellerie Bon Rivage. Maybe Lausanne Palace or Angleterre in Lausanne.

Then, in the morning, either Lausanne or Vevey to Montreux and the Golden Pass to Interlaken, etc.

We are definitely planning to purchase the Swiss Pass :)

Thanks again!

I am no expert but we did just travel to Lausanne in the fall, stayed there twice during our trip. If you stay in the Ouchy area of Lausanne you can walk to the Olympic Museum. Just show them your Swiss Passes and you can visit for free. All along the lake is a paved and beautifully landscaped wide path.
Upon check in all Lausanne hotels give you 'Lausanne Passes' that are good for free rides on their local metro and buses. So wherever you stay it would not be hard to get down to the lake front.
The walk from Montreaux to Chillon is beautiful but this is a good alternative, although this is a more populated area.
Also, there are boats at the Ouchy area, you could catch one and cruise across Lake Geneva to Evian, France. It took less than 30 minutes to get across the lake.
Just thinking your son might enjoy the experience. Free with the Swiss Passes, too!

I'd just stay in Lausanne or Vevey, also, as long as it's on the Golden Pass line. It's a pretty long walk from Montreux to Chillon, not sure how far you want to walk--I think it's about 3.5 km from around where the train station is to the castle. There is a bus.

Chateau Chillon is a blockbuster site for me, and I bet your 7-year old boy would freaking love it. I say go to Montreux!

You can take boats to Chateau Chillon from Vevey or buses - the walk is lovely but IME many 7-yr olds don't think so. the boat is a lovely way to approach the lakeside castle (100% covered by Swiss Pass as is I believe entry to the castle but not sure (Swiss Passes give free entry to nearly 500 Swiss museums and sights like that.)

Also coming to suggest checking out Vevey. I prefer it (slightly) over Montreux. Depending how big the event is though, it may also carry over to the neighboring town. If so, look at Lausanne.

You can also take a boat to the Chateau Chillon to / from Lausanne (not just Vevey).

I'm taking the same trip myself from Paris but to Wengen, also with kids your son's age, but we're not stopping halfway.

I think it was 6 hours. I guess I never thought to stop halfway. Did someone suggest that to you, or is it just that you would rather not spend 6 hours at once in a train?

Great advice! Leaning toward trying to find accommodations in Vevey for a night (any recommendations?), but staying in Lausanne, with the Olympic Museum, is a great back-up. Our son is really excited about Chateau Chillon, so we would love to fit that in if we can. Once he hears that we can take a boat there, we may never come home :) I am looking at Hostellerie Bon Rivage, but at $450/night it is a bit more than we would like to spend.

brubenow - there are more direct routes from Paris to Wengen/Murren that do not take the Golden Pass. I think the journey could be as short as 6 hours. We wanted to take the scenic route and not feel rushed, so we decided on a halfway stop in the Lausanne region.

Your time in each place is shorter than you may think. It is really:

6/10-6/13, Amsterdam
6/14-6/17, Paris (3.5 days)
6/18, in transit to Montreux almost all day. (a few evening hours)
6/19-6/22, Murren (3.5 days)
6/23-6/24, Lucerne (1.5 days - if you are flying out 6/25)

Hi maryedejong,

I've visited Montreux numerous times, usually for 2 weeks. I stay in apartments these days, but if I stayed in a hotel, the Hostellerie Bon Rivage would be on my short list because of its location right on the lake. I'm surprised to hear that it's $450 for the three of you. A cheaper option might be the Hotel Negociants, which is in the middle of town a few blocks inland from the lake. A word of caution, though -- there is a noisy restaurant on the ground level, so you'll want to shut your windows.

I always prefer walking from Montreux to Chillon, and it only takes 45 minutes. One of the best things about Montreux is the flowered lakeside promenade -- and the parade of characters who are walking beside you -- so that's a good way to enjoy the promenade. The views are better going TO Chillon (lake and countryside and France in the distance) rather than going FROM Chillon (built-up Montreux). If I were you, I'd take the ferry back to Vevey rather than to Montreux & Chillon.

Yes, do reserve a few hours to enjoy Vevey itself -- it has a wonderful tangle of winding streets right next to the lake, and it's worth getting lost there.

Make sure to stop into the cheese shop and buy some cream of Gruyere (creme de Gruyere); you can pour it over berries or meringues. You'll hate me for suggesting that.

Ferry schedules at

www.cgn.ch

Have fun as you plan!

s

Alternatives (for less than 200 USD double, according to www.booking.com):
Corseaux Beach, Corseaux-Vevey
7me art, Corsier-Vevey
Hotel Lavaux, Epesses, close to railway station (trains to Montreux at least every 30 min)
Auberge du Raisin, Cully, close to railway station (trains to Montreux at least every 30 min)
Le rivage, Lutry, close to railway station (trains to Montreux at least every 30 min)
tons of hotels at Lausanne and Ouchy
De la Gare, Montbovon (rather basic), stop of all Golden pass trains between Montreux and Zweisimmen and of all local trains to Gruyeres castle and Broc chocolate factory (trains from Montreux every hr, last departure 22.12)
Montreux, Vevey and Lausanne railway station have luggage lockers.

6/18, in transit to Montreux almost all day. (a few evening hours)>

All of 4 hours and 15 minutes Paris to Montreux - leave at 10 am be there about 2:30 - hardly all day and just a few evening hours - but better IMO to stay two nights and leisurely go to the Chateau Chillon and a boat ride, etc.

janisj is right - travel time makes those days about 1/2 day less. Less can indeed be more! Maybe cut off Lucerne or do it as the half day before flying out.

>>All of 4 hours and 15 minutes Paris to Montreux -<< But <i>not</i> from one hotel to the next. In total one is looking at a minimum of 5 hours en route. So by the time you check in and get out and about it will be mid to late afternoon.

I'm not going to quibble - our time in Montreux/Vevey is too short. But we are early risers and planning to take the 8am train out of Paris (our Parisian accommodations are not far from Paris Gare Lyon). That puts us in to Lausanne by noon. We also don't need to leave for Murren first thing in the morning.

I'm really wanting to see Lucerne and we already have accommodations booked in Murren, so I think we will do our best to make the most of the time we have in Vevey/Montreux.

Swandav2000 - creme de Gruyere sounds heavenly! I emailed Hostellerie Bon Rivage to see about the rate.

neckervd - thanks for the hotel suggestions. I will check those out. Good to know about the luggage lockers too - we will likely do that when we arrive.

So by the time you check in and get out and about it will be mid to late afternoon>

OK better than your original a <few hours in evening> could well be in hotel by 2 pm and as the sun sets really late at that time at least can take a boat trip or stroll around Montreux. Evening starts at about 10 pm at that time of year.

OP has considered that and will make the most of it - leaving early is the key. Montreux/Vevey just a few minutes by frequent trains from Lausanne. they will have to move fast to get to Chillon by closing time not to mention taking the tour - but even a few hours in this lovely area is sweet - more would be better but OP has taken all that into consideration. Can't see everything.

I'm leaning toward paying the cost for convenience/quality and booking at Hostellerie Bon Rivage, which is just a half hour of travel time from Lausanne. We should get there by 1pm or so. Then, on to Chateau Chillon (perhaps by boat), where we can spend several hours. We'll spend the evening and the next morning in Vevey, and then head to the train station in Montreux and on to Murren.

The 18th and 19th will be our heaviest travel days of the trip by far, but we are pretty low-key travelers. We aren't planning on a hectic schedule for Paris and Murren, and won't be sightseeing in the Netherlands at all (staying with family in tiny Heerenveen!). I hope that it will balance out and be a relaxing trip overall.

If you happen to be in the area on a Tues or Fri or Sat don't miss the street farmers markets - they are really special (Tues & Sat in Vevey and Fri in Montreux)!