Switerzland Day Trip
 

We are going to Paris for a week, but some in our group wanted to visit nearby Switerzland as a day trip. I was wondering if you guys can give me some feedback on which one city in Switerzland would be good to visit. Thanks

Day trip, as in not even staying over 1 night? Returning to Paris on that same day?

Yes, not staying over. Just want to visit a city that would "represent" switerzland and at lease eat some good chocolate

Well, Paris to Geneva is 339 miles (546 KM) one way. Paris to Zurich as another example is 346 miles (557 KM) one way. That's gonna be a heck of a day trip!

Well, it's possible :-)

I went to www.raileurope.com and you could go from Paris direct to Lausanne (on Lake Geneva) leaving 7:44am arriving 11:37am. Then catch a return train leaving Lausanne 7:22pm arriving Paris 11:29pm.

TTT

any other suggestions? Or what to do in Lausanne?

Let me be frank for a moment. Switzerland as a day trip from Paris is a stupid idea. I'm sure your group will be able to find something to do in or around Paris with that extra day. Do both Paris and Switzerland justice by saving Switzerland for another time.

Agree with Edward above. A day trip to Switzerland seems like a poor use of time. The TGV Lausanne route suze recommended is the only one I'd call remotely feasible.
FYI, I've taken the train from Paris to Basel and back (not the same day, thankfully). It is a BORING ride in comparison to most European trains, the scenery is pretty dull.
Either do an overnight trip, wait a few years til the TGV network has expanded, or do a day trip to somewhere else in France (or London or Brugge or Brussels) if they *really* have ants in their pants and want to get out of Paris for a day.

We're going to be spending a week in New York City. Can someone suggest what we should do on a day trip to Illinois? Thanks.

Last I checked this was a forum to help those that travel. Your suggestion is well taken...no need for Sarcasm. What would you do if you mom wanted to go to Illinois and the family doesn't plan to be back in the US till who knows when or when everyone will have time to travel again?...will you tell her TOO BAD!!!!!

Well, since you asked, my mom is a reasonable woman. Once I explained that it would take longer to get there and get back and we really wouldn't have enough time to SEE enough of Switzerland to make it worthwhile -- and once I suggested some worthwhile alternatives in France, much closer but equally worth seeing -- I know she would agree NOT to go.

Since this mom doesn't even have a particular reason to go or a particular place to visit, it is clear she only wants to go so she can say she's been there or to see what Switzerland is really like. Going to Switzerland for a couple hours will accomplish that first goal (which is really a pretty poor reason to go, in my opinion) but it will certainly NOT accomplish that second goal. Any reasonable person should be able to understand that.

Now if she had a major reason that she really wanted to see a particular place -- like where her parents were born, for example, then it might be worth going for that -- but not just "let's go see what's in Switzerland, where should we go?"

But it is a minor point since you have already said you will consider the common suggestion above -- which is a very good one (not to go to Switzerland). You are right. That's what the forum is for. And you've been given good advice.

Well, I find the idea of a day trip to another country kind of whimsical. On my honeymoon to England about a million years ago, my (then new) hubbie and I went to Paris for lunch. This was pre-chunnel days, so we flew each way. It was one of the high points of the trip, partly because it was such a novel thing to do.

I would suggest you look at Easyjet to see if you can fly to Geneva and back in a day. The flight is less than one hour, and Easyjet flies into Orly, which is easy to reach from central Paris on the RER. In Geneva, the airport is about a ten minute train ride from the city centre. Lausanne is only a short train ride from Geneva and from the Geneva airport. Furthermore, if you book as far in advance as possible, Easyjet costs as little as $25 which is heaps cheaper than the train.

I'm with Nicole on this. I say if someone's heart is set on it, do it. Maybe you can discern just how important the idea is to him/her/them. We have no way of knowing how many 'other trips' may be possible. J.

Since your in the planning stage, could you Open Jaw your flights [into Paris and out of Switzerland]? In addition, if you could do one night in Switzerland, then you combine a scenic train trip with a few hours (aft and evening) in a swiss town.

Or after a week in Paris some in the group split off and go home two days later from Switzerland.

Your trip is only 1 week. One week is not enough time to see Paris. I've spent 17 days in Paris (3 trips), and still haven't had enough time to see everything I want to see there.

Before you start planning a week in Switzerland, I suggest you put together a list of things you want to do in France. I think this task will quickly change your mind about going to another country.

>>>>>>
What would you do if you mom wanted to go to Illinois and the family doesn't plan to be back in the US till who knows when or when everyone will have time to travel again?...will you tell her TOO BAD!!!!!
>>>>>>>

if this is against your better judgement (and it should be), then i would figure out a way to tell her. it seems to me that this idea was spawned out of misunderstand about travel and distances in europe. if it is very important to her to see switzerland then i would extend the trip or split the time between paris and switzerland (open jaw ticket) or just go to switzerland instead of paris.

i think it is easy to get carried away...there are many things to see in europe but someone in the group should have the good sense to reign in those who want to plan unrealistic things. your argument about not knowing when you will return etc can also be made for not wanting to spend one of your seven precious days mostly in a train, waiting for a train or traveling to/from train stations.

Let me rephrase something. If someone's "heart is set on going" to Switzerland, then sure why not, even when it makes no sense. But I really get the feeling that the family in question here has merely looked at a map and said "hey, look Switzerland is right next door. Why don't we go see it too while we're there". This seems especially clear by the phrase "wanted to visit NEARBY Switzerland as a day trip." First of all Switzerland is NOT that NEARBY. And that statement is NOT the same as saying they have their "heart set on it". I think the real clue here is that nowhere is there even an indication of why they might want to go, other that the fact it is there. I might reconsider my answer if someone said anything like "she's always wanted to see the Matterhorn", or her family comes from Bern and she would love to visit, or there is a powerful urge to see the Alps. But there are no signs like that here. In fact the poster had to ask for a suggestion of what city to see, so clearly the plan has not been even approached to be thought out. Go to Switzerland to see a city? Sounds odd to me!

I still say that since this was asked as a question, the poster has been given good advice to try to rationalize with those who think it might be a good idea.

Oh, and I also failed to relate to the additional post where the original poster said "Just want to visit a city that would "represent" switerzland and at lease eat some good chocolate."

It is far easier to buy the same Swiss chocolate in Paris. It is sold everywhere. And I can't think of a single city in Switzerland which "represents" the country. Geneva would certainly be at the bottom of the list.

Sorry if this sounds like lecturing, but I do like to clarify my answers.