canadia2013

Hi,

On Sunday morning, I'll be departing Nice, France, and on Thursday morning, I will need to end up in Milan, Italy. HELP ME FILL THE IN BETWEEN?
I'm looking to visit Switzerland for the first time, and I'd love to do some trails/hiking. I also would love to see some lakes, the beautiful scenery, etc.
My budget is flexible, but I will be on my own so I don't want it to be too complex/difficult.
ANY SUGGESTIONS? I hear that training from Nice-->Geneva makes the most sense?

canadia2013

***NOT THIS SUNDAY, BUT A SUNDAY IN JUNE!!!

swandav2000

Hi canadia2013,

With your itinerary, I would concentrate on the southern part of the country, maybe visiting Zermatt and/or Brig. Brig would be about 8h or 9h from Nice by train while Zermatt would be 10h.

Zermatt is a famous car-free village nestled at the foot of the Matterhorn, and Brig is a rather untouristed little town at a major rail crossing that is close to some stunning peaks. You can investigate both of them at

www.myswitzerland.com

You can check all the train schedules at the Swiss rail site at

www.sbb.ch

You should know that discounted fares go on sale about 90 days early, so you're already too late for the best deals. As soon as your itinerary is set, you should go ahead and buy your tickets.

Have fun as you plan!

s

canadia2013

Does anyone know if it makes sense to stay in Geneva for 3 nights, and do day trips from there? Is it easy to access lake geneva/hike around there? Thoughts?

gruezi

canadia,

if you click on my name you'll see a few trip reports on Switzerland and also one including a train ride to Milan. I love hiking in the Berner Oberland (Wengen/Mürren). Near Geneva you can also pick up the Camino de Santiago.

Geneva itself is not a very popular tourist spot, but I do think you'll find plenty to do.

Hiking in Switzerland is wonderful. Enjoy.

suze

If you decide to stay in the Geneva area for 3 nights, I suggest a base in Lausanne (or Vevey or Montreux). These are beautiful towns also right along the lake but much smaller (and to my point of view, nicer and "more Swiss") than Geneva.

swandav2000

Hi again,

Geneva lies at the far western part of the country, and it's not close to much else. Of course, you can see all of Lake Geneva from there (Yvoire, Morges, Lutry, Montreux, and Vevey), as well as Annecy and Chamonix inland in France. You can also see Gruyeres and Gstaad, which lie along the scenic Golden Pass train route.

I've only gone hiking from Montreux and Vevey through the Lavaux vineyards and in the hills above the lake; I've never hiked from Geneva. But remember that Geneva is a pretty large city, and you may have to travel for a half hour or an hour to get into the countryside to go hiking -- ie to St Cergue, the hills above Morges, or the hills above Lausanne.

If you want to hike and you want to see pretty landscapes, I wouldn't stay in a city. I really would head to Brig or Zermatt. For that extra hour of travel, you'll wake up every day and marvel at the glory of the scenery!

s

swandav2000

Oh! Sorry!

Forgot to add that, of course, you can easily see Neuchatel, Lake Neuchatel, La Chaux de Fonds, Le Locle, Murten, and Lake Murten as well from Geneva. These are where the Jura mountain range begins, and you may enjoy hikes in that area as well.

s

neckervd

There are basically 2 itineraries from Geneva to Milan:
Bus Geneva - Chamonix Mont Blanc - Courmayeur - Aosta - St. Vincent - Milan
Train Geneva - Lausanne - Montreux - Sion - Sierre - Visp - Brig - Stresa - Milan
Both go through excellent hikng areas, the bus through the French and Italian Alps, the trains through the Swiss Alps.

some ideas:

LAKE GENEVA

The whole Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French) area has a very good tourist infrastructure (including luxury hotels and top restaurants with gourmet meals for 200-300 USD/pax) since the end of the 19th century. It's one of the sunniest places of Switzerland (together with the Cantons of Valais and Ticino). The most scenic part is between Lausanne - Vevey - Montreux - Villeneuve). The whole area is never really crowded, despite many day trippers from all over Switzerland.

Geneva has only 200.000 inhabitants (500.000 with suburbs), but the amenities of a big capital. People from all over the world (among them many Arab princes) fly to Geneva for shopping (and so).

Weather changes from year to year. Usually, the warmest month is July, with maxima around 30-32 and (noon) minima around 20 degrees. June is often more rainy.

Geneva airport is small but efficient. Local people use to arrive there from town (5 min by train, 20 min by bus) less than an hour prior to the plane's departure. Direct flights to almost all important places in Western Europe. Easyjet offers actually July flights to many European capitals for less than 50 USD (with 1 piece of checked in luggage).

Mont Blanc, the highest mountain of Western Europe can be seen from many places in town, from the Lake and from Mont Saleve, the "house" mountain, which can be reached by city bus and cableway.
Buses and trains from Geneva to Chamonix (2 hrs trip), from where you can go up to 3800 m by cableway (..cross the glaciers by gondola and go down at the other side to Courmayeur in Italy if you like).

Some places around Lake Geneva or not far away from it:

historic steamboats on Lake Geneva:
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadm.../2013/3150.pdf
http://www.cgn.ch/eng/flotte

Blonay-Chamby historic railway:
http://www.blonay-chamby.ch/index-en.php

Chillon castle:
http://www.chillon.ch/en/

Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/mul...spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-...FR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56

Chatelard-Emosson (Mont Blanc area):
http://www.chatelard.net/english/pages/descr_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emosson
http://www.emosson.ch/PublicEN/default-en.htm

Zermatt-Gornergrat:
http://www.gornergrat.ch/home/index.php
http://www.klein-matterhorn.ch/photos/
http://www.zermatt.ch/en/index.cfm

Entirely walled city of Murten:
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/nav...nFR-99305.html
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/nav...-MurtenFR.html

EXCURSIONS FROM MONTREUX

Check
entirely walled medieval town of Murten
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/welcome.cfm?
Roman amphitheatre and Roman Museum of Avenches
http://www.avenches.ch/en/page.cfm/siteetmuseeromain
Roman Villa of Vallon
http://www.pro-vallon.ch/allemand/mo.../mosaiques.htm
biggest Romanesque church of Switzerland and Monastery of Payerne
Nature Park of Grande Caricaie
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/dest...er-le-lac.html
http://www.bafu.admin.ch/dokumentati...x.html?lang=de
Medieval town and spa of Yverdon
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/...ure_Patrimoine
Roman mosaics of Orbe
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/en/orbe_region
Monastery of Romainmotier
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/...nmotier_region
Castle and Menhirs of Grandson
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/en/grandson_region
Menhirs and Dolmen of Onnens
http://www.onnens.ch/textes-1/dolmen...rthoud,38.html
Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/mul...spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-...FR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
Chatelard-Emosson (Mont Blanc area):
http://www.chatelard.net/english/pages/descr_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emosson
http://www.emosson.ch/PublicEN/default-en.htm
Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/mul...spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-...FR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
Leysin
Villars
St-Maurice
http://www.forteresse-st-maurice.ch/...ch/fhome_e.htm
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/st-maurice.html
Martigny
http://www.martigny.com/martigny/swi...m/welcome.html
Sion
http://siontourisme.ch/index.php/en

PalenQ

Have you ever been to Switzerland before? If not I would eschew the Geneva areqa for a Switzerland that most people dream of but will not easily find in the Geneva area - I would go via Geneva and head for the hills - to the fantastic Jungfrau Region of sheeer peaks girdled by glaciers, a myriad of tiny mountain climbing trains, thrilling aerial gondolas and mountain villages with cozy guest houses - liek Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen or Wengen or Murren - this regiona is IMO both figuratively and literally the highpoint of Switzerland - spend three full days there and then it is a short enough train ride to Milan (via Spiez).

To break up that long journey stay Sunday night in Geneva - a nice city for a day IMO and then go to the Jungfrau Region.

For lots of great info on Swiss trains I always spotlight these fine IMO sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. A 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass may be a great deal - taking you from Geneva to the Interlaken area and on the last day to Milan - using the Swiss Pass to get to the Italian border station at Domodossola.

Swiss passes are valid not only on trains but lake boats, postal buses, city trams and buses and give free entry to 400+ Swiss museums - they are good on many mountain railways and give 50% off most aerial gondolas.

spaarne

<i>canadia2013 on May 6, 13 at 3:17pm
Does anyone know if it makes sense to stay in Geneva for 3 nights, and do day trips from there? Is it easy to access lake geneva/hike around there? Thoughts?</i>

Geneva isn't bad. Swimming in Lac Leman is wonderful but it might still be a bit chilly. There are boat tours around the lake which originate in the center of the city on Quai du Mont Blanc, from which you can sometimes see Mont Blanc. The night action in the Carouge section is good.

For a really pretty little city in CH I suggest Zug on the lake Zugersee. There is a magnificent mountain across the lake.

PalenQ

A great day trip from Geneva is to take the Chocolate Train - composed of vintage Pullman cars - lucurious Belle-Epoque ones that offer wine tasting and cheese nibbling en route to Gruyers, where you visit a Cheese Factory and walk around one of Europe's finest walled towns and then the train rolls onto Broc Factory train station to do a Willy Wonkaesque visit to the Nestle Chocolate Factory there. You could also take normal trains on your own to duplicate this routing.

neckervd

The best of the Alps (highest mountains, longest glaciers, most scenic landscapes resp mountain valleys) the best lakes (Lake Geneva, Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, and many mountain lakes) and the best castles (Chillon, Stockalper, Borromeo/Isola Bella, Castelli Valdostani) are just between Geneva and Milan. There is really no reason for a money and time wasting detour via Interlaken and Jungfrau.

PalenQ

The Jungfrau Region is literally and figuratively the high point of Switzerland and many many folks besides moi say so. Zermatt ia a primo Alpine resort but to say it is better than the Jungfrau Region brings into question you system of ranking and Lake Lucerne wins hands down over boring Lake Geneva IMO.

Be careful with the 'best' of IMO. The best castle - they are better than Gruyers or Spiez' or Oberhofen? No the word 'best' is hard to quantify in your very subjective rating system.

neckervd

"The Jungfrau Region is literally and figuratively the high point of Switzerland and many many folks besides moi say so. Zermatt ia a primo Alpine resort but to say it is better than the Jungfrau Region brings into question you system of ranking and Lake Lucerne wins hands down over boring Lake Geneva IMO."

That's just Palen's personal opinion. You would hardly find many Swiss residents who share it.

But that's not the question: Canadia wants to go from Geneva to Milan and not to Lucerne or Interlaken.

BTW: when the weather is fine, trains from Zurich/Basle to Berne - Bernese Oberland - Visp are often crowded up to Visp and the lot of day trippers who board them at Thun have often some difficulties to find a free seat.

travelingnomad13

I've only been to Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey, and Neuchatel, but I loved that part of Switzerland. I don't know about Bernese Oberland, but there is definitely enough to see in the Geneva area with day trips around Lake Leman. I found the train system easy and while expensive, not budget busting. Zermatt is a place I didn't get to see and I regret it now. Always a reason to go back.

suze

around Lac Leman is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen (talking Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux and all along and overlooking that shore of the lake)...

I do think this may be the first time I've ever heard that region referred to as "boring Lake Geneva".

susan001

Another vote for the Berner Oberland region (Murren or Wengen). Spectacular scenery.

I've been to Geneva and would advise not staying there even one night. Try to get to one of the smaller towns along the lake for an overnight stay.

PalenQ

That's just Palen's personal opinion. You would hardly find many Swiss residents who share it.>

this is the consensus of foreign tourists if comments on Fodor's are to be any indication - the Swiss may be blase about it because it's not new - but either the Zermatt or Jungfrau region is the Switzerland most folks have pictured in their minds when first going there and not modern cities like Geneva or Lausanne - nice cities but not the Switzerland most foreign folks are dreaming of IMO.

neckervd

....spectacular sceniery, I fully agree. As spectacular as around Chamonix, Courmayeur, Cogne, Gressoney, Alagna, Zermatt, Saas Fee, Val Fex, Val Roseg, Alta Val Malenco, Val Solda, Kaunertal, Hochzillertal, Grossglockner ......