Train help Lyon to Annecy to Montreaux
 

Hi we are visiting Lyon next May. Upon leaving Lyon we are eventually headed to Montreaux to stay but I'm tossing up whether to take the train from Lyon for an overnight stay in Annecy and then take the bus/taxi to Geneva and on by train to Montreaux...... OR

otherwise to skip Annecy just take the train straight from Lyon to Montreaux.

Is the Lyon to Annecy to Montreaux too complicated? How long are the journey times and are the train services frequent?

And we will be buying a Swiss Rail pass......so how to I go about paying for a train ticket say Lyon to Montreaux......do I just somehow just purchase the "France" part of the journey to the border? Please help.

Is the Lyon to Annecy to Montreaux too complicated? How long are the journey times and are the train services frequent?>

Check www.bahn.de/en - German Railways all-European train schedules site that is really easy to use.

Bus or TER (regional) train to Annemasse then coordinated bus to Geneva takes two hours all told but no real direct or convenient trains only. I'd take the direct Annecy-Geneva bus.

Lyon has direct TER trains about every two hours to Geneva that take about 90 minutes.

Swiss Pass as you have to go thru Geneva you buy a ticket from Lyon or Annecy to Geneva- www.voyges-sncf.com for fares and booking your own online; activate your Swiss Pass in Geneva if it did not come activated and hop any train to Montreux.

Good sites for info on trains: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Hi Jenivis,

I'm one who doesn't like to make intermediate stops unless it's somewhere that I actually want to see ... and then I stay for around 4 nights. I think that 1-night stops are counter-productive, taking too much time & too much hassle (getting from the station to the hotel, checking in & unpacking, then doing it all in reverse in the morning).

The route looks pretty easy from Lyon to Montreux -- just change trains in Geneva, and the overall travel time is about 3h30.

And by the way, there is no "a" in "Montreux," so watch the spelling as you research your train routes, hotels, and things to do there.

Have fun as you plan!

s

While recognizing that one-night stays are anathema to many, I must admit that I have no problem with them as long as they suit my purpose -- but then, I pack light and take much less than an hour for checking in/out and packing/unpacking (total -- so under 1/2 hour upon arrival and under 1/2 hour upon departure). It really depends on your travel style and what you want to do....

You asked the same one week ago in the TT forum and you got all timetables you need: Lyon - Annecy, Lyon - Geneva, Annecy - Geneva direct line, Annecy - Geneva via Annemasse.......

You saw there that there are more than 20 daily buses between Annecy and Geneva. A taxi may be a few minutes faster, however....

The Swiss Travel Pass gives free rides on trains between
Geneva - Lausanne - Montreux,
Chamonix - Martigny - Montreux
and steamboats
Geneva - Lausanne - Montreux
Thonon/Evian - Lausanne - Montreux