Few things on the planet are awesome I am afraid! Evian is a pretty town, lots of flowers and for those it regularly wins a "ville fleurie" award BUT unless you want to go to the spa (next to the Hilton hotel) or play golf (on the course where one of the LPGA majors is played) I think there are better places here in Switzerland. Yvoire is lovely especially once the flowers start to bloom in May. But never, ever go there on a weekend and never, ever in July and August. You cannot move in the streets!

Anyway the thing was to get a taste of France and Yvoire seems great. Does Evian have a casino? No big deal but seem to recall one - just curious.

Evian has a HUGE Casino right on the lakefront - quai Baron de Blonay. It is a very large "belle époque" building with an equally large sign "Casino" on it. Nice gardens around it etc. Maybe 500m from the boat pier and close to the Palais de la Lumière. So-so restaurant in the casino...
If you have't been to Yvoire do go. It is charming but also take on board the caveats above regarding time of visit! We go there several times a year to eat perches at the Pré de la Cure.

And for people who are not in a hurry (in contrast to most human beings posting in this forum): there are boats from Lausanne and Geneva (usually paddle steam boats) to Yvoire too; not only from Nyon
Evian may be combined with the Swiss Vapeur Park and the Aqua Park at Le Bouveret:
Boat from Lausanne Ouchy to Evian, bus to St. Gingholph, train or boat to Le Bouveret, boat to Vevey - Montreux (or vice versa).

There are boats to Yvoire from Geneva in spring and summer. None from Lausanne-Ouchy. The boats from Nyon to Yvoire are "navettes" or shuttles basically for people living in France and working in Switzerland (like the boats Ouchy-Evian. Coming from Montreux or vevey it makes far more sense to take the navette from Nyon.

You cannot combine Evian with le Bouveret by boat. (That route was discontinued years ago, sadly). And local bus service in the Haute Savoie is not frequent at all so not really an option.

If you want to go to the Vapeur Parc or Aquaparc from Montreux either drive or take the boats.

The direct boats to Yvoire leave Lausanne Ouchy at 10.50, 14.05 and 18.45 (daily from June 16th until Sept 1st; only on weekends and only 2 boats from April 14th until June 15th and in September-October).

There are actually 7 daily buses between Evian and St. Gingolph (operated by SAT).

Montreux - Le Bouveret by public transport (in summer): there are 21 daily connections, 5 of them by boat.
Some people like tor reach Le Bouveret on welll signmarked hiking trails through the lakeside woodlands from Villeneuve Trolleybus station (about 3 miles).

In my experience the SAT buses do not run at particularly convenient times...and there are long intervals between them. I would not tell someone that a bus is a viable option between Evian and St Gingolph.

Montreux to le Bouveret means making a significant detour via St Maurice, then change of trains.

If want to walk Villeneuve to le Bouveret fine. It will take 90 mns and part of the walk is via a nature reserve - which is a marsh on the edge of the lake.

I think when giving advice to people who are here for probably the first time and who have not too much time to spare one has to be practical...which is what I try to be!

Berne in English I think. (I usually spell it Bern)

But what if your assumptions about why posters come here are wrong? I know that when I planned my trip to Switzerland, some people gave absolutely useless advice because they made false assumptions about my interests, preferences, and need for information. I'm glad that at least a few people took me at my word and responded without presuming what I would / would not find helpful.

Fair enough - but I am afraid I am a logical person and that is why I give the advice that I do. I also know the "French side" of the lake like the back of my hand!! It is, after all, in my "neighbourhood".

....so you know that there are 6 possibilities to reach the Chablais Valaisan from the Chablais Vaudois, the direct boat from Montreux to Bouveret being the best solution (and the others alternatives for people who missed the last boat or who plan to visit another place along the itinerary).
Buses in Haute Savoie: I just mentioned that the Thonon - St. Gingolph line exists. it's up to the OP to check the timetable and to decide whether it makes sense for him to use a SAT bus.

The correct English term for Bern would be Berne, like Basle for Basel, Lyons for Lyon, Leghorn for Livorno, Mayence for Mainz, Spires for Speyer, Treves for Trier, Brunswick for Braunschweig, Trent for Trento.........
But these names are less and less used

English terms I use and everyone American I think are Bern and Basel.

" English terms I use and everyone American I think are Bern and Basel"

There is nothing wrong with it. If you consult a timetable, you will have to use the local names anyway.
BTW: even the tourist office of Basle uses the term "Basel" https://www.basel.com/en/Sehenswuerd...swuerdigkeiten

Basel is the German spelling so the Tourist Office is just using the name they call their own town! In French it is B le. In English Basle but I prefer Basel...less confusion! Bern - is the German (so "home grown" version). Berne is French and English - and so it goes!! Aachen is Aix-la-Chapelle, Reims in English is Reims. Now - where are Sitten and Siders ??? (Clue: both German speliings)

You may be speaking of British English but I assure you Americans use Basel, Bern - Aachen - Reims.

This American map has the spellings:

https://geology.com/world/germany-satellite-image.shtml

No one here has ever heard of Aix-la-Chapelle.

If you haven't heard of Aix la Chapelle you don't know much about European history - what a shame! For the rest I am glad Americans are so enlightened!! Not being British myself (I am Swiss) I have a hard time with spellings like Lyons and Reims. Even harder time with the prononciation of those... And it really helps to know the name of the town in the local language. Try to find a train leaving Milano Centrale headed for Genève - you won't. You need to look for Ginebra!!

I've heard of Aix-la-Chapelle because I know some French and history but Aachen is the word in American English.

Many decades ago, I read in the "Indianapolis Star":
"all Swiss cities have names in 3 languages; so Lucerne is called Lausanne in French and Lugano in Italian".

The truth is that many Swiss cantonal capitals have at least German and French names, some of them Italian and Rumantsch one's too, like
Geneve/Genf/Ginevra/Genevra
Fribourg/Freiburg/Friborgo/Friburg
Solothurn/Soleure/Soletta
Luzern/Lucerne/Lucerna
Basel/B le/Basilea
Schaffhausen/Schaffhouse/Sciaffusa
Zuerich/Zurich/Zurigo/Turitg
Sankt Gallen/Saint Gall/San Gallo/Son Gagl
Chur/Cuera/Coira/Coire
Bellinzona/Bellenz/Bellinzone
Zug/Zoug/Zugo
Glarus/Glaris/Glarona/Glaruna
Sion/Sitten
Neuchatel/Neuenburg
Schwyz/Svitto/Sviz
Delemont/Delsberg

In order to answer (and complete) the questions of post 35, we get (from West to East):
Conthey/Gundis (Sion airport)
Sion/Sitten
Grimisuat/Grimseln
Bramois/Braemis
Uvrier/Ufryn
St-Leonard/St. Leonhard
Granges-Lens/Gradetsch-Leis
Corin/Gurin
Sierre/Siders
Miege/Mengis
Salgesch/Salquenen
Varu/Varone
Leuk/Loeche
Susten/La Souste
Turtmann/Tourtemagne
Raron/Rarogne
Visp/Viege
Brig/Brigue/Briga
Simplon Dorf/Sempione Paese
Gaby/Gstein
Gondo/Ruden
Varzo/Tafeders
Domodossola/Thum

Well done! A good piece of research...but you missed what to me is the most important one:
Martigny / Martinach

Happens to be my home town.

Much of this "double naming" for the Valais is explained by the fact that the "alémaniques" - German speakers - controlled much of what is called in French the Bas Valais or the Lower Valais until relatively recently. the "Romands" - French speakers - have been "pushing" them back for centuries now and the linguistic border today lies between Sierre and Salquenon.