theway02

Thank you everyone. To respond to a a few posts...I will arrive/depart from Geneva last week of June. Since I will arrive in the morning I'll spend first 3 nights in Vevey, 5 to 6 nights in Wengen and finish with 2 nights in Spiez. The trip turned out a lot longer than I expected but that's what happens when you discover so many wonderful places while planning for a trip. The truth is I don't even like wine haha but the vineyards look idyllic. I also loved pictures of Gruyeres. Oh if anyone can suggest a train pass that would be awesome. I know it's a common thread on this forum and have read some but I am still unsure what to choose.

swandav2000

Hi theway02,

I know I'm repeating myself -- since you've read a few of the threads on Swiss passes -- but the only way to be really sure of the best economical pass is to crunch the numbers! I've used a spreadsheet in the past -- different pass choices/point-to-point across the top and the separate trips & excursions down the side. Then price them out.

However, after doing that spreadsheet a few times and always getting the same result (Half-Fare Card), I just get the Half Fare Card now without crunching the numbers first. Because I usually get to Switzerland two times a year, I'm getting the one-year HF Card for 150 chf, so it's an even better deal.

I've also asked the clerk at the Travel Center at the Zurich airport, and I've heard other travellers ask at the Travel Center -- the answer is always the same: Half Fare Card.

s

judybroad

I'm also interested in information about Montreux - specifically recommendations for a hotel not too far from the railway station. Is the casino in the centre of town or a bit of a walk? (the story about Smoke on the Water has intrigued DS and DD).

Thanks for the good advice.

suze

for Judybroad, the casino/hotel is lakeside and would maybe be a ~10-15 mins. walk, flat or downhill, from the train station. What kind of price range hotel do you want? Montreux's a pretty small town so really any hotel in the central area is close to the train station.

www.montreux.ch

suze

hey, I thought of another favorite Montreux thing to do - if you are visiting and the weather gets hot. At the casino hotel, they sell day passes to their gorgeous pool. It's a wonderful way to spend a lazy sunny afternoon. You can buy entrance only for swimming, or rent towels, chaise lounges, etc. There's a nice snack bar with beer & wine, sandwiches, ice cream, and showers and private changing rooms. It is right along the quai but kind of tucked in so a bit hard to spot the entrance. The people there are mostly local or European hotel guests (I rarely have heard English spoken among the families, kids, older folks, teens hanging out there).

swandav2000

For judybroad,

As suze notes, you can walk (or take a short taxi ride) to almost any hotel in Montreux, so it would be helpful to know your budget & your other preferences (lakeview, on the lake, etc).

The closest hotel is the Suisse-Majestic (www.suisse-majestic.com), a four-star just across the street from the train station with some rooms facing the lake. Also close by is the three-star Splendid (www.hotel-splendid.ch), which has a webcam I check frequently.

s

judybroad

Thanks suze and swandav. We're just breaking the train journey from Paris to Venice for a night and will just have a few hours in the morning to wander along the lake and see a little of the scenery - hence wanting to stay near the rail station. We're probably after a hotel on the cheaper side and since it will be December (with really short days), I don't think we need a room with a view. It's really an add-on to our planned trip and I don't want the cost to blow out too much. Thanks for the help,
Judy

suze

^^^ for Vini about Geneva things to do