Please sign in to post.

Itinerary input? Geneva, Montreux, Aosta, Turin, Venice?

Posted by on

Hi all,
We are planning a 7 night self-guided hike (with a company) in the Aosta Valley late Sept 2025. We are 2 women in early 70's, enjoying not-too-tough hiking, food & wine, museums (less so churches), music (folk to opera), history.
We did RS's Heart of Italy tour with add on days in Florence and Rome so this is just our second Italy trip. We plan to use buses and trains.

One of us has never been to Switzerland and we were thinking:

  • Fly into Geneva from Baltimore BWI, get immediately onto the train for 2 hour trip around Lac Leman to Montreux.
  • Recover from jet lag and explore Montreux, walk along the lake to the castle, maybe get to Charlie Chaplin museum -3 nights, 2 days Montreux Enough time?

-Take train to end of the line at Martigny, bus to Aosta, bus to beginning of our hike Pont St Martin (full day travel)

I had originally targeted Martigny for the jet lag recovery so there wouldn't be another leg to the trip but it doesn't seem so appealing. Another poster here really talked up Montreux.
-7 nights along Aosta Valley to Morgex

  • Stay an additional day in Morgex after hiking tour to bus to Courmayeur to take the gondola(s) to Pointe Helbronner;
    -1 (more) night Morgex

  • 1/2 day bus ride back to Aosta and to Turin (i.e., only 1/2 day Turin on first day)

    • 3 nights, 2.5 days in Turin: Egypt museum, art, chocolate, bike along river? 1.5 days doesn't seem enough but this wasn't an original destination unless we fly Dulles to Turin instead of Geneva...

-Train Turin through Milan toward Venice . (Milan doesn't appeal to us, big city, fashion not our thing :-), not to be down on it but if we do Turin & Venice we aren't inclined to add another city.)

-*Should we stop at Lake Garda for a night along the train route? Add a day? *

-Train to arrive Venice around Oct. 8.
- Three full days in Venice? (I think the RS tour does 2.5 days there.) We need to read a lot more about this and have begun on the forum here; getting around is a bit intimidating but one of us really wants to go there.
Comments on weather/rain-snow in Aosta valley/mtns, floods in Venice...?

I know one can do day trips from Venice also but not sure of our energy level at that point on public transportation- thoughts?
- Fly out of Venice to BWI Baltimore

Many of you have been to northern Italy and we have some flexibility (other than the train/bus travel) if there are other great stops/towns you suggest

(We had considered Genoa and the towns west along the Italian Riviera (RS Heart tour took us to lovely and crowded Cinque Terre east of Genoa but then we got more excited about Venice direction...)

Thanks so much! Bebe

Posted by
268 posts

We were in Swiss last year... going to Swiss and not experiencing the mountains is a sin...
We visited Montreux after trekking through Jungflau and Zermatt region..
Montreux was ok... nice tranquil walk along the lake was relaxing.. but kinda let down after the experiencing majesty of the mountains... one day in MOntreux was enough for us..

If you are going to visit north Italy, yes.. definitely visit the lake garda/como region - need at least two days...
Also consider going to Cinque Terre....
If that's too much itinerary - skip Swiss altogether (not sure why goto Swiss if not visiting the mountains and Geneva and Montreux doesn't compare to Italian cities)...
We did North Italy trip few years ago... and We started from Milan (Lake Garda/Como from there) to Venice to Florence to Cinque Terre - it was magical..

Posted by
83 posts

I would want at a minimum of two full days in Turin and at least four full days in Venice so you have time to get off the beaten (and too busy, too touristy, not that enjoyable) path.

We haven't been to Val d'Aosta but now that our kids are getting older, a self-guided hike is intriguing. What company are you using?

Posted by
227 posts

I think you have a really good balance of experiences and timing with your trip plan as given. Yes, the mountains of Switzerland are its main attraction, but you’re going to be hiking in the shadow of Mont Blanc, so you’ll see lots of mountains, and the Aosta valley is loaded with mountain views. Lake Garda is worth a couple of nights if you can add them, but the shoreline of Lac Leman at Montreux is similarly beautiful. There’s lots of great places to visit but you’re better off spending more time enjoying the ones you choose. I liked our three nights in Montreux two years ago, but that’s partly because we made a couple of day trips out of town. Arrival day to settle in and relax, plus a day to explore the Chateau and Charlie’s museum still leaves you a day to trip out to Gruyeres, Lausanne or Vevey, or visit a winery above town. One tip about Montreux- make sure you find out where the escalators are that take you from the shore level to the train station BEFORE you hike up the steep hillside.
We also enjoyed hiking from Aosta, but we had a car and did return hikes from various trailheads. It sounds like you’re doing a continuous trek, with overnight stops along the way? I’m envious! Can I ask what company you’re using?

Two and a half days in Turin is enough to get a pretty good taste of it- pun intended. In addition to the Egyptian Museum, visit the Palazzo Reale. It’s on the scale of Versailles, and the former home of the Savoy family. You will hear about the Savoys from the time you hit Montreux though to your arrival in Turin, so you should check their digs. Turin is also fantastic for their Aperitivi culture- no need to buy supper!
All of the places on your itinerary are worth seeing. Don’t let “fear of missing out” cause you to dilute your trip, and you’ll have a wonderful time.

Posted by
11 posts

Thank you all (and others are welcome to chime in, esp. if any input on buses & trains along these routes).

The trip is anchored around the 8 day hike in the Aosta Valley with additional friends. That's why Switzerland is a bit of an after-thought, Gene,and we will be in the shadow of Mont Blanc and that range on our hikes. We did enjoy Cinque Terra, Tuscan towns, Rome & Florence on earlier trip.

Thank you Elena, for perspective on Turin and Venice. Thank you Ottawanderer, for your thoughts; we will look into the additional towns arount Montreux, I had noticed Vevey. I hadn't heard of the escalators, so thanks.

I added Lake Garda (not the other lakes) because it seems to be on the train route but we'll see whether spending enough time there will be worth it.

We have a tentative contract with Mac's Adventures; they are challenged a bit to have our 9 people fit into the hotels they usually use. I can report back after the trip but you can see the stops on their website. It's not all one straight line, hiking and stopping. There are several days of taking a bus or taxi (they provide) to a point then hiking back to the original town/hotel from there. This is along parts of the Cammino Balteo, with castles, little towns, etc.

Other perspectives welcome, thank you!
(I don't know how to highlight your names as links so you see my reply so hopefully, you will.)

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.