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2 nights before Murren - Vevey or Montreux?

We will be on Lake Geneva for two nights before heading to Mürren. After looking through the various passes, it looks like the Berner Oberland Regional pass will cover most of our travels, either fully or half fare, between Montreux-Mürren-Luzern. Since we will now leave from Montreux, and plan to spend our one and only full day in the region visiting Chateau de Chillon and taking a lake ferry...does it make more sense to stay in Montreux, or keep our plans to stay in Vevey? I know they are close...

Which would be the best place to stay? I've heard good things about both places, and Vevey seems quieter.I remember reading a few posts of recs to stay in Vevey, and I found an apartment that works. Learning about the pass coverage from Montreux-Gstaad and beyond has made me reconsider our lodging choices for simplicity. With this pass, it doesn't seem economical to also purchase the Half Fare Card, nor the Swiss Travel Pass. So the trip from Geneva Airport and other short trips will add up a bit. Also, I wonder if there are local passes available in Montreux that are not available to us in Vevey? (I asked - nope for Vevey.)

Thanks for your opinions!

Laurie

Posted by
7209 posts

In all my travels to Switzerland and purchasing passes I’ve never purchased more than 1 pass at a time. Unless you’re just traveling so much that you’re burning the wheels off the trains I don’t see a need for a combination of passes.

I also tend to not buy passes that limit my travels to a specific region of Switzerland. Half Fare Card and Swiss Pass work all over Switzerland in case plans change or evolve along the way.

HFC is always prob the most economical especially if you're going to the expensive Jungfrau where the savings from that trip alone pays for the HFC.

Posted by
11779 posts

Good choice on the BO pass. 👏 As you know from your previous post, I am a fan of it for long stays.

No local passes in that area that I know of. We stayed a week in Lausanne as part of a 3 week trip and used our Swiss Travel Pass when needed those days. I think with two nights, cash out-of-pocket is likely your only course unless those fares add up to 240 CHF or more. With a lake cruise, maybe so?

I thought Vevey had a great vibe and would stay there next time. Montreux seemed dull when we walked through while Vevey’s lakefront was hopping. The weather was great during our visit (Pctober) so we saw both cities in good conditions.

Posted by
272 posts

We stayed in Montreux and took the bus to Vevey for an evening. It was a quick and easy trip. I think staying in either one would be fine.

Posted by
483 posts

I think the key for us is our long stay in Murren. Comparing the prices for 11 days of Swiss Travel Pass and 8 days of the Berner Oberland Regional Pass, the difference is more than we'd pay out of pocket for the beginning and end of our days in Switzerland. In any case, I appreciate your insights. The idea of a pass rather than continuing to pay half prices at every step of the journey sounds a lot simpler, too.

Thanks again!
Laurie

Posted by
179 posts

I stayed in Vevey and it seemed slightly smaller and quieter but when you’re only there a few nights who can really tell? Montreux has a casino and some high end shops that Vevey doesn’t have. Lausanne is probably larger than both. Can’t go wrong anyplace for a few nights.

Posted by
25 posts

I have been using the site myswissalps.com for information about comparing the train passes. It has all kinds of information to help choose the best pass and even a spreadsheet to help you compare various passes to each other and point to point pricing. I found it confusing at first, but it is worth a try. You are already ahead of the game with the recognition that simplicity of use often trumps a small difference in cost. Good Luck