My husband is taking a course in Geneva in early December, I will arrive when it is over (Dec. 15-22) and we'd like to travel by train to nearby towns. My limited research has me interested in Lausanne and Montreaux. Are they worth it? Are there other cities close by that I'm missing out on? Since we'll only be there for about a week I was thinking we should stay in two cities and can take day trips to other places. We'd like to stay in Airbnb-type rentals or hotels that aren't overly touristy. We can afford about $250US a night. We like to hike, see museums and learn about the history of where we are visiting. I would love any recommendations you have about where to stay and where to visit. Thank you!
Posted by
Oregon
372 posts
“Worth it” is always so subjective.
Have you read the RS Switzerland book and watched his episodes? I’d start there as he’s got a lot that helped us look into the area if you haven’t already. Assuming you have- how far do you really want to travel? For only a week I’d probably pick one good base and explore from there.
What are your interests? What would you like to see and do? Are you interested in tours? Museums? Food? What kinds of activities or sites do you like and hope to see?
Posted by
Irving
3226 posts
Do you have to stay in Geneva or can you take a train to the Lauterbrunnen Valley (3h 15m with two connections) and sleep there. To learn more visit: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/switzerland/lauterbrunnen-valley.
I agree with Mary that you should buy Rick’s Switzerland tenth edition guidebook: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/switzerland-guidebook. You can also download it from his app but I prefer having a hard copy and so do others.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11775 posts
There are some nice day trips out of Lausanne and Montreux, up into the mountains. One is Les Pléiades and the other is Rochers de Naye. We visited at a different time of year, but they are open in winter. We also liked Lausanne a lot, more approachable than Geneva, IMO. You can do a lot of hiking, touring along the lake and enjoy snowy peaks as well. You might check out Swiss Family Fun for more inspiration in the area as well as elsewhere in Switzerland.
We also love the Lauterbrunnen area it is a significant train journey of over 3 hours and 3 trains to get there from Geneva. Not to dissuade you, but if you choose that area, you’ll need to stay in the city you fly out of at least one night before the flight.
Personally, with only a week, I’d settle in at Lausanne or Vevey, an easy train trip to the Geneva airport for departure, and enjoy the canton of Vaud. You’ll be planning a return trip to Switzerland before you leave.
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
I am not sure about Lausanne / Vevey / Montreux in December. The lakeshore can be unpleasantly humid and foggy, and the Lavaux vineyards will be barren.
I would head to more mountainous areas: for example the Berner Oberland, or Chamonix in France.