Considering visiting Switzerland before a Paris trip

I just returned from a late October visit--granted, it was the warmest October in Switzerland on record, but I don't think you'll have much to worry about weather-wise.
My answer to these types of decisions is always to go where I'll get the most time, which equals the most enjoyment.
With travel time, BO would be too rushed to me. I don't know the travel logistics of Chamonix. Geneva would likely be the easiest. I spent time on the lake in Montreaux but not in Geneva. It was nearly 70 degrees and the fall color was lovely.

We did a long weekend once in the Geneva area and really enjoyed it. Although part of why we loved it was that it was Thanksgiving weekend and there was a Christmas market in Montreaux. But def no snow and wasn't too cold. We saw the Gruyere cheese factory and the Cailler chocolate factory, happy cows in the hills and a bit of a lovely little town near Gruyeres. Easy to rent a car and zip around. I would have liked to explore the Gruyere area more and maybe do some short hikes (to walk off the samples!). Spent another day seeing Chateau Chillon in Montreaux and the Christmas markets.

We stayed in Lausanne and it was ok. The views of lake geneva are very beautiful! We also drove to Annecy one day to see their Christmas market; that town was so adorable I really want to return some day! We did get flurries on the drive home from Annecy.

I can't speak to Chamonix but we spent a few days in the Lauterbrurran valley in June. Hiking there was glorious but there was snow on the ground even then. I would come back for summer for that area if I were you.

Thanks for the replies. We lean toward Chamonix-Geneva. We have been youtubing and rick steving the area and are finding it quite beautiful and full of interesting things to do. Of course, the Berner Oberland area is gorgeous and we hope to go there some day. We also think that we can make a pretty easy connection to Paris either by plane or train through Geneva. We are newbies to lifts, gondolas, and cog railways, but learning!

Thanks again!

Chamonix is not in Switzerland, it is in France. (there is no "france-geneva" btw...) So maybe ask in the France forum. Also to travel from Chamonix to Paris it is not necessary to pass through Geneva again. See the SNCF website for trains from Chamonix to Paris.

Surprisingly (to me) travel time from Lauterbrunnen to Paris, and Chamonix to Paris is almost the same by train. I've been to both and they are both spectacular. I would say for a 3 day stay attached to a Paris trip, Chamonix seems to make more sense to me (I would drop Geneva and spend all 3 days in Chamonix). In the end, you can't go wrong with either one.

For either Chamonix or Berner Oberland, there is a world of difference between early October and late October. October is when the season changes.
Take the train, don't fly. Even if the nominal travel time is shorter by air, the plane will land outside of Paris, leaving you almost another hour travel time to get into Paris proper, while the train will take into the center city, most likely at Gare de Lyon. Add in security, minimum check in times, waiting for luggage, train is the winner.

Chamonix to Paris is no faster than Lauterbrunnen to Paris. Where would you be able to land? Zürich or Geneva? If Zürich, Lauterbrunnen is more convenient.

Probably flying from the states to Geneva, then take the bus service to Chamonix. Thanks for the tip of taking the train from Chamonix to Paris. Yes, Geneva, is in Switzerland and Chamonix is in France. I started my planning thinking of visiting the Swiss Alps, but Chamonix with its Mont Blanc seems quite beautiful as well as easily accessible from Geneva. As I study more about the area, am getting excited about Aiguille du Midi which we can access by an aerial lift.

Thanks for information...very helpful and much appreciated.

bobbi,

It's good that you're starting your planning early as that will give you lots of time to work out the details.

Another option would be to fly inbound to Zürich instead of Geneva and visit the Berner Oberland, which might be preferable for such a short time frame. There's a rail station at the airport and you can be in Lauterbrunnen in about 2H:40M (with a few changes). The Swiss rail system is extremely efficient and easy to use. Three days (four nights?) is about perfect for exploring the highlights of that area. You could (for example) visit the famous Schilthorn that was used in the James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and enjoy a fine hot meal in the revolving restaurant. There's also the Jungfraujoch which is the highest rail station in Europe, and the scenery of that area by itself is also an attraction. There are several locations you could stay in that area, either in Lauterbrunnen or the favourite of many here, Mürren.

While Chamonix is also a good place to visit, there are several points to consider.....

• Getting there is not as straight forward as getting to the B.O. If you're flying inbound to Geneva, you'll be using a pre-booked shuttle van to get to Chamonix. There are regional trains coming from Switzerland but they will have several changes and will take longer (not desirable after a long international flight).
• The Aguillle du Midi is spectacular but one caveat to mention. It's located at an altitude of about 12,605 feet (3842 metres), and that can be a problem for some people. I'm in the same age range as you, and I experienced a problem there. Of course not everyone will have a problem there but it may be a good idea to discuss this with your doctor. It amazes me that they were able to pour concrete and build a facility like that at such a high elevation.
• Of course, the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch are also at higher elevations, about 10,000 feet and 11,600 feet respectively. I've never had any issues at the Schilthorn and only had minor discomfort at the Jungfraujoch although I was only there for a few hours.

You may want to to buy a copy of the RS Switzerland guidebook while you work through the planning.

Thank you Rick Steves team. I had not thought about altitude sickness. Since seeing your post, I have been reading my Rick Steves Switzerland book about the Berner Oberland area. Then coincidentally, our neighbors showed us their stunning BO pics from the area. Thanks all for the input. We have not quite committed yet to BO or Chamonix, but will figure it all out using well informed info!