Hi:
I am considering separate day tips to Montreaux and Annecy and wondering if trains are the best option. Also, did you have to book advance tickets for steam boat to castle in Montreaux? Walking would not work for my senior parent so any other good options to get ti castle and back for return trip to Geneva?
Also, did anyone rent boats in Annecy and what was price?
Any tips/suggestions most appreciated
I can help with the Montreux part as I was just there last year. The train from Geneva to Montreux takes about an hour. From the Montreux train station, it’s just a quick walk down to the lake front where you will find the boat dock. There are no reserved seats on the boat so you just need a ticket and can hop on. It’s a great little ride. If you want to splurge for a 1st class ticket on the boat, you can sit in the upper deck. Second class is below. Both have great views. For your return trip, I’d take the boat from the castle back to Montreux and the train from there to Geneva. You can, depending on the boat schedule, take the boat all the way to Geneva, but it’s a long ride.
You can use the SBB website or app to check the times for both the trains and the boats.
There's a great little cafe near the castle:
I should also mention that the boats don’t run as frequently as the trains. So, you’ll want to check the times for your return trip so you know what time to get back to the dock. Depending on the time of year, the boat might be every hour or every two hours.
Thank you for the reply, really appreciate it. Were there some specific sights not to be missed in Montreux other than the castle? Also, should we allocate 5-7 hours in Montreux?
Thanks.
Regarding Montreux, there is no need to "pre-allocate" time, because you do not need to reserve train tickets. Just stay as long as you like, bearing in mind the last train times. Also, be wary of visiting Chillon castle with limited mobility: you can visit some areas, but not all.
Regarding Annecy, there are both trains and buses, but the buses skirt the city center so the train (line L2) is more convenient. In Geneva, it stops mainly at Cornavin, Champel and Eaux-Vives stations (+ a few others further out of the center): pick whatever is closest to your hotel.
What time of year will you be there? I was there last June and the flowers along the lake were gorgeous. And I don’t even like flowers normally. 😊 5-7 hours sounds good. Depending on the boat schedule and your arrival time, you could walk around the lake and then take the boat to the castle. Or take the boat first and walk around when you get back to Montreux. You can also walk around the lake near the castle as that won't be as crowded.
For me, the castle, boat ride, and walking around (or just sitting near) the lake are the highlights. There’s a train ride up a mountain you could do, but that would be too much for one day.
If you click on my name, there’s a link to some of my photos. The ones 5 rows down are from Montreux—the castle, boat and lake. The boat goes right by the castle, so you get some good views. And of course there’s some great views from land too. I didn’t end up going inside the castle because I was saving that for a rainy day and I lucked out and never had more than a few drizzles.
