I would like to have a day trip to Geneva area. Intend to spend a 6 hours in Geneva or Lake Geneva with my family (two teenage kids). We have a swiss rail pass. I would like to do boating for an hour or so. Please suggest some activities for a day. After Geneva, we are going back to Luzerne. Will Swiss pass cover recreational boating in Lake Geneva?
Posted by
Grand Rapids, MI
768 posts
I don't know about the Swiss Pass covering the boats. I suspect that if you can Google up the map routes of where the Swiss Pass is good, it will show the lake routes, or not.
Nonetheless, if you have the Geneva bus day pass (free if you stay in a hotel or hostel in Geneva), there are at least 2 "water-taxis" that are part of the bus routes, and would be free.
Also, stuff that teens might like in Geneva:
free bike rentals (see www.geneveroule.ch)
climb the bell tower at Calvin's church
walk out to within 3 meters of the water jet on Lake Geneva
Red Cross museum
visit CERN (if they like physics)
Posted by
Montreux, Switzerland
262 posts
Here's a link for the boats on Lake Geneva. They do honor most passes so you can check to see if the one you have purchased applies. If you have only six hours, I would take the boat and get off an on at the various towns along the lake. I've placed another link for the tourism site for the Canton of Vaud, which covers the area so you can decide what towns appeal to you.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Here is the official map of where the Swiss Pass is valid. You should have got a copy of this with your pass: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/sbb/de/pdf/freizeit-ferien/ferien-kurztrips-schweiz/internationale-gaeste/sts-geltungsbereich_en.pdf
As you can see, it marks routes on Lake Geneva, in white.
You could, for example, get a boat from Geneva to Lausanne, and a train from thre back to Luzern (or vice-versa). All covered by your Swiss Pass.
This may take more than one hour. There are local round-trip tour boats in Geneva, but these are not covered.