Help with Switzerland Itinerary Please

I wouldn’t fly into Zurich if you really want to go to Montreux at the start of your trip. Fly into Geneva if that is the plan. And if your goal is simply to recover from your transatlantic flight — why not go to Lucerne? It is the perfect place to recooperate, while also seeing the spectacular Swiss mountain and lake scenery starting on Day one. As a bonus. Lucerne is only a one hour direct train from Zurich’s airport.

The Ballenberg Museum can easily be seen as a daytrip from Murren.

Bern also can be seen as a daytrip from Murren, although there are plenty of attractions to merit overnighting there.

Thank you Kenko,

Why do you prefer Montreax to Lausanne? Yes, the plan is to recover from our flight, but I'm also interested in Castle Chillon, Lake Geneva, and Rick Steve's walks in the town(s).

Thanks for letting me know I can day trip to Bern or Ballenberg museum from Murren. I am rather afraid I won't want to leave the Bernese Oberland during our 10 days there, so likely better to spend the night in Bern coming or going. Perhaps Ballenberg on the way to or from Bern?

I think you need to compare the flight costs and schedules, then choose accordingly. If you fly into Zurich, you can get to any of your other destinations quickly for a stopover en route to Murren. If you fly into Geneva, then it makes sense to stop over at lake lake on arrival. I find perusing accommodations can help me decide on a base. I stayed in Montreux since my husband was working there, but it’s a pleasant place. If getting to choose, I’d compare the lake towns’ accommodations, as it’s easy to get between them. The castle is an easy walk across Montreux from the train station.

Thanks Valadelphia,

You are quite right. We are comparing flights to Zurich vs. Geneva right now.

Great idea to compare accommodations in Lausanne and Montreux. It is definitely appealing to simply be able to walk to Castle Chillon (in Montreux). How many nights did you stay in Montreux? Would you recommend where you stayed or not?

Besides Murren ( great choice!) I think Lucerne is probably one the most most spectacular settings in Switzerland. Lucerne also has direct one-hour trains
to Zurich’s airport. Also, the train ride from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen over the Brunig Pass is one of the most scenic in the whole country and should not be missed.

As for Montreux vs. Lausanne— Lausanne is a large city of 150,000 whereas Montreux is a charming town of 27K. Smaller and more beautiful—likely among the reasons Montreux was chosen to be the site of its famed jazz festival.

Thanks to all,

The verdict is in about flights. Geneva is significantly less expensive than flying into Zurich. Therefore, it makes sense to recover, then explore Lausanne/Montreux and Lake Chillon before heading to Murren.

Rick Steve's has never steered us wrong and has Castle Chillon as a "must see." What are your thoughts on that? He also suggests staying in Lausanne, but I'm also hearing that Montreux might be nicer?

I wonder why Rick Steve's doesn't have Luzern or the Brunig Pass on his "must see" list? Perhaps because he loves the Berner Oberland?

Rick’s guidebooks have been known to have some significant omissions in them. For example, his past books on Belgium covered Brussels and Bruges—but there was no mention of Antwerp— a favorite city among Europeans. His books on Germany in past years did not mention Hamburg. They do now., but for years, Hamburg was Stadt-non-grata! So, Belgium and Germany’s Number 2 cities after Brussels and Berlin are somewhat unknown to many American travelers.

Of course, no book covers every city and town or rail line, for that matter.

Since flying into Geneva costs less than Zurich- by all means keep to your plan. You might check flight prices about 6 months prior to the trip as Swiss Air and other Lufthansa subsidiary airlines offered fantastic deals in recent years ahead of summertime.

Have a great trip!

Thanks Kenko,

Great tip about Swiss Air and other Lufthansa subsidiary airlines, though I am most comfortable planning ahead. Waiting until 6 months or less before our big trip to book flights makes me rather nervous.

My partner and I had a similar itinerary this past May and opted to fly into Geneva as well due to the cost compared to flying into Zurich from Houston. We spent two nights in Montreux, and recovered from jet lag by spending some time along the lake promenade before calling it a day. For us, Montreux was more centrally located to what we had planned, a morning walk through the Lavaux Vineyards, a walk along the lake and afternoon visit to Chilion castle, and then a quick morning trip to Roche de Naye before catching the Golden Pass Express to Interlaken for a five night stay in Wengen.

After that, we used Lucerne as a base for several days and took a day trip to Bern from there. As others have said, there is a direct train to the Zurich airport from Lucerne, so no need to pack for a one night stay at an airport hotel. Use it for a nice lakeside dinner instead!

Thanks David,
Where did you stay in Montreux?

I much prefer Montreux over Lausanne, especially in June with all the flowers along the Montreux promenade.

You might find my trip reports helpful from my June 2022 and June 2024 trips.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-switzerland-june-2024-my-trip-report

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-switzerland-my-trip-report

Thanks Carrie,
Fun reading your trip reports! We're not looking for quite so fancy and expensive as the Grand in Montreux. Hoping to spend under $250/night for 2 adults with a lake view. Perhaps I'm dreaming, haha.

I consider Chateau Chillion a must see. It’s one of the nicest castles I’ve seen in Europe, and the setting on Lake Geneva is beautiful. If you like castles, don’t miss it.

I stayed in Vevey, which is roughly half way between Lausanne and Montreux. It’s a charming little town easily connected by train to both. I highly recommend it over the two larger towns.