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Neuchatel area - where to stay, transport, best sights?

Posted by (California) on

I'm going to spend 2 or 3 nights somewhere in the Neuchatel area by myself later this month. Wondering about logistics and any suggestions people have....

I'll be arriving & leaving by train and while there, exploring on foot or by train or boat: How easy will it be to get around that way? And are there taxis or Ubers to fill in gaps?

What is the best town to stay in that would include some sights plus access to transport to other towns/places in area if I want to day trip?

I like exploring scenic villages/towns, visiting art and culture museums, trying local food, and walking in natural beauty as long as reasonably flat (no serious elevation gain) and smooth path. I'll have been in Luzern, the JungFrau and other places before this and I'm heading to a big city right afterward, so looking for this to be a more low-key part of the trip. And I hope, a bit less touristy and crowded.

Any suggestions related to the area are much appreciated (including info you'd like to offer not related to questions above). Thanks!

Posted by
406 posts

Neuchatel itself has a nice lakefront and town center. There is a big hill down from the train station, so you will want to use the bus or there is a funicular that takes you down to the university area by the lake. The old town area is fairly flat, but there are some hills to get up to the Collegiate church and chateau. Brasserie le Cardinal is a nice spot to eat https://www.lecardinal-brasserie.ch/en/
Plenty of options for lake cruises in the region https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/experiences/lake-neuchatel-cruises/
For a day trip (or you could even consider staying in): Murten, which is on the other side of the lake about 20 mins away. A small town, but quaint and relaxing, although it is quite popular with daytrippers.
Another good day trip a little off the beaten path could be Solothurn, about half an hour away. https://www.solothurn-city.ch/en
Nearby the Weissenstein has some shorter loop trails that are not overly taxing https://www.solothurn-city.ch/en/discover-solothurn/excursions/weissenstein
If you have any interest in wine, I'd also suggest visiting the small wine villages along Lake Biel and there are also some nice walks around there (St Peter's island https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-445 for one; wine trail https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/nature-trail/biel-seeland/swiss-fine-wine-trail-bielersee-vineyards/15856161/)

Public transportation is fairly comprehensive. Taxis are available in bigger cities and towns, usually a taxi rank by the train stations. Uber is not widespread in Switzerland and is just now starting up in Neuchatel, but it's basically just a way to request a taxi as it doesn't really operate the same way here in Switzerland as in the US.

Posted by
9 posts

Oh wow, thank you so much for all this! Very helpful and kind of you to write all this out for me.

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