Public transportation from Chamonix to Montreux after our AMW tour?

I can't answer what you should do, but Chamonix to Montreux is pretty straight forward. Only two connections if you take the morning departures, one at Vallorcine, which is very easy as you switch from the French train system to the Swiss, and one at Martigny. Scenery is gorgeous, costs about $50 per person, and takes about 2 1/2 hours.

Judy & Bob,

I was just in Chamonix a few days ago, and travelled much the same route that you're proposing, although my destination was Lausanne. It's a very easy trip by rail. The first leg from Chamonix to Vallorcine is via the TER regional train. You'll then transfer to another train to Martigny and from there another train to Montreux. The same train goes to Montreux and Lausanne, which are only a short distance apart.

You can buy tickets for the trains to Montreux at the station in Chamonix (I didn't try using a website as buying locally seemed like an easier option). As I recall, the cost was €77 PP, but I'd have to check my records.

Whether to spend more time in Chamonix will depend on what you want to do there. I only passed through Montreux, but from what I saw one day should be enough.

1.5 days in Chamonix is enough to see the town and Mont Blanc. If you are a hiker or someone who participates in extreme sports then a week wouldn't be enough! The best hike in Chamonix (IMHO) is the one to Lac Blanc on the other side of the valley from Mont Blanc - stunning view! There is a traditional alpine hut up there that serves food and drinks on an outdoor deck with views that are pretty unbelievable.

Montreux is a nice little compact town that has Chateau Chillon as its main attraction. That will take you about 1/2 day to see. Gruyere (of cheese fame) is a pretty medieval town perched on a hilltop not too far from Montreux that you could do as a 1/2 day trip. Or you could take the train along the shore of Lake Geneva to Vevey to walk along their beautiful lakefront promenade or to Lausanne to see the cathedral and old town with their beautiful views over the lake to the French Alps.

Thanks for your help, Sam & Ken!

Your detailed info. is so appreciated, & it sounds very doable (& beautiful), so I'm pretty sure we're going to spend a day in Montreux at the end of our trip.
Thanks again!
Bob & Judy (-:

I loved Chamonix, but I found 1.5 days to be ample on the Alpine tour. On a regular guided tour, you might want more time since group activities take longer and aren't always exactly what you want to do. I'd go for the day in Montreux.

You don't have to be into extreme sports to enjoy a hike. It will help if you are fit. (I was not when I did this, but I still would do it again!) I did the balcony walk. You take the Auille du Midi cable car and get off in the middle. You can then walk along the "balcony" to catch the train at Montenvers. The views are truly spectacular. It was the high point of my trip that year both figuratively and literally. :) It was worth my aches and pains. The path is actually good, and there are people on the path.

Thank you Anita, Nancy & Pamela for your awesome input! Since we'll be doing a lot of hiking, (& we do love to hike!), I think we should be able to do at least one & hopefully both, of the hikes you suggested. We also want to do the cable car, & check out the town, but we get going early, so I think a day & a half will be fine. It sounds like Montreux will be a nice way to end our trip, & I love your suggestions Anita -- wish we could do them all! Actually, I did book 2 nights in Montreux just in case....

Thanks again everyone!!!

Bob & Judy (-:

We had one day of terribly bad weather on our recent Chamonix-Zermatt hike and opted to spend one day descending by public transit so we could go to Montreux and see Castle Chillon. From a tiny mountain village, starting by bus, it took two hours out and back, and we made it back in time for dinner. It's not a very large country.

Thanks coachbridges, that's an interesting possibility.... Are you able to send us some more details about this, like the name of the bus company, the little town the trip begins in, & was it a scenic drive?
Thanks again for the post!
Bob & Judy