Switzerland Intinerary

The Deutsche Bahn website indicates that there are 3 train trips per hour (all requiring at least one connection) between Vevey and Berne. Travel time is 87 to 102 minutes each way. I like Berne quite a lot and really appreciate the arcaded streets on rainy days, but I think most tourists would feel the day-trip was long enough. I suggest checking out TripAdvisor's Things to Do section for Berne to be sure you won't be missing out on stuff due to limited time.

Another factor would be whether you plan other side-trips in the area (Fribourg? Thun?) that would be (I'm guessing) quicker from Berne. In general, I hate changing hotels and find it much more relaxing just to stay in one place. At least in Switzerland you know most of the scenery you see through the train/bus window will be really lovely.

Vevey is a much smaller town than Montreux and has a nice, tightly packed center. Moving by train or ferry is easy. You might enjoy it more if you want a small town --- this is offset by the fact that it is indeed a company town (Nestle dominates). Lausanne is of course larger but Ouchy has a nice smaller feel to it. The Movenpick has an excellent breakfast and a modern style (if not a bit generic on the exterior). It is clearly no Beau Rivage, but the pricing can be good relative to the others on this waterfront strip. The train station is a bit up the hill, but you can take the Metro to save the walk (I lived about halfway up).

In Montreux, consider the cog railway to Rocher-de-Naye for a panoramic view of Lac Leman. (There are also two scenic railways from Vevey)

You have a great trip planned. My first Swiss trip (September 2014) was 3 nights in Luzern, 4 nights in Mürren, and 3 nights in Lausanne, and it was great. As you see, yours is very similar, and you'll love it!

Getting between Lausanne, Montreux, and Vevey is easy, with multiple trains per hour. So, stay in one and visit the others from there. I don't think one is a clear "winner," so I wouldn't favor one over the others (meaning, don't flip your itinerary just to stay in a particular one). If you have a reason to favor one such as a particular hotel, use it as your base - so Vevey is fine.

I was just in Bern and liked it a lot. If you like museums, there's several good ones. I don't think you can go wrong either way. If you want to spend a night in Bern, you can; if you want to do it as a day trip from Vevey, you can do that easily too. It's a small city (actually smaller than Lausanne) and doesn't feel at all hectic.

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, which I highly recommend for this itinerary, remember that it also is a Swiss Museum Pass. Swiss museums are quite expensive (10-25 CHF per museum is typical), so between the travel and the museums, it pays off. In addition, it gives such flexibility. For instance, if you want to take that day trip to Bern, the whole thing (travel plus museums) is fully covered by your Swiss Travel Pass. Or, if it's raining in the Berner Oberland, you could do your day trip to Bern then, or go to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum, and again it's all covered. I just got back from my second Swiss trip; my weather wasn't as good as my first, and I was very grateful for the flexibility the Pass gave me. It also saved me a fortune. A 15 day second class pass was 458 CHF, but I used 736.50 CHF in total value! Of course, some of that I wouldn't have used if I hadn't had the pass. For instance, I wouldn't have taken the quick trip from Winterthur to Zurich and back just to see the Swiss National Museum, which cost 26 CHF for the train and 10 CHF for the museum. But again, it was great to be able to do this without having to think of the cost.

Personally, Vevey is my favorite town on the shores of Lake Geneva. It is relatively small, has a beautiful lakefront promenade, and a weekly market. It's relaxing and uncrowded! I like Lausanne but the hills are a bit much for me.
Getting from town to town is very easy because of the train.
Your hotel is in the "newer" part of town but it is a short walk to the old, more picturesque part.

Count me as another person who likes your itinerary and loves Vevey. Have fun!

Another vote for Vevey.
The weekly market is great. One of the vendors made caramel in large copper pot while we watched. Vevey never feels touristy, probably due to Nestle being there.
I know a great dentist there with an office on the lake. You literally over look the lake while sitting in the chair.

Thanks to all for your insight and input.

Much appreciated!

Hi!
I was in Switzerland last summer for the Jazz Festival and stayed in Vevey, loved Switzerland so much I'm planning a 10 day trip in December for Christmas Markets. Vevey was lovely and less crowded/less expensive so I think you'll like it plus if you want to go to Montreux the train is a short ride of about 15 minutes and they make the late buses free due to the festival. If the weather is nice, bring your bathing suit and swim in the shadow of the Chillon :)

We traveled Switzerland by train and stayed at the Astra Hotel in Vevey. Loved it. Our room was very, very nice - two bathrooms, sitting room. Modern decor. The benefits of staying at the Astra: (1) directly across street from the train station so you can take trains to other places with little effort (if you have time a train ride and have an outdoor lunch at Gruyere), (2) Starbucks is across the street and other restaurants of all kind are within walking distance, (3) you can walk to the lake and enjoy the promenade.
You have a very nice trip planned. We stayed in Murren five nights. There are restaurants, hotels, a little shopping, and some gorgeous hikes. And, 4 nights in Paris...what a way to end the trip! Sounds great.