My family and I (age group of 16 to 50) are making a four day stopover at Geneva on our trip to Europe this October. Since we're trying to do the trip on a shoestring, we've found a friend's shack to bunk at while we're in the city. I had a few specific questions about things we could do while traveling from Geneva itself. 1. We come in from Paris on the 7th, and will not have a full day to make a long day trip, so what would be advisable short trips to make if we left Geneva around noon? Or things we could do within the city itself? 2. For the other three days (when we have plenty time, but will have to travel from Geneva itself), would day trips to places like Zermatt, Luzern and Interlaken be too ambitious? We will have a Eurorail Pass for all four of us, so any amount of travel should be okay. Plus, we're keen hikers and have done some moderately tough hiking in the Himalayas, so wouldn't mind scenic hikes around any of these places. 3. We were wondering which one (or if any) of the Panoramic Trains would be most worthwhile in October and given our travel restrictions. I've heard most good things about the Bernina Express, but have also heard that it is at its scenic best only in the winters, and since October is a shoulder season, does it at all make sense to shell out the extra money or is it just a tourist trap? That's a lot of questions, but if someone can just give me leads on where I could find more information on these lines, that would be lovely :)
Posted by
Minneapolis
1261 posts
Hi Arundhati. Chamonix France is a great mountain town quite close to Geneva. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Laguna Niguel
31 posts
I would suggest a full day Gruyeres tour by Viator. This is the description (we really enjoyed it last year!). "Set off and discover traditional produce while taking in Switzerland's landscapes on a full day combined coach and train trip from Geneva. Descend the hills to Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva and the towering Alps. In between, you'll savor chocolate, cheese and wine tastings to round out your full day trip. We will first visit the chocolate factory of Broc (Nestlé - Cailler) where you can taste his famous chocolate. Will then continue our gastronomic discovery in a cheese-dairy where you will sample some local manufactured cheese. Then you will have some free time in the village of Gruyeres to relax or visit his castle overhanging the entire Gruyere region. Next we will catch the Panoramic Golden Express, this train passes above the Lake Leman to enjoy the panoramic view of the beautiful countryside around the lake. After that, we will take the bus again to cover the Lavaux vineyards road, classified one of the most beautiful place of this world by the Unesco, to reach the village of Epaisse."
You might also consider a Castles Boat Cruise (Swiss Boat). There are self-guided walking tousr of Geneva. Pick up audio guides at Tourism office Rue du Mont Blanc 18. 10 CHF p/p.
Posted by
Laguna Niguel
31 posts
I would suggest a full day Gruyeres tour by Viator. This is the description (we really enjoyed it last year!). "Set off and discover traditional produce while taking in Switzerland's landscapes on a full day combined coach and train trip from Geneva. Descend the hills to Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva and the towering Alps. In between, you'll savor chocolate, cheese and wine tastings to round out your full day trip. We will first visit the chocolate factory of Broc (Nestlé - Cailler) where you can taste his famous chocolate. Will then continue our gastronomic discovery in a cheese-dairy where you will sample some local manufactured cheese. Then you will have some free time in the village of Gruyeres to relax or visit his castle overhanging the entire Gruyere region. Next we will catch the Panoramic Golden Express, this train passes above the Lake Leman to enjoy the panoramic view of the beautiful countryside around the lake. After that, we will take the bus again to cover the Lavaux vineyards road, classified one of the most beautiful place of this world by the Unesco, to reach the village of Epaisse."
You might also consider a Castles Boat Cruise (Swiss Boat). There are self-guided walking tousr of Geneva. Pick up audio guides at Tourism office Rue du Mont Blanc 18. 10 CHF p/p.
Posted by
Rochelle, IL
263 posts
Broc and Gruyere were neat places to visit. You may want to check the Swiss Rail site to see if there are trains to those areas, which may be cheaper than a tour. There is a Chocolate Train, but it runs out of Montreux on the other end of the lake. Yvoirre is a French walled city not too far from Geneva. That is accessible by boat. The boats do honor the rail pass, but it may not be the most efficient use of a days travel. Lausanne has the Olympic museum and some great churches and cathedrals. In October the lake boats run on a differenct schedule. It might be nice to cruise down to Castle Chillon and train back, using the railpass, but it would be a lot of time on the boats...which isn't bad because you see a lot of the lake valley that way. I think Zermatt and the matterhorn would be a long day trip...doable, but long. According to the SSB website, you could train from Geneva at about 8 a.m. and arrive in Zermatt at about 12 noon. That would give you time to take the cog train up to Gonnergrat and the Matterhron views. You could then take a 4 p.m. train back to Geneva.
Our railpass did not cover the Visp-Zermatt portion of the trip or the trip up to Gonnergrat, but did give us a substantial reduction in fares.
Posted by
California
15 posts
If I remember correctly, the trip from Geneva to Luzern is about 3-hours each way, which may make it a little ambitious to do in a day. You can get up really early and come back late and just sleep on the train. You can do day trips to Bern, Zurich, or Montreaux. Bern is about a 90-minute train ride from Geneva. It's a lovely town to wander around on foot. You can enjoy the medieval architecture, fountains, narrow streets, and clock towers. Frommer's has a nice walking tour of Bern here: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/bern/0161010008.html Zurich is a little over 2-hours away on train. I did the two two Frommer's walking tours when I was there for a day and really enjoyed it: 1) http://www.frommers.com/destinations/zurich/0069020033.html
2) http://www.frommers.com/destinations/zurich/0069020034.html I also highly recommend visiting Montreaux and the Chateau de Chillon: http://www.chillon.ch/en It's an impressive castle located right on the lake, with the alps in the background. You can reach Montreaux by train (about 45 min from Geneva) or by lake steamer. If you're in Geneva on a Saturday, you can cross the border to Ferney-Voltaire for the Saturday market.
Posted by
Dallas, Texas, USA
501 posts
I like Bob's idea. Or....day trip to Annecy. Your days will also be shorter.
Posted by
Port St Joe Florida
513 posts
A great day trip from Geneva is to the Montreux and its gem - Chateau Chillon. A great way to see it is to take the train frm Geneva (less than 90 minute trip) visit the town and castle, then return to Geneva by boat. This takes longer, but is a wonderful experience. You can also easily do this trip in reverse - boat out and train back to geneva. You also might want to read the poem by Lord Byron called The Prisoner of Chillon.