Region
Lake Geneva Region
Sleep in Geneva; do Lausanne and Montreux as day trips by train, and keep the bag at the Geneva hotel.
Not field-verified
Rules in force · 3
- Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
- Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
- Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.
The lake shore is a line of towns joined by a fast train: Geneva at one end, Lausanne in the middle, Montreux at the far end. Moving hotels every night wastes the mornings; keep one bed in Geneva, travel light for a day, and come back on the evening train.
Where to sleep
Genevasleep base
Airport train to the door; old town and lake quays.
Lausanneday trip
About 40 min by train; cathedral and lake.
Montreuxday trip
About 1 h 10 min by train; lake path and Chillon Castle.
Night sequences
- 3 nights
- Geneva 3, Lausanne day trip
- 5 nights
- Geneva 3 + Montreux or Lausanne 2 nights
- Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and the Alps in 3 days is mostly train seats.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lausanne | Geneva | 60 min | unknown | Train from Cornavin about every 15 min by day; check the last train. |
| Montreux | Geneva | 90 min | unknown | Train then a walk or bus to the castle; check the last train. |
Bags between cities
Swiss rail offers luggage services from stations; check the SBB site. Most visitors keep the big bag at the Geneva hotel and take a day pack.