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Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Montreux
Base here 2 nights: lakeside promenade, Chillon and a Rochers-de-Naye or Lavaux half-day. Day-trippers from Lausanne get the castle and promenade and skip the rest.
Montreux is a small lakeside town on the east end of Lake Geneva, 1 h by train from Geneva and 25 min from Lausanne. It is known for the Jazz Festival in early July, the Freddie Mercury statue on the quay, Château de Chillon 3 km south, and mountain railways up to Rochers-de-Naye. Two nights covers the town, the castle and one mountain or vineyard trip; the town itself is walkable in half a day.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- May–Sep (promenade, boats, mountain railways); early Jul for the Jazz Festival
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (many lakeside businesses quiet, mountain railways limited); mid-Jul–Aug crowds and heat
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CHF 150–230 excl. bed · High CHF 250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 144 · European emergency 112 · Rega air rescue 1414
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | CHF 4–6 |
| Sandwich or salad from a Coop Pronto or Migros | CHF 6–12 |
| Plate of pasta or pizza in a mid-range restaurant | CHF 20–32 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a supermarket | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| Château de Chillon adult entry | CHF 12.50 |
| Lake cruise, short hop on a CGN boat | CHF 10–25 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GVA · Geneva Cointrin
- Closest major airport; train from the airport station to Montreux about 1 h 10 min with a change at Geneva or Lausanne
- ZRH · Zurich
- About 3 h by train via Lausanne
Typical fares
- Geneva Airport → Montreux, train
- about CHF 40, about 1 h 10 min
- Montreux → Veytaux-Chillon, train
- about CHF 4, 4 min
- Montreux → Lausanne, train
- about CHF 15, 25 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre, old town and promenade are walkable. VMCV buses cover the town and the hills; a day pass is the easy option. Trains from Montreux Gare reach Veytaux-Chillon in 4 min, Vevey in 5 min and Lausanne in 25 min. The MOB narrow-gauge line (GoldenPass) leaves from platforms 5–6 for Les Avants, Château-d'Œx and Gstaad; the cog railway to Glion, Caux and Rochers-de-Naye leaves from the same station.
See and do
Known for
- Montreux Jazz Festival
- Château de Chillon
- Freddie Mercury statue and Queen Studio Experience
- Rochers-de-Naye cog railway
- Lakeside promenade and Belle Époque paddle steamers
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Château de Chillon | Train to Veytaux-Chillon (4 min) or walk the lakeside (about 45 min) | About 30 min by train |
| Vevey | Train from Montreux Gare, about 5 min, or the lakeside promenade walk | About 15 min |
| Lavaux vineyards (Chexbres–Cully) | Train to Vevey, then train to Chexbres-Village; walk down through the terraces to Cully | About 1 h |
| Rochers-de-Naye | Cog railway from Montreux Gare to the summit, about 55 min | About 1 h |
| Lausanne | Direct train from Montreux Gare | About 25 min |
| Château-d'Œx | MOB GoldenPass line from platforms 5–6, change at Montbovon | About 1 h 20 min |
Sleep
- Grand Rue / lakefront centre
- Walk to the promenade, station and boats; most hotels and restaurants. Best for a first visit.
- Montreux Gare area
- Around Avenue des Alpes and Rue de la Gare; 5–10 min walk downhill to the lake, easiest with bags.
- Territet / Veytaux (south)
- Quieter, closer to Chillon and the Territet funicular; 25–40 min walk or a short train ride to the centre.
- Hauts-de-Montreux (Glion, Caux)
- Village hotels above the lake with the best views; reachable by cog railway or bus, cooler in summer.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYAN sa KOOT |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo eh la GAR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- Rochers-de-Naye trains stop running to and from the top around 18:00 and shut down early in bad weather: do not count on a late descent.
- Chillon is 3–4 km from the centre: walk the lakeside (about 45 min) or take the train to Veytaux-Chillon, not a taxi.
- The old town is on a steep hill with no funicular; a bus gets you partway up.
- Jazz Festival weeks (early Jul) push hotel prices up sharply and fill the lakefront: book months ahead.
- Swiss trains, boats and mountain railways are separate tickets unless you hold a pass: check what your Swiss Travel Pass covers.
Very safe for a lakeside resort. The real risks are steep vineyard and mountain paths, fast-changing weather above 1,500 m, and swimming in the lake where the shelf drops quickly: check the marked areas.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Montreux yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Montreux Jazz Festival
- Château de Chillon
- Freddie Mercury statue and Queen Studio Experience
- Rochers-de-Naye cog railway
- Lakeside promenade and Belle Époque paddle steamers
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Montreux-Vevey official tourism: www.montreux-vevey.com
- Ville de Montreux: www.montreux.ch
- Château de Chillon: www.chillon.ch/
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS): www.sbb.ch/en
- Montreux Jazz Festival: www.montreuxjazz.com/
- Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN lake boats): www.cgn.ch/
- Wikivoyage: Montreux, revision 5287866 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5287866
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Montreux
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries run embassies in Bern and consulates-general in Geneva; the US and UK missions are in Bern and Geneva (check addresses).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/montreux). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.