Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Lake Geneva, Switzerland (or Lac Léman) was the perfect destination for a relaxing vacation after the Paris Olympics. The area has incredible public transportation so you can easily bop around from place to place. We spent five wonderful days there and barely scratched the surface. After this trip, I have added “spend a month in Switzerland” to my travel bucket list. I really want to buy a train pass and explore as much of the country as possible. While it is expensive, it is STUNNING, and nature is worth the investment!
Here’s a summary of things to do around Lake Geneva, with links to more detailed posts about each area:
Montreux - A beautiful lakefront town, known for the annual Montreux Jazz Festival. Some fun things to do in Montreux include Chillon Castle, Queen The Studio Experience, and Le CouCou restaurant. See Montreux review here.
Lausanne - Only 30 minutes away by train from Montreux, this international city had loads to do. We went to the Olympic Museum, Ouchy lakefront, Collection de l’Art Brut museum, and Lausanne Cathedral. See Lausanne review here.
Vevey - Only 10 minutes away by train from Montreux, this adorable town has some cool sculptures like La Fourchette, an adorable cafe called Céleste, and a quiet paddleboarding spot. We debated staying in Vevey over Montreux but ultimately Montreux won (because of the Golf Hotel’s inexpensive lakefront rooms). See Vevey review here.
Lavaux-terraced vineyards - This UNESCO World Heritage Site has loads of vineyards with incredible views of Lake Geneva. You could do a vineyard tour or just walk around the area like we did (starting in Cully and ending in Epsees). See Cully review here.
ACTIVITIES WE didn’t have time for
Gruyere & Broc - Gruyere is most famous for its cheese (shocker). The town has a famous cheese factory, La Maison du Gruyère, where you can watch how cheese gets made and sample cheeses. There’s also a castle and H.R. Giger’s museum, with an INSANE Alien-themed bar. There’s also a chocolate factory in nearby Broc (Maison Cailler) with an all-you-can-sample chocolate room at the end. You can get here with public transportation or book a day tour on the “Chocolate Train” with transportation and entrance fees included (Chocolate Train info here).
Barryland - This St. Bernard dog museum is 1 hour away from Montreux via train. I love oddly specific museums such as this one and wish we had more time to visit.
Interlaken & Gstaad - There are scenic train rides to towns outside the Lake Geneva region, like the GoldenPass Express to Interlaken, or the GoldenPass Panoramic or Belle Époque trains to Gstaad.
Evian-les-Bains - You can take a ferry from Lausanne over to Evian-les-Bains on the French side of the lake. The town is famous for its mineral springs and spas. I mainly wanted to go here because you can fill up your water bottle with free Evian water straight from the source, but it seemed like a bit of a trek just for some free water. Next time!
Rochers-de-Naye - Mountain accessible via cog train that has incredible panoramic views. This was highly recommended by almost everyone we spoke to, but we skipped as it was a bit pricy at 89 USD (without the Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass) and we had already seen some decent views at our dinner at Le CouCou. It’s 20% off with the Riviera Card.
TRANSPORTATION
Since we were in Switzerland for just five days and didn’t plan on long train rides, we used EasyRide, a pay-as-you-go option, on the SBB app. You will need to give permissions to the app to track your location and movement. Once EasyRide is set up, just toggle the button on when boarding and off when exiting — the app calculates your route and charges you automatically.
One unusual thing about Swiss trains and buses is that tickets are rarely checked. We found out that random checks DO happen (and fines are hefty), but the Swiss mostly respect the honor system and purchase tickets — an honorable thing to do and one that is not typical in America!
Simplified map
Geneva – Large city with an international airport
Lausanne – Medium city
Évian-les-Bains – Quaint spa town famous for its natural springs
Vevey – Picturesque lakeside town
Montreux – Scenic resort town known for its lakefront and jazz festival
SWITZERLAND Info
Tipping: Not mandatory as service charges are often included within the bill, though rounding up or adding 5-10% for good service at restaurants is appreciated
Water: Safe to drink and delicious!
Outlets: Plug type J (3-prong European one) and sometimes C (2-prong European one); 230V
Credit Cards: Widely accepted
Language: French but English is widely spoken and understood in tourist areas
E-Sim: I bought one from Airalo that covered 39 countries in Europe. Shameless plug: use my referral code HANNAH8604 to get $3 USD off your first eSIM purchase.
Explore Lake Geneva, Switzerland—from the lakeside towns of Montreux and Vevey to the UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyards. This post highlights top activities and sights, with links to detailed guides for each area.