Montreux, the jewel of Lake Geneva

Flight from the UK to Geneva airport with rail travel to Montreux (approximately an hour).

The train follows the curve of the lake for much of the journey with some great views. As soon as you arrive in Montreux, you enter a graceful world of Belle Epoque buildings and lively atmosphere. After checking in to your hotel, you might like to take a stroll along the quai and admire the architecture, the floral displays and the glittering lake. 

Helpful links

Montreux resort page & hotels

Lake Geneva excursions

On your first full day, why not head up into the mountains. There are a more than a few options close to Montreux and a little further afield in the Vaud Alps, but we recommend Les Rochers-De-Naye. You'll start with an hour's journey from Montreux on a scenic cogwheel railway route. Enjoy the views as the train slowly maks its way up the mountain. You'll arrive at the peaceful headland and discover the amazing view over Lake Geneva from 2,042m. You also have a view of the magnificent mountains including the Bernese, Vaud and French Alps. The visit is available all year but perhaps is at its best during the summer, when the alpine flowers are flourishing and you can spy marmots playing near their mountain burrows. After enjoying the well maintained walking trails, you can reward yourself with a drink in one of the mountain restaurants. 

After a day at altitude, today could be spent exploring the lake. The boat station in the centre of Montreux offers a variety of cruises taking you to some delightful spots around the lake. The fleet contains some restored paddlesteamers, some of which are over 100 years old. Board your boat and relax - the views are beautiful and enhanced with a drink from the bar or an ice cream! You may like to disembark somewhere for lunch: how about the charming town of Vevey, with its lakeside promenade. You might then like to travel onwards to the Lavaux wine region. These historical lakeside vineyards have been growing grapes on their sunny terraces since the 11th century. The villages in the Lavaux offer plenty of opportunities to sample the local wine ... the perfect way to while away an hour or so in delightful surroundings.

You can return to Montreux by boat or rail. 

This excursion is a fabulous day out, combining a heritage train, scenic views, a visit to the cheese village of Gruyères - and of course chocolate! 

Board the Belle Epoque Pullman railway carriage at Montreux station and relax into your seat. You will be offered coffee and pain-au-chocolat during the journey through the countryside to Montbovon. There's a change here to the comfortable chocolate excursion coach which takes you deeper into the countryside and the cheese dairy at Gruyères. Here you can watch a fascinating demonstration and sample some of the delicious cheese. Then you will be taken to the charming medieval village, where you have free time for lunch. In the afternoon, the coach takes you to the Nestlé-Cailler factory in Broc, where you can discover the secrets of chocolate making and enjoy a tasting. The Bus will bring you back to Montreux, arriving at around 5.15pm.

Please note that this excursion should be pre-booked. 

Time to say adieu to Montreux and make your way back to the airport. If you are on an afternoon flight, there will be plenty of time for souvenir shopping and a lakeside lunch before your train departs.