My experience of travelling in Switzerland is that taking the train is the best way to go.

Trains are frequent and the journey time between Lausanne and Geneva is between 35 and 50 mins max depending on whether or not you need to change trains.

The only factor that might need building in is the time needed to get from where you're staying to the train station at Geneva and from the train station in Lausanne to your destination.

You might find http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en helpful for train times and planning your journey.

If you want to go sightseeing as well and might benefit from a car, I can only say that petrol is cheaper in Switzerland than in France (don't know how much it costs in the UK), and that the motorway network is very good. However, you might find it initially confusing driving 'on the right', and finding parking places in big cities can be as frustrating over here as in the UK. I also think it might take you longer to drive than take the train, plus you will have to be alert. (You can have a nice snooze on Swiss trains as the ride is exceptionally smooth!)

Hope you have a successful and enjoyable visit.

Hi Alsacienne

Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I have been researching various items to do with our trip for most of the day and am now thinking that I might be better off staying in Lausanne itself, or on its outskirts. I am having trouble visualisiing how large the Lake Geneva area is.

I have noticed that if you stay in a Lausanne hotel you get free travel around the City for the duration of your stay, which you get by virtue of having paid local tax to the hotel - Lausanne has it's own touristic website which is proving helpful.

I am not sure exactly what this involves, I am assuming it will be bus travel (maybe trams if they have them or a metro ?)

I have taken on board all your comments and using public transport seems to be very much the thing to do for visitors to Switzerland. I am worried that we will have problems in finding suitable parking spaces in towns as is a problem all over the busier parts of Europe. We are also concerned about understanding road traffic signs, speeding camera should we go for the 'pick a car up at the airport and hope for the best' option. So have ruled it out.

Kind regard, Doe

http://www.t-l.ch/# gives information about public transport in Lausanne ... though it's in French only! There are buses, trams and trains and also BIKES! Look at the section Titres de Transport (tickets) which gives details. However, I can't guarantee the flatness of the Lausanne hinterland!!

I think it is a great idea to base yourself in Lausanne itself. There's probably enough to see, and you'll actually get some time to enjoy yourself rather than commuting. It might even be a tad cheaper than Geneva itself!

Thanks again.

Stuggling with reasonably priced hotels but think I may have found one on the outskirts of Lausanne. May book through http://www.booking.com as for a little extra you do get the option of changing/cancelling free of charge if you find something more suitable. It is only for 3 or 4 nights, but we intend to go on an early flight and return on a late flight to maximise our time there.

Have even been looking at Montreaux as well. it all sounds so beautiful I feel spoilt for choice, but in a confused kind of way.

My French isn't too bad for some reason I seem to have retained it from my schooldays, although I did study it from age 7 to 17 so I guess with that length of time something is bound to go in.

Doe

This might be worth a look ....... http://www.lausanne.ch/view.asp?domId=63358&language=E.

Many hotels offer a cancellation without penalty policy ... it's usually something to sort out between you and the hotel rather than with the booking agency.

You'll have no problem with using English if your French gives way! Mind you it's good to try, and you'd be surprised what comes back once you push back the drawers in your mental filing cabinet!!

Montreux will probably be pricier than Lausanne for accommodation ... but definitely worth visiting!

Thanks again. Have managed to book something on the outskirts of Lausanne and can cancel without penalty by a certain date. Was starting to panic as Lausanne seemed to be 'filling up' for my dates. As you have mentioned when researching Montreux hotel accommodation was even more expensive especially a lake view rooms.

Maybe might be able to do a lunch and an afternoon in Montreux.

I am hoping that there will be little ferry boats back and forth across the lake in the summer or maybe from resort to resort, like there is up in Windermere and Ullswater.

Your wish is my command Sire! http://www.cgn.ch/eng

Many thanks. Brilliant information

I'd have been here sooner but I'm having broadband problems!!

this might come in handy http://rail.myswitzerland.com/regiopass.php?regiopassid=5 and click on the map, the red lines are the ones that are free on the relevant days. The ride from Montreux to Lenk is very nice and costs 72 francs return with ordinary tickets.

the single fare from Geneva Airport to Lausanne is 25 francs.

Hi Steve

Sorry to hear you are having broadband problems. Many thanks for the link.

I have booked a hotel outside of Lausanne in Morges so will be on the train most days getting in and out of Lausanne (think it's a 10 or 12 min train ride), will also need to get a train from Geneva to Morges on arrival and hope to go to Montreux one afternoon as well, probably by boat though. Train travel definately seems to be the way to go in Switzerland. Havent booked my flights yet but imagine I will book Easyjet.

Doe

Public transport in Switzerland is excellent but much dearer than UK despite what our papers say. It only gets cheap if you drop on a suitable regional pass or have kids (in which case there is a way of saving a lot of money). All train and bus times are via the state railway website at http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm

And a nice lady in India seems to have sorted my broadband out for me!

Thanks again Steve.

I have resigned myself to the fact that the four days we intend to be there are probably going to rather expensive, what with train travel, hotel costs and hopefully eating in nice restaurants, the whole area looks fantastic so we are really looking forward to it. I haven't been to Switzerland since I was 15, which was many many moons ago.

Doe

Been following this topic & links Chris and it all looks fabulous.

Must admit switzerland is a place i've always wanted to do & I'm forever looking at the possibility of doing a city break there but I won't hijack your thread just yet .

Feel free to hijack Lyn Easyjet flights to Geneva seem to be a bit of a bargain at about £60 per person if you pick selectively. I would imagine if you booked as soon as they were released you could get a good deal.

It looks fabulous. Not going till the summer so I am hoping for decentish weather and would like to do a few trips on the Lake etc, and maybe one of those trips slightly into the mountains - do they call them vernicular railways ? so that we can take in the wonderful views.

I think there is also supposed to be a 'chocolate train', which takes you up the mountains and to a chocolate factory for a tour seeing it made, but that might be nearer to Montreux than Lausanne.

vernicular railways

FUNICULAR railways!!! (And there are always cogwheel railways too!)

http://europeforvisitors.com/switzaustria/vaud/canton/swiss-chocolate-train.htm YUM!

OMG I hope that wasn't a rude word that I put up there then, how embarrassing. I hope I can use my dyslexia as an excuse.

the chocolate train runs from Montreux to Broc but not until May http://www.goldenpass.ch/CMS/default.asp?ID=414 . It was possible to do the factory tour independently but I'm not sure whether that's still the case. Broc is top centre of the map from the rail pass link posted earlier and can be reached by scheduled trains from Vevey or Montreux.

And although easyjet provide the backbone of cheap flights to Switzerland (mostly by their Swiss subsidiary) it's always worth checking http://www.swiss.com as their prices are often close (except Zurich) when you take into consideration the luggage and snacks included. Some of their flights are acually code shares run by BMI but cost more if you book with BMI direct!

Thanks Steve. I will be there after the chocolate train starts running so it may be one of the trips we choose to do.

Just checked Swiss Air through your link and although still a reasonable price, it's about £90 (over 2 fares) more than Easyjet, with the later we can travel out early and come back late, getting maximum time there for the amount of nights accommodation we have booked. London City Airport with Swiss Air is an attractive option for us as we live quite close to LCA, so if we go back I will always check this now.

Doe

Just wanted to come back with many thanks to Steve and Alsace. Returned yesterday from our 4 days in Switzerland.

Used the wonderful train system every day, first from Geneva Airport to Morges, where our lovely hotel was, then Lausanne each day to go and see my daughter and her team perform in the various Gymenstrada events. Our Gymenstrada tickets gave us 20% off train tickets. The tickets also covered all the tubes (metro?) and buses.

Swiss Rail seems to offer promotional discounts when you are supporting sports and arts events, which is a brilliant way to promote their tourist industry. The people working in this are so helpful & must know what it adds to the ecomony, all station staff, hotel staff & restauranters were fantastic & went above & beyond most other places I have travelled. They even had the Swiss Army out directing traffic in Lausanne due to the influx of the 25,000 gymnasts plus their entourages.

I was desperate to speak French but they all spoke English !

We didn't manage the chocolate train, but did buy lots of chocolate in Migros to bring home.

Spent a lovely day in Montreux, walking round the Lake and having tea in The Grand Hotel - mainly because it is mentioned in one of my hubbies favorite Deep Purple songs They are headlining at the Jazz festival tonight and he is gutted that we are not there to see them.

Naively I thought the weather would be like here so didn't take sunscreen & am burnt Even Easyjet did us proud.

Doe