Lake Geneva, Switzerland: An Ultimate Travel Guide

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Lake Geneva is like Switzerland in a microcosm – home to snowy mountains, beautiful wine villages, nightlife and plenty of cowbells ringing in the rolling pastureland – it’s the perfect place for a break. Housing historic castles, cathedrals and the beautiful blue lake itself, it’s the largest body of water in Switzerland; literally split in half by the Swiss/French border.

Back in May last year, I spent a number of days exploring the Swiss side of this wondrous place and here’s a (hopefully) helpful guide to exploring the area.


Contents

  1. Contents
  2. Important Information
    1. Language, Currency and Time Zone
    2. Best time to visit & length of stay needed
    3. Getting around Lake Geneva
    4. Cost
  3. Things to do on Lake Geneva
    1. Region 1: Geneva & Surrounds
      1. Central Geneva
      2. Tour the United Nations
      3. Get out on the Lake
      4. Nyon and Château de Prangins
    2. Region 2: Lausanne & Surrounds
      1. Lausanne Old Town
      2. Olympic Museum
      3. Ouchy Waterfront
      4. Lavaux Vineyards (Grandvaux & Lutry)
    3. Region 3: Montreaux & Surrounds
      1. Château de Chillon
      2. Rochers de Naye
      3. MOB Golden Pass scenic railway
  4. More Information

  • This area of Switzerland sits in the French Canton of Vaud, meaning French is the primary language here. In fact, if you want to fit in locally – you should really call it Lac Leman not Lake Geneva.
  • German and English are also widely spoken.
  • The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF), and European debit/credit cards are widely accepted.
  • Time Zone is GMT +1hr

July and August offer the warmest temperatures, but also the biggest crowds. Shoulder season across May, June, September and October offer mild weather and less people.

You’ll need at least 5 days to cover everything in this guide. If you also want to explore the French side of the lake, then I’d recommend 8-10 days depending on your pace (I only visited the Swiss half).

Trains are the easiest way to go, with one side of the lake to the other taking around an hour on the train. Trains stop at all major spots along the lake front and buying tickets online or at the station is easy. Boats are also a great and more leisurely way to travel, with multiple routes across the lake. Be sure to look in to the Swiss Travel Pass if you’re travelling round a lot – all train and boat travel is included.

£££. Hotels are an average of £250/night, and average meal costs in restaurants are £40pp. It’s not cheap having a long break here.


The Swiss side of the lake is around 100km long, taking c1.5-2hrs to drive. Along this route, there are numerous areas around Lake Geneva offering lots of things to do making it the perfect road/train trip.

Geneva is a beautiful city with so much to offer. Be sure to explore the old town and climb the cathedral tower for incredible views, as well as pay homage to the famous flower clock and enjoy lakeside walks.

Views from the Cathedral

You can’t come to Geneva and not visit the UN Building, one of the city’s most famous links. There are a number of tours to learn more about the entity’s history and work, and as a bonus the Red Cross Museum is just up the road so the two are perfect to combine.

At the United Nations

Lake Geneva is best experienced by boat. CGN run numerous cruises across the lake (whether as a hop on/hop off to other stops, or for a lunch/dinner cruise, or for sunset drinks – you can’t go wrong!), and you can also hire boats and kayaks as well. It’s just so beautiful everywhere you look!

Boarding a boat

A short 10 minute train ride from Geneva lies beautiful Nyon, home to the wonderful Château de Prangins which houses the Swiss National Museum, as well as a pretty old town and some ancient Roman ruins.

Nyon


Lausanne is a gorgeous town lying right on the banks of the lake. Its old town is like something out of a fairytale, with its cobbled streets, wonky walkways and picturesque buildings. Also make sure you have a famous hot chocolate at La Barbare, and pop in to the Lausanne History Museum.

Beautiful streets

Lausanne is the home of the Olympics and no visit would be complete without at least a quick visit to this wonderful museum. I spent hours and hours in here, but then I am an Olympics nut. Please also excuse all photos of me from this trip – my luggage was lost so it’s sunglasses from one of those street stands, and a mishmash of clothes I could find that didn’t bankrupt me (my t-shirt says I ❤ Switzerland on it underneath – ha)!

Couldn’t help myself!

Ouchy is the area of south Lausanne which directly faces on to the lake. With pretty lakeside parks, lots of options for boat trips and restaurants galore, it’s a beautiful place to spend half a day.

Just outside of Lausanne is the most famous wine region in Switzerland – Grandvaux. We chose to walk among the vineyards from there to Lutry which took a couple of hours, and finish our day off with wine tasting at one of the many wineries in the area. It was my second favourite part of the trip.

Wow!


Wow. One of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever visited in my life, Chillon lies nestled right on the lake edge with the mountains of the Alps forming its dramatic backdrop.

The stunning castle

Hikes don’t get much more beautiful than this – and you can’t come to Switzerland and not go hiking. Rochers de Naye gives epic views out over the Alps and Lake Geneva. It takes 7 hours to hike from Montreux, or you can get the train up to a number of stations on the way to cut the walk. We hiked the final 2 hours to the top, and it tops my list of experiences around Lake Geneva.

Views from the summit

Montreux is home to the MOB Golden Pass scenic railway. Riding a panoramic train is a must do if you’re in Lake Geneva, and there’s a few different options to either do as a daytrip in itself, or as a means of getting to your next stop in Switzerland.

Gah! Take me back


You can read my detailed posts from around Lake Geneva covering all the items above here:


So what do you think of Lake Geneva? Would you want to visit one day? We had an incredible time in this picturesque little corner of the world and would recommend it to anyone looking for a getaway with lots of variety in things to do (as long as you’re not travelling on a tight budget). Hope you enjoyed the tour – stay safe and happy travelling!

36 responses to “Lake Geneva, Switzerland: An Ultimate Travel Guide”

  1. I had but 6-7 hours in Geneva during a packed 5-day trip through Switzerland a few years ago. I saw the highlights like the lake and the UN, but I wish I’d stayed overnight to take in more. Thanks for sharing your guide with us, Han!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a really lovely city and there is so much to see and do around the lake, but wowsers is it expensive!!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Great travel guide! I loved Lake Geneva and even Geneva said to be the most expensive place in Switzerland after Zürich.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much! Yes it really was expensive, definitely not a place to go on a budget – BUT it is beautiful, even if just for a couple of days!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Beautiful photos Hannah, you have expertly captured the beauty of Switzerland. We visited Geneva in March and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, it’s a really beautiful city isn’t it and I’d love to go back and explore more of Switzerland for sure.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. A great guide if and when I make it to Geneva Hannah. Chateau Chillon is at the top of that list 🙂 Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Thanks for sharing this guide! Switzerland has been on my bucketlist for a while, and these mountain pictures make me want to go so bad!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a really beautiful country, just a shame about the price tag!! Thanks for reading Vanessa 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Oh my word! I kept thinking I would pick out 1-2 favorite photos to highlight, but I don’t think that’s possible. It’s all so beautiful. And the color of the water is stunning!

    (Sorry if this is a duplicate comment, I don’t think the first one went through)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a really, really beautiful country. I think you’d love Switzerland with all its hikes and views 🙂 Thanks as always for reading Diana, have a great day!

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Mountains and lakes – nothing better. Some of the photos call to mind Italy’s Lake Como, easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, so I’m sure I’d love Lake Geneva. Not sure I knew there was Swiss wine. My time in Switzerland was very limited (less than 24 hours in Chur), so I’d love to go back and see more of the country.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally agree it’s Como-esque. I think Switzerland is definitely one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited, it just offers so much (and is really easy to get around to see the variety) …. just needs a few years to save for each trip ha!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’ve heard Norway and New Zealand are real stunners, too. Let’s go to those places and make comparisons! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. We absolutely must do that!! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Ah man you are making me want to jump on a plane back to Switzerland right now!! Such a gorgeous country and so many more beautiful areas to explore. Next time I’m packing a bathing suit to go swimming in the crystal clear water 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aww it’s an amazing country isn’t it, I’m so glad you got to visit too. I’d love to be hiking in the mountains right now, rather than about to start a day’s work sat at my desk that’s for sure!! 🙂

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  9. This looks like a pretty comprehensive guide to visiting Lake Geneva. It’s definitely on our travel bucket list now. The views of the lake are stunning.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you and so glad you found the guide helpful. I think you’d love Switzerland as it offers so much in terms of hiking and outdoors activities.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. This is a really great guide to Lake Geneva- very thorough and helpful 🙂 Between the mountains, lakes, and beautiful areas surrounding them you could count me in for Geneva any time 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Meg, I’m so glad you found it helpful! It’s really beautiful isn’t it, I’d love to go back and explore more areas of Switzerland too 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I’d love to visit Switzerland. Geneva would be one of the places on my list of places to explore. Thanks for the guide

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s such an amazing country, definitely worth a visit if you get the chance Tanja!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Wow, Lake Geneva is so beautiful and so is the Château de Chillon sitting on its banks. It’s one of the medieval castles I’d like to visit one day to find out more about its fascinating history. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s just stunning isn’t it… I really loved Switzerland and hope to return one day to explore more of the magical mountains and lakes 🙂 Thanks for reading and have a great day Aiva xx

      Liked by 1 person

  13. This looks great, Hannah! The views are amazing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Jyothi, it’s such a beautiful country 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. A very organised and thorough overview of the Lake Geneva area Hannah. Not sure I’ll ever make it there so travelling vicariously through your articles is the next best thing. The lake of course and all its angles are gorgeous but I am also drawn in by the sight of The United Nations and the Olympic Museum, great stuff. As for the MOB Golden Pass scenic railway… wow… words hardly seem necessary when you have those images.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Leighton, I’m glad you enjoyed the overview tours. The Olympic Museum was my favourite spot around the lake, but I’m biased 🙂 I know, the railway really took my breath away. I didn’t know whether to sit back and enjoy it or take 5 million photos….it was truly beautiful. I’ll probably go back to Switzerland at some point to do more of the scenic train rides as that was definitely my highlight.

      Liked by 2 people

  15. We’ve spent very little time in Switzerland although we were in Lausanne many years ago. That chateau looks stunning….

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It’s a really beautiful country to explore – i definitely want to go back and see more!

      Liked by 2 people

  16. When I was in college, I worked near Lausanne for part of one summer (long time ago!). I enjoyed the memories this post brought back. That castle is stunning, great photo!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. More money saved on not buying a travel guide! 😃 I was in Switzerland for a sky trip many years ago and was very impressed with how clean it is and easy to travel around. And that castle is a must visit. Outstanding post!

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Lake Geneva is just stunning (I’d rather not speak of Lac Leman because my French doesn’t exist). And not only is the lake beautiful, but the old towns with their cobbled streets are so picturesque. Your photos are beautiful Hannah – it’s like flipping through a coffee table book.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ha that made me laugh…. I’m with you on Lake Geneva! It’s such a beautiful area of the world, Switzerland is really such a special country. I like the idea of a coffee table book, maybe I should do that with my best photos 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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