Nyon, a perfect Swiss day trip

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I love a good day trip, and in Switzerand they are super easy given the country is relatively small and has an amazing train network. Whilst staying in Geneva as a base, we decided to spend the day visiting Nyon, a small and picturesque town on the north eastern side of the lake.


  1. Contents
  2. How to get to Nyon
  3. Things to do in Nyon
    1. Château de Prangins
    2. Nyon Old Town
    3. Château de Nyon
    4. Lake Museum
    5. Enjoy Lake Geneva
  4. Cost of visiting Nyon

From Geneva you can reach Nyon by train in just 15 minutes, or you can take a 1hr boat based on the CGN boat timetables. We chose to take a train to Nyon and then catch a boat back to Geneva.

Travel in Switzerland is easy. Often the most cost effective option around Switzerland is to purchase a Swiss Travel Pass, which covers all normal rail (panoramic trains and cog railways at a discount) and boat travel, plus entry in to all museums. We paid £710 for 2 of us for 8 days of travel pass, and it easily paid back for us. This also means that everything on this day trip is covered by the travel pass, other than food.

Views from the train to Nyon


Château de Prangins is a castle which was built in the 1700s by a Paris banker and Voltaire even resided here for a while. Prior to that it had been a seat of power for the Dukes of Savoy, so has always been an important location. Inside the building today is a branch of the Swiss National Museum that covers a number of exhibits including on what it means to be Swiss, the castle in the 1800s and the history of Chintz and its link to slavery.

At the castle

The castle also has a stunning garden, which we enjoyed sitting in and a lovely terrace bar and café which serves lunch too.

The old town of Nyon is great to explore on foot with lots of pretty buildings to see, all overlooked by the castle on the hill. Also be sure to check out the small Roman ruins and steep but picturesque streets.

Beautiful

The castle was originally a fortified house in the 1100s, and in 1293 the counts of Savoy took it over. In 1536, as the Reformation took hold, the Bernese chased the House of Savoy out of Nyon and the town of Nyon purhcased the castle in 1804. It subsequently housed the courts, the meetings of the town council, the prisons and, after 1888, the town museum. The castle was last entirely renovated between 1999 and 2006, and now includes a number of exhibits on its history plus the prison wing still in tact.

Looking up to the castle on the hill

The Lake Geneva museum is worth a little mooch if you have the travel pass, but not really if you need to pay. It’s quite small and all in French but there’s a few interesting things to see including old ships and fishing stats, plus a mini aquarium.

Inside the museum

As with any lake side town, enjoying the lake itself is a must. We walked along the shore taking in the stunning views, and bought some ice-cream (£30 for 2 icecreams) at a small stand given it was so hot.

Dreamy


I feel I always have to mention cost when it comes to Switzerland. If you have the Swiss travel pass then all of this day will be covered, other than the food you eat. If you don’t have the travel pass, it will cost you roughly £40pp to travel to Nyon and enter the museums listed.

Food prices are what make everything in Switzerland extra expensive. Food in Nyon is no different and reflective of the general prices we found across Switzerland. You can of course save money by eating at a supermarket, but most sit down restaurants are at least £30-40pp.

We ate at the restaurant at Château de Prangins which unfortunately (for a small burger and a bowl of tortellini plus tap water) cost us £68, but was delicious at least. On top of our ice-cream this meant we spent £100 just on food and we hadn’t even had dinner yet – extortionate Switzerland at its best again.


Thanks so much for reading – what did you think of the little trip to Nyon? We found it to be a lovely little place and were really glad to have spent a day here. Stay safe and happy travelling!

37 responses to “Nyon, a perfect Swiss day trip”

  1. Looks lovely – I’ve actually never heard of it til now…

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Oh wow these views on the lake! I’ve never been to Geneva, but I’ll make sure to plan a day trip to Nyon if one day I do!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a really beautiful area of Switzerland, well worth a visit if you get the chance 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I’ve heard of L-yon in France, but not of N-yon in Switzerland! Looks very peaceful, although the cost of two ice cream (£30?!) made me gasp! Unless they were massive sundaes, I am shocked at just how expensive a simple dessert is! Food prices aside, it looked to be a wonderful trip. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh glad I could introduce you to a new place – yeah the prices were insane in Switzerland, I honestly don’t know how anyone does it on a budget (definitely no ice-cream that’s for sure!)

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Wow! Yes, the Château de Prangins castle looks magnificent, and gardens & old town streets lovely…yet, my eyes are also drawn to Lake Geneva and the gorgeous mountains – what great views! Thanks for sharing your extraordinary travels, Hannah 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was such a beautiful little town in a gorgeous setting, we had a lovely day exploring 🙂 Have a great weekend Phil.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Hannah 🙏🏻🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  5. It looks like a beautiful place to visit, and the lake is stunning! You do a great job of capturing the beauty of a place with your photos. We were in Switzerland a few weeks ago and were also shocked by the prices! Ouch!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw thank you so much that’s really kind of you to say. My husband gets so annoyed with me constantly stopping for photos 🙂 Oh it’s mad expensive isn’t it….really hard to do on a budget!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. What a beautiful place to day trip! I’m trying to decide which pass to buy for our trip and pricing it out makes my head spin ha.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh yeah there’s so many. We got a deal for an 8 day pass +2days free but think that’s only available in off season. We went for the normal travel pass and it paid back easily.

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  7. What a charming town- the castle, the views of Lake Geneva, the small streets- all of it looks so inviting. That’s really good to know about the travel pass too! Lovely place to follow along with you today 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The travel pass is amazing in Switzerland, well worth it. So glad you enjoyed the little trip to Nyon. Have a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I hadn’t realized Switzerland was so expensive. Good to know. I’ve made a rough “someday” travel plan to/though Swizerland, but by car. I’m going to check out the train system and see if that’s a better option. Thanks for the tour of Nyon and the useful info.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s literally insane. We tried to hire a car for 1 day and it was going to be something like £200 so we just gave up and got public transport everywhere….but even that we had to pay, I think, £750 for a travel pass for a week. Just whatever you do it’s expensive so be prepared to budget a hefty amount for the trip.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ooh, yikes. We’re paying a boatload for our car rental in France, but it’s for nearly 3 full weeks. If I extrapolate your numbers, we’d be paying our same boatload in Switzerland, but for just 10 days. Ok, rethinking plan . . .

        Liked by 1 person

  9. I recall visiting Nyon but it was January and didn’t look so charming then as there wasn’t even any snow! Obviously need to return in the summertime, great post, as always Hannah.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh I don’t know anyone else who’s been – I thought it was beautiful in the sunshine 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Nyon sounds (and looks like) a perfect day trip destination, Hannah. From the chateau to the Roman ruins, it’s bound to be intriguing. The ice cream looks amazing no matter the cost, and I absolutely love your dress!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was great with so much to do – and thank you, the dress is one of my faves as it’s sooo comfy 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Nyon looks like a great option for a day trip. The castle and surrounding gardens are picturesque and the views of Lake Geneva are gorgeous. I can’t get over how expensive those two small ice-creams were!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was wonderful, we had such a fun day exploring 🙂 But yeah Switzlerand ripped a hole in our pockets….it was cheaper for me to fly to Hong Kong business class and stay in a 5* hotel for the weekend, than it was to survive in Switzerland for a week.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Looks beautiful, Hannah!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Nyon is a place I’d heard very little about, so this was really illuminating. So pretty, especially the castle district and those inspiring views across glassy Lake Geneva. The costs you have detailed for getting a basic feed are just mad…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I really love these little towns and villages a little bit off the main beaten path, Nyon was a joy to explore 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I hadn’t heard of this town before but it looks like a pleasant day trip. Love the dreamy lake photo!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Just by looking at your photos, it certainly appears that travelling in Switzerland is a picture perfect affair. Ah … and the castles are beautiful, as are the lake views (I’ll skip the expensive ice cream though) 😅.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah if it wasn’t for the prices, it would have been unbeatable!

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  16. What a beautiful town and a great day trip. Holey moley, the meal price was something!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know, it was like that everywhere, absolutely shocking!

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  17. […] a day trip to Nyon or Geneva to explore other pretty lake side […]

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  18. I’ve always heard Switzerland is expensive, but yikes! I didn’t realize even something like ice cream would set you back so much. I guess it’s just the price you have to pay in exchange for the lovely scenery all around you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s mad – I feel like I should have remortgaged my house to fund the trip haha!

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Another great and informative post. Saving!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. […] Nyon (15 minute train ride) – Swiss National Museum, beautiful old castles, lovely lake front town. […]

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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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