Lake Geneva, Switzerland: An Ultimate Travel Guide

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.

Important Information

Language, Currency and Time Zone

• 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

Best time to visit & length of stay needed

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).

Getting around Lake Geneva

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.

Cost

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

Things to do on Lake Geneva

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.

Region 1: Geneva & Surrounds

Central Geneva

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.

Tour the United Nations

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.

Get out on the Lake

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!

Nyon and Château de Prangins

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.

Region 2: Lausanne & Surrounds

Lausanne Old Town

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.

Olympic Museum

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)!

Ouchy Waterfront

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.

Lavaux Vineyards (Grandvaux & Lutry)

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.

Region 3: Montreaux & Surrounds

Château de Chillon

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.

Rochers de Naye

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.

MOB Golden Pass scenic railway

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.