Two Day Trips to Take From Geneva, Switzerland: Montreux and Annecy

Montreux, Switzerland

Montreux is so easily accessible from Geneva that it would be a crime not to go if you had an extra day. The city is known for its landscapes and views of the Swiss Alps alongside Lake Geneva. I grew up going to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, so this clearly was a step up for me.

You can easily get here by train. Go to the Geneva train station (Gare Cornavin), buy a ticket to Montreux from the kiosk, and you’re all set. It takes about an hour to get there, and the views from the train ride are amazing because you go along Lake Geneva the entire way.

Unfortunately, my friend and I were sitting in the only row where the person that had the views of the lake put down their blinds. So, when you get on the train, sit on the left side, not the right.

My first order of business whenever I go to a new city is to go to the information desk/station. I am a horrible, spontaneous, and lazy planner, so these people are my best friends (and will be yours too) when it comes to day trips. It’s also nice to physically ask a local what they like to do rather than scour the internet for information. This might sound weird coming from a travel blogger who uses the internet to give advice to people on what to do in cities, but I digress.

Our friends at the information desk told us to do the “Flower Walk” and visit Chillon Castle, so we listened and were on our merry way.

The “Flower Walk” is exactly what it sounds like. It is a path along Lake Geneva that is lined with flowers of all types and colors. Honestly, I have never been so mesmerized by something I have seen through my own eyes. I immediately added the city to the “must-see-again” list in my head.

Montreux is world-renowned for its Jazz festival in July, and you can clearly see the influence of this when you are on the flower walk. There are iron cut-outs of music notes, instruments, and musicians. Notable residents have included David Bowie and Freddie Mercury (they actually have a statue of him next to the lake). I also learned that Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” lyrics are about a Frank Zappa fan that set the Montreux Casino on fire. So, undoubtedly, there is a lot of musical influence here.

Right before the Castle, there is a little concession stand where people sit and have lunch or a picnic. I probably could have sat there way longer than my coffee cup allowed me to.

We finished our walk at the Chillon Castle, which is the main attraction of the city. Chillon Castle is most famously known for being a prison during the 16th century. Lord Byron, a famous English poet, was also intrigued by this prison. He wrote one of his more famous poems, called The Prisoner of Chillon, about a Genevois monk, Francois Bonivard, who was a prisoner of the castle.

I felt like I was on an episode of Game of Thrones when I was here. I also have to say that these prisoners had some pretty spectacular views, given their circumstances.

If you come to Geneva for the weekend and do not make the trip out to Montreux, shame on you (see what I did there). You don’t even need a full day there, so there is no reason not to go! If you are a lover of landscapes, this is the place for you.

Annecy, France

To get to Annecy is a bit more complicated than to get to Montreux. The amount of time it took us to find out how to get to Annecy took us more time than actually getting to the city itself. Luckily, I am here to save you from scrambling about the city looking for answers.

To get here, you have to take the tram 15 towards “Palettes” from the Gare Cornavin station and get off at P&T Étoile. From this stop, walk towards the McDonalds. Right before you cross the street to go to the McDonalds, look to your right. You will see the bus stop is here, on the right hand side of the street. You can find the bus times here. I would bring your passport just in case, because Annecy is in France and you never know when police are going to check. They didn’t check ours, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

You can also buy your ticket on the bus or at the bus station in Geneva. It is cheaper to buy the ticket at the bus station, but only a few more euros to pay on the bus.

Like Montreux, we did not have a plan when we arrived, and we went straight to the information desk. It was here that we were greeted by a 65-year-old French man that did not speak a word of English. The best way I can describe this man is telling you that he reminded me a lot of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. He proceeded to explain something in French with lots of elaborate gestures, and I think at one point he was scolding me… but I’m not sure. We turned to plan B and followed the people that seemed to be trickling towards the city center.

If you look up anything about Annecy, you will see it is nicknamed the “Venice of France”, and it definitely lived up to its name. The streets are lined with canals, flowers, tiny coffee shops and restaurants.

In reality, there is not much to do here, but it is a perfect city for walking around and experiencing the culture. I loved this city, because it felt alive and authentic. There were people walking along the lake, meeting at the local market, playing at the local park… Overall, it was very aesthetically and culturally pleasing.

 

When we were on our way back to the station, we were greeted by another local Annecy character. My friend smokes, and she has people come up to her every so often to ask for a cigarette. One guy came up to us and was speaking the fastest French I had heard all trip. He probably saw how confused we were, and switched over to the best English he could muster up. I saw him smirk and start thinking hard, and he presented us with this: “Oh…English. Do you know…. (waiting in anticipation as he is trying to spit the words out) ….French kiss?”

Moral of this story, maybe Annecy has a few local characters waiting for you. It definitely is a city where you can easily access a lot of culture in a small amount of time.

All in all, if you are looking for landscapes, go to Montreux. If you are looking for a cultural experience, Annecy is the place for you. You can’t go wrong with either of these cities, and definitely do both if you can.

Traveling or have travelled to Geneva, Montreux, or Annecy? Leave me a question or comment below! 🙂