In the fall of 2021, I had the opportunity to spend four months living and studying just outside of Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout the semester, I took several day trips between my classes to explore more of Switzerland and France. In this post, I talk about five of my favorite of those daytrips, plus one must-see highlight and how to get there.
When planning any of these trips, I highly recommend downloading the SBB Mobile App. It’ll give you the departure times and platforms, which is very valuable for tight connections, and gives you the ability to buy tickets on the app so you have them available digitally.
1. Montreux
I took a day trip to Montreux a couple of times during my semester in Geneva because it’s relatively easy to reach and has a great variety of things to see nearby. It was my favorite Christmas market of the ones I visited, but if you’re visiting outside of winter, the Lavaux vineyards are a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site. 7 minutes away by train is Vevey, the home of Charlie Chaplin for the last 25 years of his life and the location of the Alimentarium, the first museum dedicated specifically to food. If you have time and are interested in the history of Switzerland, I also recommend a trip to Chillon Castle, a Swiss historical site built earlier than the 11th century.
Highlight
The Christmas market – Grab a hot chocolate or hot wine made with real Swiss chocolate and peruse the stalls for handmade gifts and souvenirs. When you’re ready to eat, many stalls sell fondue and raclette that can be taken to go.
Getting there
Montreux is an easy 1-hour trip on a direct train that costs about CHF 15 one way. Buy tickets at the station or on the SBB mobile app.
Find out more about Montreux here!
2. Yvoire
Yvoire is a beautiful little village on Lake Geneva across the border in France. It has that aesthetic, picturesque vibe of a little French village where you can just get lost wandering around the streets (though not that lost because it’s pretty small). You can spend as much or as little time there as you want, but I personally only spent an afternoon there and felt like I accomplished a lot in that time. There’s plenty to see just in wandering and observing the architecture, but I recommend also looking through the little shops and galleries that line the main streets and stopping for crepes or sorbet along the way.
Highlight
Garden of the Five Senses – I LOVED this garden. Upon entry you’re given a map that leads you through five different gardens, each one representing a different sense. As you walk through each garden, there are plants for you to touch, smell, taste, etc.
Getting there
There’s a couple ways to travel to Yvoire from Geneva: bus or train and ferry. The bus ride is about an hour and cheaper than the ferry (~$3-$6). The ferry takes a bit longer, about an hour and a half, and costs between $27-40, although the trip is covered is you purchase a temporary Swiss pass. You can also take a train from Geneva to Nyon and take a 20-minute ferry ride from the Nyon port. I personally used the ferry from Nyon, which only takes about 20 minutes, and really enjoyed the trip. Tickets can be purchased on the SBB mobile app or at the station.
Find out more about Yvoire here!
3. Jungfrau
Jungfraujoch is the highest railway station in Europe (3454m), earning the name Top of Europe. The station is surrounded by beautiful glaciers and eternal snow and boy, is it cold. I visited at the beginning of December wearing my whole winter bundle and could still only spend a couple of minutes outside on the observation deck so be prepared for some frigid temperatures.
Highlight
Ice Palace – On the walk out to the observation desk, you pass through a network of hallways originally carved out in the 1930s and filled now with ice sculptures carved into the nooks and crannies of the caves. Unfortunately, the sculptures are slowly melting, but it was such an interesting experience to be completely surrounded by ice.
Getting there
It takes about 4 and a half hours to get to the Top of Europe from Geneva and the trip can be a bit pricy ($85 one way), but the journey is the best part in my opinion. For some, that may be too much travel, so you can always stay the night in Grindelwald or Interlaken. I personally did a daytrip and slept on the train because I’m a poor college student that didn’t want to pay for accommodations. You’ll take a series of trains from Geneva to Grindelwald and from there you buy a separate Jungfraujoch railway station ticket to complete the journey to the top. You can take a gondola part of the way up for some great views and then switch to the train. I recommend booking that ticket online ahead of time because you have to choose a specific time for the trip from Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch.
Find out more about Jungfrau here!
4. Gruyères
If you like chocolate and/or cheese, this is the place for you. Gruyères is the home of Maison Cailler, a Swiss chocolate factory, La Maison de Gruyeres, a Swiss cheese factory, and Gruyères Castle, a Swiss heritage site built in the 13th century. The medieval town below the castle preserved its historic charm and is the perfect place to explore and have a traditional Swiss meal with authentic Gruyères cheese.
Highlight
Maison Cailler tour – Learn about the history of chocolate-making in Switzerland with this walking tour of the factory. The tickets are CHF 15, but it comes with an audio tour and free chocolate samples at the end. If you want something more hands on, they also offer chocolate workshops where the chocolatiers will teach you art of tempering and ganache.
Getting there
You can reach Gruyères with a series of trains in about 2 hours for CHF 23. Book tickets at the station or on the SBB mobile app.
Find out more about Gruyères here!
5. Annecy
The ‘Venice of the Alps’ and well worth the name. Annecy is a picturesque French city intersected with canals at the tip of Lake Annecy. If you’re visiting in the summer, Annecy’s beaches are a great place to relax or swim, but you can also spend hours just wandering along the cobblestone streets taking in the architecture.
Highlight
Pont des Amours – The Bridge of Lovers stands over the entrance to the Vassé Canal on Lake Annecy. Legend says if two lovers kiss on this bridge they will be united for life. If you’re not looking for lifelong love, it’s also a great stop for pictures during a walking tour of the city.
Getting there
Annecy is about an hour and a half from Geneva by train or coach bus. Buses are a bit cheaper, at about $7-$16 each way, vs trains which are around $27-$50 each way. The coach stop was a bit difficult to find admittedly, but the bus typically has wifi which is nice if you’re trying to preserve cellular data. Tickets can be purchased from SBB mobile or a coach bus website.
Find out more about Annecy here!