Highlights:
- Chocolate
- Fondue
- Glaciers
- Views from trains especially Chamonix to Montreux and Montreux to Gruyères
- Restaurants in Chamonix
- Mountain Views in Chamonix
Chamonix has lots to do and see. Activities include hikes(all ranges of difficulty), great views, mechanical conveyance to tops of mountains, some small museums, mountain restaurants and very good public transportation throughout the valley. The public transportation is free if you have the Tourist card, which you will receive if you stay at a hotel in the Chamonix Valley area (villages of Chamonix, Les Houches, Servoz and Vallorcine). We saw a lot, but I would go back since there is plenty we did not get to see.
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| Chamonix Tourism Office plaza |
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| Fabulous views and fake painted scenes on buildings |
- Aiguille du Midi, a 2 cable car trip up to 12,600 feet. Excellent views, a Climbing museum, a cafe and a gift shop.
- Trip to Montenvers to see La Mer du Glace, there was also a Glacier museum, a crystal exhibit(skip it) and a cave cut into the Glacier itself.
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| Cog train to Montenvers |
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| Station for La Mer de Glace, a 7 mile long glacier |
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| The Sea of Ice, there are people out on the glacier practicing glacier travel. |
- Bellevue, ski area and start of hikes and more views of Mount Blanc
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| Refuge du Goûter, the last shelter on the way to the Summit of Mont Blanc. Looks like a spaceship. |
- Le Brenvent, mountain on the opposite side of the valley from Aiguille de Midi.
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| End of the line |
- Chamonix Saturday Market, would have brought some items if we were closer to the end of the trip.
- Refuge du plan de l'aiguille, lunch with views of Chamonix and the mountains.
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| Lunch with Chamonix far down below |
- Glaciers
Montreux
The lakeside promenade was very nice, lots of plantings and the views were terrific, plus the Castle is in great shape and very large, but I didn't think the selection of restaurants and cost of staying in Montreux itself was worth it. I think a day trip to Montreux would be adequate. You can walk along the promenade to the castle from Montreux, but it is quite a long walk.
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| Castle courtyard |
- Lakeside Promenade
- Calliers Chocolate Factory
- Gruyères Village, If I visited this area again I would stay in one of the small Hotels just outside the Chateau. Below are photos of the Chateau, the main courtyard and the garden.
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| One of the Hotels inside the Medieval walls of the village |
- La Maison du Gruyère, Cheese Factory, shop and restaurant. They had a robot to turn and wash the aging cheese. Lunch was fondue and Roosti of course.
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| Cheese making contraption, up to 48 wheels of cheese a day can be produced |
- Alimentarium, Nestles food museum, geared towards children, but still quite interesting.
- Vevey Funicular, some good views, the funicular is actually used by locals as public transport
Great place to visit, not too large, lots of museums and easy to get around. I plan on finding my better half a job there.
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| St. Peters from our hotel |
- St Peters Cathedral, don't forget to go up into the Tower, great views of the city and of the interior construction details.
- Old Town including Mason Tavel, oldest surviving city residence, now a museum.
- Swatch Exhibit
- Super Fabulous Famous Flower Clock(don't bother looking for it)
- Boat cruse on Lake Geneva
- Shopping (Swiss Army Knives, Swiss watches, Swiss chocolate)
- Le Atmosphere, Chamonix
- La Caleche, Chamonix
- L'Impossible, Chamonix
- Mai Thai, Montreux lakeside
- La Caravane Passe, Geneva. Near the Hotel, Very good Middle Eastern food.
- Les Armures, Geneva. Located in the Old Town. We ate outside.
Hotel Le Faucigny, Chamonix. Right in the center of town, a short walk from the rail station and across from the tourism office. Very bright and airy and welcoming. Would stay again.
Hotel Bon-Port, Montreux. A bit of a walk from the train station, close to the Promenade, just OK.
Hotel Bristol in Geneva. A 4 star Hotel, we had a very spacious room. The Hotel is half a block from Lake Geneva at the Pont du Mont Blanc an excellent location. Portugal had won a world cup game one of the nights we were there and it was pandemonium outside, but the triple glazing worked well and kept the noise out. Would stay again.
Expenses:
Plane tickets using miles(British Air charges a fuel surcharge even when paying with miles)
Usually our plane fares cost more than lodging, but this trip was an exception. Even compared to other trips the lodging was high.
Swiss Rail Passes were $350, the Lake Geneva Area Passes were 2 for the price of 1, each providing 2 free days of travel and 3 days 50% off travel, so we each had 4 free travel days which worked out perfectly.
Chamonix Multiday Mountain passes were $250, covered mountain conveyances.
Geneva to Chamonix transfer for three was $130.
Trip cost about $2500 per person.
