Lake Geneva boat trips in December
A traveler is planning a family trip to the Lake Geneva area in late November to early December and is looking for cruise options. They are concerned about reduced schedules for cruises, whether CGN is the only operator, and if they can reserve seats using the Swiss Travel Pass for their family. They want to maximize their experience while navigating the limited winter schedule.
- Check the SBB timetable for winter cruise schedules on Lake Geneva, as services are limited.
- The Swiss Travel Pass allows you to board most CGN cruises for free in 2nd class, and you can hop on and off as you please.
- Popular winter routes include Lausanne to Evian, which runs daily and is about 30 minutes long.
- Reserve seats for specific fondue cruises, as they require prior booking.
AI-generated summary-
Dear friends,
I travelling with my family to lake geneva area end Nov/early Dec23. During my research, I noticed that the lake cruises seemed to operate at a much reduced schedule (for example, only Fri and Sun).
I’m thinking of using the Swiss Travel Pass (STP) for cruise trips for my family and have the following questions for your assistance:
1) Is CGN the only cruise operator in lake geneva? If not, who are the others and where can I find a winter cruise schedule?
2) Given that STP allow my family to board the cruise for free (2nd class only), I figure there’s no need to reserve for cruises (eg just walk in). However, I’m also concerned that my family would not be able to board these cruises given the reduced cruise schedules. Is there a way to reserve cruise seats for STP users?
Thank you all in advance for any assistance.
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Hi Lawy,
Boat services on Lake Geneva are available all year round but run on a reduced scheduled in winter. For example, the passenger ferry services are limited to weekdays only. Pleasure and sightseeing boats are available only at the weekends and limited to departures from Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey and Nyon. Be sure to check the schedules on the SBB timetable: http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable. Use the advance mode to display only boat schedules.
In winter, I recommend the service from Lausanne to Evian (on the French side), which runs daily and takes roughly 30 mins. This is popular route for visitors interested to experience cruising on Lake Geneva. Fondue cruises are also popular in winter but will need reservation. You can find information about fondue cruises here: http://www.cgn.ch/en/fondue-festival-geneva.html. You can find useful information on how to plan boat trips on Lake Geneva here: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakegeneva
The Swiss Travel Pass is valid on most cruises and boat services operated by CGN (Lake Geneva Navigation Company). If you are interested in private cruises operated by private tour companies, you can find various options on Get Your Guide or Viator websites.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Thanks Anna for your very helpful insights. I’m likely to base myself in Lausanne for a couple of days. One of the routes I’m exploring is to cruise from Lausanne to Chillon and then disembark/explore the castle from there. Not sure if it’s possible or one must stay on the cruise for the return to Lausanne. Have a great day.
Hi Lawy,
If you have your Swiss Travel Pass, you are free to hop on and hop back on as / when suits. Just check the timetable so you can return in a timely manner. As mentioned earlier, boats are not as frequent in the winter season.
If you just have a ticket, just ensure it’s an open return so you can return when you would like to or ask at the ticket office, if it would make better sense to buy two single tickets.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Thanks Yolanda.
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