Looking for one day excursion from Geneva to Alps
A traveler is looking for advice on a one-day trip from Geneva to the Alps, specifically wanting to include exciting rail and cable car experiences, plus fondue. They are considering places like Titlis, Zermatt, and Schilthorn, but need to know if a day trip from Geneva is feasible, especially with a five-year-old along.
- Check the Swiss timetable to plan your trips and understand the travel duration.
- For a closer, easier day trip, consider taking the train to Rochers-de-Naye from Montreux or the cable car to Salève from Geneva.
- The Gornergrat and Jungfraujoch are possible but require early departures and long travel times, so be prepared.
- Horse-drawn sleigh rides are available in some mountain towns, but check with local tourist offices for options near Geneva.
- The Lac d’Emosson is a spectacular trip that takes about 2h30 to reach from Geneva's train station.
AI-generated summary-
Hi, I’d like advice on a one-day excursion from Geneva to the Alps. Ideally, sometting involving exciting rail and or cable cars, and fondue. We’re travelling with a five year old, and want to go higher than Chateau D’Oex or St Cergue or Moleson. We won’t be using a car, so it’s by train. I can probably get cheap train passes, so it’s timing and not cost that I’m concerned about. I’ve been looking at Titlis, Zermatt, Schilthorn and others, but cannot work out if it is possible to get to one of these places from Geneva and back.
thank you
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Hi plumbly! The Swiss timetable will help you find out how long your trips take and decide which day trips can be made from Geneva. Some of the plans you mention are doable, but they do require very long travelling and early departure. For example: the trip to the Jungfraujoch takes over 5 hours. Leaving around 6am will allow you to be up at the Jungfraujoch about 11am. You could spend a few hours there and then get back. Roughly the same goes for viewing points near Zermatt, for example the Gornergrat. The trip between Geneva and the Gornergrat takes about 4h30.
There are several viewing points closer to Geneva though. From Montreux, a mountain train leaves for the small village and viewing point of Rochers-de-Naye. There’s even a cable car leaving from Geneva itself. It will get you to the viewing point of Salève, from which you can see the Alps and the city below. A very spectacular trip is the one to the Lac d'Emosson, a reservoir with a huge dam high up in the mountains. You can get to Finhaut in about 2h30 and make the trip to the lake from there.
I hope this provides you with some ideas! Kind regards,
Hi plumbly! The Swiss timetable will help you find out how long your trips take and decide which day trips can be made from Geneva. Some of the plans you mention are doable, but they do require very long travelling and early departure. For example: the trip to the Jungfraujoch takes over 5 hours. Leaving around 6am will allow you to be up at the Jungfraujoch about 11am. You could spend a few hours there and then get back. Roughly the same goes for viewing points near Zermatt, for example the Gornergrat. The trip between Geneva and the Gornergrat takes about 4h30.
There are several viewing points closer to Geneva though. From Montreux, a mountain train leaves for the small village and viewing point of Rochers-de-Naye. There’s even a cable car leaving from Geneva itself. It will get you to the viewing point of Salève, from which you can see the Alps and the city below. A very spectacular trip is the one to the Lac d'Emosson, a reservoir with a huge dam high up in the mountains. You can get to Finhaut in about 2h30 and make the trip to the lake from there.
I hope this provides you with some ideas! Kind regards,
Okay, thanks for that Annika. Looks like I need to be less ambitious. I’ve been on the telepherique on the Saleve, and want something more mountainous than this. I will check out your other suggestions and I’m also wondering about Gstaad, which is 2h 30 as well. Does anywhere have a horse-drawn sleigh? thank you for your help.
Hi plumbly. Horse-drawn sleighs are available in some Swiss towns, but I don’t know any close to Geneva (as you have to get up higher in the mountains for good chances of snow). This one near Château-d’Oex might be good to check out. Many tourist towns do offer rides in regular horse-drawn carriages though. Asking for information at the local tourist office may help you discover other options.
Many thanks for this, Annika. I like the look of this trip
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