[Anonymous]

14 May 2018 at 17:33:19 #815962

Hello,

i would appreciate any suggestions on decent places to stay in Montreaux and area. We plan on doing the Chocolate Train. I have been looking online and accommodation in Montreaux seems expensive. We will be primarily travelling by rail or bus. Does anyone have any gems in mind or suggestions on combining a visit to the area with taking the Chocolate Train.

Thanks!

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[User]

Reply 1 of 6 • 14 May 2018 at 20:05:16 #885170

Hi FallTravel,

Montreux isn’t the cheapest place to stay. Have you checked the hotels we’ve listed on our webpage: http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntreux/hotels?

[User]

Reply 2 of 6 • 15 May 2018 at 0:36:49 #885171

>> accommodation in Montreaux seems expensive

If you are open to the idea of staying in a youth hostel, there is one in Montreux. You can get a private room for two people, but bathroom facilities there are shared. Non-members pay a daily surcharge of CHF 7 on the room rate. Buffet breakfast is included and linen is provided. (I have not stayed there myself.)

http://www.youthhostel.ch/en/ hostels/montreux

>> We plan on doing the Chocolate Train.

You are travelling in October, is that correct?

In September and October, the Chocolate Train only runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Reservations are compulsory.

If that doesn’t fit in with your plans, you can follow the same route on regional trains instead (no reservations required). You get off at Gruyères station for the cheese factory, then continue to Broc-Fabrique station for the Maison Cailler chocolate factory.

You can use the Swiss Timetable to plan this trip:

http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

(Use the timetable on the right with the red SBB logo)

Alpenrose

[User]

Reply 3 of 6 • 15 May 2018 at 17:03:21 #885172

Yes, I have checked this sites suggestions. We are looking to be in Montreaux mid October and still find the prices are quite high at that time of year.

Thanks anyway!

[User]

Reply 4 of 6 • 15 May 2018 at 17:23:11 #885173

Hello Alpenrose,

Thanks for the suggestions. I was aware of the limited schedule and need for reservations and am taking that into consideration . You are correct, it will be in October.

i seem to be really fumbling with planning this trip and am finding it quite overwhelming. Your feedback so far has been most helpful. I am wondering if you would mind posting your personal list of must do’s ( i realize that list will be geared to your interests but I do value your opinion). I’m hoping such a list will help guide me in putting a few more pins in the map and bring me closer to connecting the dots.

We have some commitments that cannot be changed:

October 6th to 13th we must use St. Johann Im Pongau, Austria as a base.

Must be back in Paris November 3rd for a River Cruise ( in addition must have 3 or 4 nights in Paris at anytime during trip).

Goals:

Do as many of the senic rail trains as possible.

spend some time in Munich and Vienna

partake in some harvest season festivities

We can fly in from Canada to any city (October 1) as we have not yet booked our air. Trying to take in as much as possible without feeling rushed.

Thank you once again! your help is most appreciated.

[User]

Reply 5 of 6 • 16 May 2018 at 5:43:33 #885174

>> I am wondering if you would mind posting your personal list of must do’s ( i realize that list will be geared to your interests but I do value your opinion).

That would be a list as long as your arm, and would confuse you more 😉 Moreover, October is not a good time of year to do many of them.

I have written trip reports about many places I visited between late August and mid-October 2016, when I spent 7 weeks in Switzerland. They probably represent my favourite places, although I have a much longer list of places I still want to go to 😀

From what you have written so far, this seems to be your rough plan:

• 1 October fly into Germany

• 2-5 October – where?

• 6-13 October – Austria

• 14-29 October Switzerland

• 30 Oct-2 Nov – Paris

• 3 Nov – depart Paris on cruise

So you would have roughly 16 days in Switzerland from mid- to late-October. A 15-day Swiss Travel Pass would be convenient and give you the flexibility to change your mind on the go, or jump on an extra train, bus or boat according to whim, the weather, or other factors.

While a Swiss Travel Pass would be a convenient option, if you wanted to make sure that it was also your cheapest option, you would need to plan all your train, bus, boat and cable car trips in detail and cost them out.

If you are coming to Switzerland from Austria, you might like to consider something like this:

• Starting off in the Engadin (stay in St Moritz/Pontresina/Sils Maria)

• Bernina Express train and bus to Lugano via Tirano (stay in Lugano)

• Lugano to Luzern/Lucerne via Gotthard Panorama route on regional trains (stay in Luzern)

• Luzern to the Jungfrau Region on Golden Pass route (stay in Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Mürren)

• Jungfrau Region to Montreux on Golden Pass route (stay in Montreux)

• Montreux to Paris. If you have to leave Switzerland via Basel, I wouldn’t spend more than one night there.

For a first visit, that would be a good taste of the beauty and diversity of Switzerland, with a focus on mountains, lakes and traditional villages, and would include time in all 4 language areas: Romansch (St Moritz/Engadin), Italian (Lugano/Ticino), German (Luzern, Jungfrau Region) and French (Montreux area). All those areas also have good hiking opportunities.

Alpenrose

[User]

Reply 6 of 6 • 16 May 2018 at 12:57:00 #885175

Alpenrose,

I am so very impressed and thankful for your skill, knowledge and guidance. I don’t know how you have managed to make sense of my few posts, but you have. You are definitely a Swiss travel guru!

I shall take a few days and read over your past posts to this site. I am certain those posts will be filled with many gems and much food for thought. I am quite keen on your suggestion to come back through Switzerland after Austria and will take some time trying to plot that out.

Many thanks and I will post again once I have digested everything.