French village recommendation when in Switzerland
A traveler is planning a trip to Switzerland in mid-September, spending a week in Kandersteg and a week in Lauterbrunnen. They are looking for a quaint French town or village to visit during their stay and have the Swiss Travel Pass for transportation, enjoying countryside rides. Recommendations are appreciated for a day trip.
- Consider visiting Yvoire on Lake Geneva, accessible via CGN boat from Nyon, for a charming experience.
- All cruises by CGN on Lake Geneva are free with the Swiss Travel Pass, so take advantage of this for scenic trips.
- For a broader getaway, explore the Alsace region in France, especially during the harvest season in mid-September, although travel there isn't covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
AI-generated summary-
We will be in Switzerland in mid September, staying a week in Kanderstag and a week in lauterbrunnen.. We have been to switzerland many times and thought it might be fun to visit a quaint/interesting French town/village for something different. We have STP for transportation and love riding around to see the countryside.
thanks for your recommendations
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Hi Jo,
We don’t have any information here on France, but from those areas you are in, Rockoyster’s suggestion or Chamonix might make the most sense
I second Rockoyster’s suggestion : Yvoire on lake Geneva. You get there from Nyon, by CHN boat.
CGN, not CHN, is the name of the Lake Geneva shipping company.
Thank you for the recommendations – looks perfect for us!
Hello,
If by the word “French” you mean a town/village in France, rather than one in the French part of Switzerland, then I would third Rockoyster’s and Snowman’s recommendation. To assist you in your planning in going to Yvoire, here are three clips from the CGN website. The first is a map showing the regular routes, including the N3 route between Nyon and Yvoire. The second is the schedule that will be in effect since you will be there in mid-September. Note that the runs designated with the letter A are on weekdays, and those with the letter C are on week-ends. The third attachment shows the round-trip fares that are in effect. If you are interested in being on the Savoie steamer (photo attached) coming back to Nyon, note that it departs Yvoire at 16h45 (4:45 PM).
If, on the other hand, you meant a town/village in the French part of Switzerland, I would be happy to give you a few suggestions, especially if you are going to be there on the week-end of September 28-30.
Hi Jo! You can find more information on Lake Geneva boat cruises here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/boatlakegeneva.
Hello again,
Although the three documents I attached in my last post to this thread are in French, I should add that much of the CGN website is in German, French, and English, including the part about the Belle Époque Fleet. If you get a chance to ride on one of these beautiful ships and if you admire machinery, check out this video which shows the engine room of the Montreux, which is a contemporary of the Savoie: youtu.be/6_wpeTXSRMY
Hi,
I read the Swiss Travel Pass validity area that boat ride from Lausanne to Evian is free with STP. I suppose it means for return ride from Evian in France to Lausanne in Switzerland too?
With STP, are Lausanne-Thonon and Nyon-Yvoire boat rides free as well?
Thank you.
From May
Yes, all cruises by CGN on Lake Geneva (https://www.myswissalp s.com/boatlakegeneva) are covered by the Swiss Travel Pass’ even though the validity map doesn’t show all routes possible: https://www.myswissalp s.com/swisstravelpass/ validity
Hello again Jo,
Depending on where you are in Switzerland, you might also consider visiting some of the villages to the north of Basel in the Alsace region of France. Many of the places down the Rhein valley have names ending in -heim, a reflection of when this area was part of Germany. Mid-September will be the time of the vendanges in the many vinyards in this valley. There is what is called the Alsace Wine Route, extending all the way from Mulhouse north by Colmar all the way to Strasbourg. Don’t get me wrong about Yvoire, as I have been recommending it for quite a while, but I thought I should be fair to the Alsace region as well. I’ve driven the length of it, in September by the way, and it is truly wonderful, but it certainly takes more than a day trip to properly see it all. Another consideration, none of this travel is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass. I have met tourists who come from Québec, Canada with their bicycles and spend two weeks cycling along this route.
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