8 best day trips from Geneva

Day trips compared

The day trips

60 km · About 40 minutes by train

1.Lausanne

A steep lakeside city with a Gothic cathedral whose night watchman still calls out the hours, the Olympic Museum in a lakeside park at Ouchy, and a lively old town connected by a small metro.

Getting there

Train from Cornavin station

Best for

Culture, Families, Couples

90 km · About 1 hour 10 minutes by train

2.Montreux and Chillon Castle

Montreux's flower-lined promenade, with its statue of Freddie Mercury, leads to the medieval Chillon Castle on a rock in the lake, made famous by Lord Byron's poem. The Montreux Jazz Festival usually takes place in early July.

Getting there

Train from Cornavin station

Best for

First-timers, Couples, Families

70 km · About 50 minutes by train

3.Lavaux vineyards

UNESCO-listed terraced vineyards rise steeply above the lake between Lausanne and Montreux. Marked walking paths link wine villages where cellars pour Chasselas by the glass.

Getting there

Train to Lutry, Cully or Chexbres

Best for

Couples, Food lovers, Quiet stays

40 km · About 1 hour by bus

4.Annecy

Across the French border, Annecy's old town has canals, flower-hung bridges and the island prison of the Palais de l'Isle, beside a clear Alpine lake popular for swimming and cycling.

Getting there

Coach from Geneva or the Léman Express with a change

Best for

Couples, Families, First-timers

85 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by bus

5.Chamonix

The French mountain town at the foot of Mont Blanc is the base for the Aiguille du Midi cable car to about 3,800 metres and the rack railway to the Mer de Glace glacier. It is a long but spectacular day in clear weather.

Getting there

Coach from Geneva or the airport

Best for

Families, Couples, First-timers

25 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by boat

6.Yvoire

A small medieval village on the French shore of the lake, with stone houses covered in flowers, a castle and the Garden of the Five Senses. Arriving by boat is part of the experience.

Getting there

CGN lake boat in the warmer months, or car

Best for

Couples, Families, Quiet stays

140 km · About 2 hours by train

7.Gruyères

A hilltop medieval town with a castle, the HR Giger Museum and a show dairy where Gruyère cheese is made, set below the pre-Alps. Combine it with fondue and a visit to the nearby Cailler chocolate factory at Broc.

Getting there

Train via Lausanne or Palézieux and Bulle

Best for

Families, Food lovers, Culture

10 km · About 45 minutes by bus and cable car

8.Mont Salève

Geneva's 'balcony', just across the French border, is reached by a cable car to about 1,100 metres. The ridge looks over the whole city, the lake and the Jura, with Mont Blanc behind, and has walking trails and a popular paragliding launch.

Getting there

Bus 8 to Veyrier-Douane, walk across the border, then the cable car

Best for

Families, Couples, Budget

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buses cover the rest of the city and the airport, and run to the French border for the Salève cable car.
• The Léman Express links Cornavin and Eaux-Vives with the French side of the region, and Swiss trains reach Lausanne in about 40 minutes.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask