We are planning a trip July 2013, 1 week in Bavaria and 1 week in Switzerland w/ 2 adults and 2 adult children 20 and 21 y/o. Swiss itinerary...2 nights in Luzern @ Balm Meggen...Train...3 nights Murren @ Hotel Belleview... 2 nights Geneva/Lausanna area..Question; would it make sense to train to Lausanna take ferry across Lake Geneva to Evian in France and Stay @ Hilton FREE w/ Hilton Points getting 2 rooms and use that as our base to travel to Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and other Swiss area, taking ferry back and forth to Evian, or would that not make sense logistically speaking...I would probably purchase a Half Fare card in Switzerland for all transportation. Would that card work going from Evian to Lausanne since ferry originates in France? My brain hurts...Mark
Switzerland: Stay in Geneva/Lausanne or Evian-les-Bains France
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Here's a timetable. I somehow suspect that SOME passes would work given that it is a Swiss company operating the ferries. I know more about the SwissPass working than I do about the half fare card.
Logistically I am not sure yours is the best idea; once you got back over to Ouchy (the port for Lausanne) you'd have to change to another ferry or take a train to get to the other places in Switzerland you mention (getting to the Lausanne train station from Ouchy is easy..you can use the Lausanne "Metro" to do it if you decide to use trains).
I personally like Lausanne and have stayed there several times but I realize it is not a popular destination for people who frequently post here. One person avoids it like the plague because they don't like cities.
You can certainly spend a lot or a little on hotels there.
I'm no help with the logistics, but chiming in to say I *love* that area of Switzerland!! I'd base in Vevey (over Lausanne or Montreux) myself, because it's my favorite of the three. Or second choice Montreux. Vevey/Montreux are significantly smaller than Lausanne and easier to get from the train station to your lodging, etc. Lausanne is a fairly large and somewhat spreadout city.
sorry here's the timetable link:
http://www.cgn.ch/eng
It's really not very practical to stay in Evian. Evian is difficult to get to via public transportation except the ferry, and even the ferry isn't very practical.
You need to get to the ferry, wait for the ferry, 30min ferry ride then you need to get from the ferry port up to the train station. Sure it's all quite seamless but even then you're adding a good 45 mins or more extra each way just to get too an from another destination.
I much prefer Lausanne, second choice would be Vevey. I'm not at a huge fan of Montreux. I don't quite get it's appeal.
Now, speaking of Bavaria: there are two very nice Hilton's in Munich.