Things to do in Montreux and the Vaud Riviera

Things to do

1. Chillon Castle

   A castle on a rock in the lake, and Byron’s name carved on a pillar in the dungeon. On Wikipedia (in French)

   Culture and historyMonument2 hr≈ €15best in the morning

2. The Lavaux terraces

   Eight hundred hectares of stepped vineyards above Lake Geneva, and a chasselas in the wine cellar. On Wikipedia (in French)

   FoodViewpoint4 hr≈ €20takes the whole day

3. The Rochers-de-Naye

   A cogwheel railway up to 2,042 meters, marmots and the whole lake. On Wikipedia (in French)

   Nature and sceneryViewpoint4 hr≈ €70takes the whole day

4. Chaplin’s World in Vevey

   The house where Charlie Chaplin lived for twenty-five years, and his film sets next door. On Wikipedia (in French)

   Culture and historyMuseum3 hr≈ €32best in the afternoon

5. The quays and Freddie Mercury

   A flower-lined promenade to the singer’s statue; he recorded here with Queen. On Wikipedia (in French)

   RelaxationMonument1 hr 30 minFreebest in the evening

When to go

The most pleasant months in Montreux and the Vaud Riviera: from May to September, taking weather and crowds into account.

More ideas for those months: where to go in May, where to go in June, where to go in July, where to go in August, where to go in September.

Averages measured over recent years: mean temperatures and number of rainy days, month by month.

What budget on the ground?

Per person and per day, including accommodation, meals, local transport and visits — excluding the round trip. An estimate calculated the same way as in the app, from the local cost of living.

Budget

€110

Mid-range

€210

Comfort

€390

Getting there from Paris: the carbon footprint

Per person, round trip, in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent — manufacturing, energy and, for flights, contrails included.

Train

36 kg

Bus

41 kg

Plane

200 kg

By train rather than by plane: 160 kg less CO₂e per person (6 times less).

Factors from ADEME (Impact CO₂); outside France, rail uses the European average published by the European Environment Agency.

Book on the ground

Tours and tickets

• Go City Multi-attraction passes for big cities
• Klook Tours, tickets and excursions
• Tiqets Museums and monuments, skip-the-line tickets
• WeGoTrip Self-paced audio tours

Internet on site (eSIM)

• Airalo Data eSIM, by country or region
• Drimsim SIM card that works in almost every country
• Saily Data eSIM
• Yesim Data eSIM

From the airport

• GetTransfer Drivers make an offer for your ride
• Intui Private transfers at a fixed price
• Kiwitaxi Booked transfers, from taxi to minibus
• Welcome Pickups Driver waiting on arrival, price fixed in advance

Rent a car

• Auto Europe Rental comparison
• EconomyBookings Rental comparison
• GetRentacar Cars from rental companies and private owners
• Localrent Local rental companies, often no credit card needed

Partner links: if you book through them, Tripora may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you and without changing the order of these lists, which is alphabetical.

Good to know: Switzerland

Plugs

Type C, J, 230 V

Emergencies

112, 117 (police), 144 (ambulance), 118 (fire)

Driving

On the right

Near Montreux and the Vaud Riviera

• Chamonix and Mont Blanc France, 57 km
• Geneva Switzerland, 64 km
• Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland Switzerland, 78 km
• Zermatt Switzerland, 79 km
• Annecy France, 84 km
• Lucerne Switzerland, 130 km

Elsewhere in Switzerland

• Basel
• Geneva
• Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland
• Lucerne
• Lugano
• St. Moritz and the Engadin
• Zermatt
• Zurich