Lake Geneva bike tour and boat cruise
The best way to discover Lake Geneva Switzerland and the Lavaux vineyards in one day - with a Lausanne to Montreux cruise and return by bike!
Cycling through the Lavaux vineyards from Montreux to Lausanne - source: Winekeller
Lake Geneva Switzerland, also known as ‘Lac Léman’, is known for its spectacular scenery and the most famous section of the lake to explore is between the cities of Lausanne and Montreux on its north shore, where the historic UNESCO world heritage Site Lavaux vineyards are located.
Having discovered a small part of this amazing wine region on foot by joining a Lavaux vineyards walk (read all about it here), we were keen to explore more of this section of Lake Geneva and to also experience a Lake Geneva boat cruise, so we planned the perfect day: a Lausanne to Montreux cruise and then returning to Lausanne by bike on the lake shore and through the Lavaux vineyards and villages.
Read on to see what we experienced!
Discover the UNESCO Lavaux vineyards by boat and bike - source: Winekeller
Lausanne to Montreux Cruise
The beautiful city of Lausanne is built on 3 hills and each hill looks down to Lake Geneva and the Ouchy district which stretches out along the shore of the lake. This is a vibrant area with bars and restaurants and some lovely green parks and lakeside quays.
Ouchy is also the embarkation point for joining a Lake Geneva cruise or for simply catching the boat to another destination around the lake.
CGN Lake Geneva cruises
CGN cruises operate several departures a day from Lausanne - depending on the seasonal timetable - to key locations around Lake Geneva. In fact you can access some 40 Swiss and French ports around the lake from Lausanne. See here for the timetable and prices.
CGN cruises on Lake Geneva - source: Winekeller
Note:
If you have purchased a Lausanne City Pass you are eligible to receive a 20% discount on the published fares and travelling on the CGN boats is also covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
You can purchase a 1st or 2nd class ticket - 1st class entitles you to use the dining room and an upstairs lounge
You can purchase a ticket for a specific route or a day ticket
If you are taking your bike on the boat you will need to pay extra.
Lausanne to Montreux distance
The distance from Lausanne to Montreux is 30kms by road and the journey time on the boat is about 1.5 hours.
We boarded the boat at 10.20am in Lausanne, stowed our bikes and settled down for a relaxing lake cruise in the direction of St.Gingolph, with 8 stops along the lake shore ahead of us until we reached world-famous Montreux.
There were refreshments on board and we found that the journey time from Lausanne to Montreux passed quickly with such stunning scenery to enjoy. On the one side you have spectacular views of the majestic Alps and on the other the steep slopes of the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux vineyards - the jewel of the Swiss Vaud wine region.
We can really recommend viewing these world-renowned vineyards from the lake by boat as you get a completely different view and perspective of the steepness of the slopes and the famous vineyard terraces, marked by a myriad of dry stone walls, dating back nearly 1000 years in history.
During our cruise we passed by all 6 of the Lavaux sites: Lutry, Villette, Epesses, Saint Saphorin, Thistle and Vevey-Montreux as well as the 2 world-class Grand Cru AOCs: Calamin Grand Cru AOC - a 16 hectares plot in the village of Epesses, which produces some of Switzerland’s finest wines and Dézaley Grand Cru AOC - a 54 hectares plot at the heart of the Lavaux wine region, known for its incredibly steep slopes.
For more information about the Lavaux vineyards and Lavaux wines see here.
Exploring Montreux
Disembarking in Montreux, known as the ‘pearl of Lake Geneva’, famous for its iconic Montreux Jazz Festival, we decided to soak up the atmosphere by strolling along the fashionable lakeside promenade. For some 13kms you can walk/cycle along the palm tree-lined lake ‘quays’ around Montreux and enjoy stunning views to the Alps, as well as the many exotic flowers, ‘Belle Époque’ hotels and sculptures along the promenade.
Views from the Montreux promenade (Winekeller)
Château Crillon, Montreux (Winekeller)
A key draw on the lakeside promenade is the statue of Freddie Mercury, who performed at the jazz festival and who lived in Montreux. Music lovers flock here to walk in the footsteps of the many music artists who have performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and experience Montreux for themselves, forever immortalised in the Deep Purple song, ‘Smoke on the Water’ with its lyrics, ‘We all came out to Montreux, on the Lake Geneva shoreline…’
Before starting our return cycle ride to Lausanne, we cycled along the promenade, past the Montreux casino (which replaced the original casino, burned down in 1971 and the inspiration for the above-mentioned ‘Smoke on the Water’ Deep Purple song, towards the beautiful Château de Chillon. Located on a rocky island on the lake, just outside Montreux this beautiful château is the most visited historic building in Switzerland and for nearly 4 centuries was the residence of the Counts of Savoy.
You can also visit the old town of Montreux, which is located about 15 minutes walk from the lake shore.
Montreux-Lausanne - Lake Geneva bike tour
If you’re a keen cyclist, there are lots of great bike routes around Lake Geneva and you can cycle the whole way round - approximately 200kms - via route 46. It’s a very popular and scenic cycle route.
Our route from Montreux to Lausanne was 30kms, a good distance, but achievable if you have an ebike.
Ebike hire Lausanne
We had our own ebikes with us but friends hired bikes from Bicy in the centre of Lausanne. The bikes were very good quality and (at the time of writing) the cost was CHF 30 for a half-day and CHF 55 for a full day.
Route 46 around Lake Geneva
Cycling around the lake to Vevey
Leaving Montreux behind, the cycle journey back to Lausanne was made up of 2 halves, the first half along the shores of Lake Geneva and the second half through the Lavaux vineyards. Having these 2 contrasts made the ride all the more enjoyable and rewarding, but the constant factor was always beautiful Lake Geneva and the mountain views.
We stayed on the lakeside path until the charming Lake Geneva town of Vevey, where we headed up into the steep Lavaux vineyards for the next section of our cycle ride.
We were mostly on cycle paths, but there are some sections where you have to cycle on the roads - which can be busy - and the cycle routes could have been more obvious and visible - however route 46 is well signed.
Cycling through the vineyards was an incredible experience and we stopped frequently to enjoy and photograph the jaw-dropping panoramic views! The Lavaux vineyards are very steep in places and we were grateful on a number of occasions for having ebikes! Some of the hills are incredibly challenging - but the views at the end of each climb were well worth the effort. The most challenging section by far is navigating the famous Dézaley Grand Cru site - the steepest section of the Lavaux vineyard with its up to 100% south/south-west facing slopes. This is also the oldest section of the Lavaux vineyard where Cistercian monks first built the dry-stone wall terraces and planted vines back in the 12th century.
We also enjoyed learning about the Lavaux vineyards, the history, the culture and the people, with well-placed information boards positioned along our route.
The last few kilometres of our cycle route led us out of the vineyards and towards Lausanne and the Ouchy district at the lakeside. Our reward for completing this bike ride - which although arduous in places - was incredibly enjoyable and beautiful, was a large ice cream, sitting at the lake shore. A fitting end to a fabulous day and an experience we can highly recommend!
What an incredible experience cruising on and cycling round Lake Geneva!
Exploring Lausanne
Just 10 minutes away from the historic Lavaux vineyards, we recommend you stay in the beautiful Olympic City Lausanne and take the opportunity to explore this great city.
Where to stay in Lausanne
Lausanne offers a broad range of accommodation options and there are some beautiful world-class hotels including the Hotel Royal Savoy and the Beau Rivage Palace. We stayed in the Carlton Lausanne Boutique Hotel which was perfectly located between the Ouchy district Lake Geneva, the old town La Cité, the urban Flon district and Lausanne rail station. It was also located directly next to a Metro station which was really handy.
Things to do in Lausanne
We were fortunate to be introduced to Lausanne by our Walk & Wine professional guide, Laika - here are some of our highlights!
Laika started the tour by taking us on the metro to The Flon, the beating heart of the modern, vibrant city. From here we walked up to Palud Square, the sight of the twice weekly market and home to the town’s oldest fountain and then onto La Cité on the hill where you can enjoy incredible views across Lausanne and on to Lake Geneva.
At the heart of La Cité is the magnificent gothic Cathedral of Lausanne which has towered over the city for more than 8 centuries and is really worth visiting, for its stunning architecture and fascinating symbols.
We then headed to the city’s world-famous Olympic Museum, with its permanent and temporary exhibitions dedicated to the Olympic Games - this is a must-visit attraction and is located close to Lake Geneva with access to the busy, thriving waterfront (note this is also a fab place for brunch or lunch with its gourmet menu and rooftop terrace with probably the best panoramic views in Lausanne!)
The Ouchy district is made up of several lovely parks and lakeside quays - a great spot for enjoying a meal, drink or ice cream and a lakeside stroll.This is also where you embark from for a Lake Geneva boat cruise - something else we highly recommend!
Eating and drinking in Lausanne
There are endless opportunities to enjoy a unique culinary experience in Lausanne, whatever the time of day. See here for inspiration!
We particularly enjoyed the Lacustre bar and restaurant in Ouchy, with great views over Lake Geneva and excellent pizzas; Le Barbare - a Lausanne institution located at the foot of the steps up to the cathedral, where we can especially recommend the ‘Marta hot chocolate’; Le Vieil Ouchy on the shores of Lake Geneva, a great restaurant for traditional Swiss dishes, with a friendly, convivial atmosphere.
Planning your trip to Lausanne
We highly recommend visiting the official Lausanne Tourism website to help plan your visit, including how best to get around in Lausanne including the Lausanne Transport Card and ideas of what to see and do.
For everything you need to know about visiting Lausanne see here and make sure you check out the tourism office when you arrive in the city!
Conclusion and personal highlights
This was one of the most wonderful experiences - being able to appreciate the natural beauty of both Lake Geneva and the Lavaux vineyards - from a boat on the lake itself and a bike cycling around its shores and across its steep slopes. If you get the chance to do this yourself - please do it!!
