Montreux, Gruyeres and Chocolate Train in 2 Days
🤩 My reflection
Montreux is super small compared to Geneva or Lausanne, but I still loved it. Maybe I even loved it the most. The lake has a more romantic charm from this side, or maybe it was simply because we could swim in it, chill by the promenade and enjoy the view from our balcony. Whatever the reason, my memories of Montreux are definitely more positive. It also has an interesting connection to Freddie Mercury, as Queen owned Mountain Studios here and Freddie spent part of his later years in Montreux. We complemented our Montreux visit with the Chocolate Train, which was a nice but expensive way to visit Gruyères village, the cheese factory and Maison Cailler all in one day. And honestly, I really enjoyed it.
✍🏻 Itinerary
Day 1: Montreux
Lakeside Promenade - A pedestrian walkway along Lake Geneva lined with flowers, sculptures, and views of the Alps.
Marché couvert de Montreux – historic lakeside covered market hall used for markets, events, and exhibitions.
Freddie Mercury Statue - A bronze statue on the Montreux lakeside commemorating Freddie Mercury, who recorded several albums with Queen at the Mountain Studios in Montreux.
Queen Experience - An exhibition space located in the Montreux Casino dedicated to the band Queen and their time in Montreux.
Château de Chillon - A medieval castle located on a small island on Lake Geneva near Montreux.
Walk from Château de Chillon to the lakefront of Montreux - A scenic lakeside walking route connecting the castle area to central Montreux.
Old town and cathedral - Montreux’s historic district featuring traditional buildings and the main parish church.
Day 2: The Chocolate Train
Here is the itinerary of the day -
Departure from Montreux with the MOB Chocolate Train
Scenic Belle Époque train journey through the Swiss countryside to Montbovon - The train was so nice that we took thousands of photos! They also gave us a free hot drink and a pain au chocolat on the way.
Transfer by bus to the Maison du Gruyère cheese factory - Only the beginning of the day is by train, and the rest of the journey continues by bus.
Visit and tasting at the cheese factory - This was quite basic, and honestly, we weren’t very impressed by the tour.
Free time to explore the medieval village of Gruyères - It’s a cute little village with one main centre and a castle. Gruyères is famous for its cheese, which is commonly used in fondue. We had ours at Le Chalet.
Bus transfer to the Maison Cailler chocolate factory
Self-guided tour and chocolate tasting at the factory - This was super, super nice! They explained how chocolate is made and introduced all the ingredients, followed by an extensive tasting.
Return journey to Montreux by bus
Price: CHF 89 per person (without discount cards)
Bonus: GoldenPass Express Train to Interlaken
Once you’re done in Montreux and want to continue into the Swiss mountains, the GoldenPass Express is a nice option to make the journey part of the experience. It runs directly from Montreux to Interlaken, so you can enjoy some scenic views along the way without changing trains. We have mixed feelings about it though. Some parts were indeed super nice, but a lot of the journey was simply fields, greenery and trees. You can get similar scenery on other trains as well, so I wouldn’t say the GoldenPass Express is a must-do solely for the views. But if you’re already travelling from Montreux to Interlaken, it’s still a nice way to make the journey more enjoyable.
📢 Essential tips
What's the best time to visit Montreux?
I think May to September is the best time to visit for comfortable weather to walk around and explore the city. We visited at the end of May and the weather was perfect.
How to get around in Montreux?
It’s really small, so you can easily walk pretty much anywhere. But if you don’t feel like walking, there are buses. If you’re staying at a participating hotel, you can also get the Montreux Riviera Card, which gives you free public transport during your stay.
How many days do I need in Montreux?
1 day is more than enough. It’s incredibly small, so you’ll potentially have some extra time left to just chill.
How many days do I need in Gruyères?
Around 3–4 hours is enough to walk around the village, visit the castle and have lunch. It’s even smaller than Montreux, so it’s basically a village.
What is the currency in Switzerland?
The currency is Swiss Franc (CHF). Switzerland is not part of the EU, so they don't use the euro. You can pay by card almost everywhere.
Is Switzerland expensive?
Yes! We were thinking we were going to visit Europe from Europe in the end, so it should have been relatively cheaper compared to many other routes. But Switzerland is extremely expensive. One day we paid €10 for one coffee. Okay, it was a barista coffee from whichever country, but still...
Do I need a visa to visit Switzerland?
Switzerland is not part of the European Union, but it is part of the Schengen Area. This means that if you already have a valid Schengen visa, you should be able to use it to enter Switzerland. Always double check your individual case though, as visa requirements can vary depending on your nationality and circumstances.
Where to go next?
The easiest next stop is Interlaken, which you can reach directly by GoldenPass Express in around 3–3.5 hours.
What are the famous train routes in Switzerland?
GoldenPass Express – Runs between Interlaken and Montreux and takes around 3 hours 15 minutes. It passes through the beautiful countryside and is one of the most popular scenic train routes in Switzerland.
GoldenPass Belle Époque – A nostalgic Belle Époque style train running between Montreux and Zweisimmen, taking around 2 hours.
GoldenPass Panoramic – Runs between Montreux and Zweisimmen with large panoramic windows.
Bernina Express – Runs between St. Moritz and Tirano (Italy), taking around 4 hours. It crosses the famous Landwasser Viaduct and Bernina Pass and is one of the most scenic train journeys in Switzerland.
Glacier Express – Runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz and takes around 8 hours. It crosses the Swiss Alps and is often called one of the most famous scenic train journeys in the world.
🔗 All travel links
Accommodation:
Hotel Eden Palace au Lac - Love love love this hotel! Our room had a great balcony overlooking the lake, which was perfect for a little dine and wine moment with the view. - You can book here
Travel Discount Cards:
If you’re taking lots of trains (like InterCity or GoldenPass Express) and booking several attractions (like the Chocolate Train, Jungfraujoch, Harder Kulm and First), it can sometimes be more advantageous to buy a discount card. The cards are not cheap, but considering how expensive these attractions are, they can pay off. We bought the Half Fare Card and paid half price for all the attractions I mentioned. - You can book here
Chocolate Train:
There are also different trains if you're interested, have a look at the same website. - You can book here
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