We (Me,Wife,9 yr daughter, Father and wife) will be going to Lausanne in July (July 5-12 to be exact). My questions are many but will try to keep short.
1. What is the weather like at that time of the year?
2. What is the best way to get from Geneva Airport to Laussanne? (With 5 people plus luggage!)
3.Where are the absolute must sees?
4.What is the best method to get around? Rent a Car, Train or other???

Before you answer let me tell you a little about us. We are not world travelers by any means. But we are looking to change this. This is our first trip out of the US.

Any help and guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance....Lance

Hi Lance, welcome to ST.

quote:

Originally posted by RawShow:
1. What is the weather like at that time of the year?
2. What is the best way to get from Geneva Airport to Laussanne? (With 5 people plus luggage!)
3.Where are the absolute must sees?
4.What is the best method to get around? Rent a Car, Train or other???

1. Weather can be hot and very humid. On the other hand, if you go up to the snow-capped peak (les Rochers de Naye) above Montreux, it is very cold up there although the funicular ride is relatively short.
2. Switzerland has excellent trains, esp around Lake Lémans. (The view!) It is very easy to take the train from Geneva airport to Lausanne. I asumme you are staying in a hotel or rental within Lausanne. If you stay far from town, goes without saying you need a car.
3. Slow travellers tend not to think in "must see" terms. Here is my hopelessly subjective list:
- The Red Cross museum in Geneva.
- The old town of Geneva offers a nice walk too.
- YHop on hop off the ferry around the lake.
- A perch lunch in the lovely French village of Nernier (on the other side of the lake reachable by boat). Nernier is charming like its neighbor Yvoire without being overrun.
- the lovely town of Vevey where C.Chaplin lived, between Lausanne and Montreux, again reachable by train. The train ride is a dream: on with views of vineyards cascading down the lake.
- the old-fashioned resort of Montreux. Have tea at Montreux palace. Nabokov lived in a suite there until his death.
- from Montreux, take the - very expensive but worth it - old steam engine train up the mountain to Les Rochers de Naye.
- The beautiful French Alpine town Annecy is about 1-hour bus away.
- Am no fan of Montblanc, way too many faux-old new chalets.
4.All the suggestions above can be done by train plus boat. As I mentioned above, if you stay inside Lausanne, there are many places you can visit by train and you don't really need a car.
A car may be fun for a day to go north to Jungfrau. Again, the ride is breathtaking.

Bon voyage.

This is a Business/vacation. One of the companies we work with is putting us up at the Beau-Rivage in lausanne. So from the sounds of it the trains are the way to go.

Also it sounds like if i stay in the towns it will be warm but take a jacket/coat for the mountains.

Thanks, Americana

anyone else....

The Beau Rivage? That is one of the top hotels, not of Lausanne, but of the world.
I only know the Beau Rivage of Geneva. The Swiss - and the Thais - know how to run hotels. You'll have a great stay.