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Day trips from Geneva: 8 epic adventures

Some day trips repay the early train. Plenty don't. These 8 day trips from Geneva are the ones that earn the hours, and each comes with an honest note on what you're really getting.

Book a TripAnnecy★ Tip: Skip the lake cruise: rent a paddleboard or e-bike at Plage d'Albigny instead and head south toward Talloires. The water is genuinely drinkable. Bring a swimsuit even if you don't think you'll swim. Directions
Book a TripChamonix★ Tip: Book the Aiguille du Midi cable car FIRST THING in the morning online: it sells out by 10am in summer and the afternoon clouds wreck the view. Bring a warm jacket even in July (it's −5°C at the top). Directions
Book a TripMontreux★ Tip: Skip the train for the final leg: take the public bus 201 (CHF 3) or even better, the CGN paddle steamer from Montreux to Chillon (it leaves you at the castle gate). Visit the castle around 4pm when the tour buses leave; you'll… Directions
Book a TripGlacier 3000★ Tip: Take the Alpine Coaster down for CHF 9: it's the longest bobsled-on-rails in the world (1km) and it's hilarious. Visibility tanks if there's any cloud, so check the live webcam from the Col du Pillon base station before driving… Directions
Book a TripGruyeres★ Tip: Eat fondue at Chalet de Gruyères on the main square, NOT at the touristy spots near the castle gate. The Maison du Gruyère ticket (CHF 7) gets you a free 200g cheese sample: a steal. Go off-season; summer weekends are packed by… Directions
Book a TripLausanne★ Tip: Take the M2 metro from the lakefront straight to the top: it climbs 370 vertical meters in 6 minutes (Europe's steepest urban metro). Skip the Olympic Museum if you only have a few hours; Lausanne Cathedral + Old Town + lunch in… Directions
Book a TripVevey★ Tip: Vevey + Montreux are 10 min apart by train (CHF 3.40): do Chillon Castle + Vevey lakefront + Chaplin's World as one 8-hour outing from Geneva. The Saturday morning market on Place du Marché is one of Switzerland's best (cheese… Directions
Book a TripZermatt★ Tip: This is a stretch as a day trip: 3h30 each way by train. If you're going, leave Geneva by 6am and book the Gornergrat ticket in advance. Or better: stay one night in Zermatt and do it properly. The train fare alone is CHF 90… Directions

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