Montreux
Montreux travel guide
Château de Chillon, jazz in July and cogwheel trains above Lake Geneva
A Belle Époque resort on the Lake Geneva shore, with the Château de Chillon a lakeside walk away and mountain railways leaving from the station. Visit from May to September, and in early July for the Jazz Festival. Two days suits most people, three with a GoldenPass trip. Prices are very high, and Schengen rules apply.
Montreux curves along the north-eastern shore of Lake Geneva in the canton of Vaud, backed so closely by the Alps that its streets climb in terraces from the water. A town of about 27,000, it is the centre of the Vaud Riviera, and people come for the lakeside promenade, the Château de Chillon and, every July, the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Tourism here is old. The mild climate drew wealthy visitors from the 19th century onwards, and the grand Belle Époque hotels they built still line the shore between Clarens and Territet. Palm trees grow on the quays, which tells you most of what you need about the sheltered microclimate.
Lord Byron put the castle on the literary map with The Prisoner of Chillon, and Freddie Mercury, who recorded with Queen at the Mountain Studios in the Casino, now stands in bronze on the Quai de la Rouvenaz looking out over the water.
The other draw is the railway. Montreux station is a mountain hub: the narrow-gauge MOB line climbs towards Gstaad and the Bernese Oberland on the GoldenPass route, and a cogwheel train grinds up to the Rochers-de-Naye at about 2,000 metres. A day or two in town and a day in the mountains is the classic shape of a visit.
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A lake promenade with a medieval castle at one end, a famous music festival and mountain railways climbing straight out of town.
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Best time to visit Montreux
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs from 18C in May to 25C in July bring out the quays and steamers, though June and August are the wettest months at over 150mm each, mostly in afternoon storms.
The Jazz Festival fills hotels for about two weeks; come just before or after for the same weather at calmer prices.
Highs of 5 to 9C, rarely snow on the shore, and the Christmas market along the quays in December.
The Montreux Jazz Festival runs for about two weeks in the first half of July; book rooms months ahead or stay in Vevey or Lausanne and ride the train in.
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Getting there
Simplon line trains from Geneva airport
Most visitors fly into Geneva Airport and take the train. The airport station sits one floor below the shopping arcade beside arrivals, and direct trains along the Simplon line reach Montreux in a little over an hour, with others changing in Lausanne. By road the drive from Geneva takes a little over an hour on the A9. Montreux Gare, on the Avenue des Alpes above the town centre, also has direct trains from Lausanne, Visp and Brig, so it is easy to reach from Valais and Italy via the Simplon. Lake steamers of the CGN call at the Montreux pier in season from Lausanne-Ouchy and Vevey, a slow but scenic way to arrive.
- Train from Geneva Airport
- About 1 hour 10 minutes, direct or via Lausanne
- Lausanne
- About 20 minutes by regional or intercity train
- CGN steamers
- Seasonal boats from Lausanne-Ouchy and Vevey to the Montreux pier
- From the station, steps and lifts drop down to the Grand-Rue and the quays; heavy luggage is easier by taxi.
Where to stay
Quays, Clarens or Territet
Montreux is a long strip of shoreline, and where you sleep decides how much you walk. Lakefront rooms cost the most, especially in July.
- Central quays
- Next to the market hall, Freddie Mercury statue and festival venues; noisiest in July
- Avenue des Alpes
- Hotels across from the station with lake views from upper floors, quick for day trips
- Clarens
- Quieter western end with Belle Époque villas, a pleasant walk along the promenade
- Territet
- East towards Chillon, base of the Glion funicular, calm in the evenings
Getting around
MOB panoramic trains and the Chillon promenade
The town itself is walkable along the flat lakeside promenade, which runs from Clarens through the centre to Territet and on to Chillon in about 45 minutes. Local VMCV trolleybuses run the same shore road. Uphill, the transport becomes a sightseeing trip in itself: the MOB narrow-gauge line leaves from platforms 5 and 6 of Montreux station for Les Avants, Château-d'Oex and Gstaad, with panoramic coaches on some services, and the cogwheel railway climbs via Glion to the Rochers-de-Naye. A funicular links Territet with Glion.
- Lakeside promenade
- Centre to Château de Chillon in about 45 minutes on foot
- Train to Chillon
- A few minutes to Veytaux-Chillon station
- MOB / GoldenPass
- Platforms 5 and 6 towards Gstaad and Zweisimmen
- Rochers-de-Naye railway
- Cogwheel line via Glion; last trains down leave in the late afternoon or early evening
- Hotel guests receive the Montreux Riviera Card, which gives free local buses and reductions on several attractions; ask at check-in.
- The last Rochers-de-Naye trains run early and stop sooner in bad weather.
Know before you go
What makes Montreux worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Chillon from the water's edge, reached on foot along the promenade rather than by road.
- The cogwheel ride to the Rochers-de-Naye, with the lake and Alps spread below the summit.
- Free stages at the Jazz Festival, where the lakeside crowd is half the show.
- A panoramic MOB carriage rolling through meadows towards Gstaad.
Good to know
- July means festival prices; rooms vanish months ahead.
- Mountain trains stop early, so plan the descent from the Rochers-de-Naye by late afternoon.
- The town climbs steeply from the lake to the station and beyond; wear good shoes.
- Evening dining is limited outside the summer season, so book on winter weekends.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Montreux, month by month
Montreux's July averages 25°C by the lake, and January sits at 5°C by day. August brings the most rain, about 158 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Montreux-Clarens (MeteoSwiss, via Wikipedia).
Chillon, the Queen studio and the Rochers-de-Naye over two days
Two days cover Montreux. On the first, walk the lakeside promenade to the Château de Chillon and see the Queen studio in the Casino. On the second, ride the cogwheel up to the Rochers-de-Naye and take the MOB line into the hills towards Les Avants or Gstaad.
Day one, morning. Start at the Quai de la Rouvenaz by the Freddie Mercury statue, then walk east along the flower beds of the promenade through Territet to the Château de Chillon, roughly 45 minutes. Give the castle two hours: the dungeon where François Bonivard was held, and where Byron's name is carved into a pillar, is the highlight.
Afternoon. Ride a train back from Veytaux-Chillon and visit Queen: The Studio Experience in the Casino, where the band recorded. Then take a CGN paddle steamer west past Vevey for the view of the Lavaux terraces from the water.
Evening. Drink on the terrace of a lakefront hotel as the light drops behind the French shore.
Day two. Catch the cogwheel train from Montreux up through Glion to the Rochers-de-Naye at about 2,000 metres for the panorama over the lake and the Alps. Back down by midday, board an MOB train from platform 5 or 6 for Les Avants or, with more time, Château-d'Oex and Gstaad, choosing a panoramic coach for the big windows. Return for a final walk west along the quays to Clarens and its villas.
Perch fillets, L'Etivaz cheese and Lavaux Chasselas
Montreux eats from the lake, the vineyards and the alpine pastures above it: perch fillets in butter, L'Etivaz cheese from the Pays-d'Enhaut and Chasselas from the Lavaux terraces just west of town. Cheaper pizzerias gather around the Grand-Rue, while lakefront terraces charge for the view.
From the water comes filets de perche, perch fillets pan-fried in butter and served with chips, on menus all along the Riviera. From the mountains comes L'Etivaz, a hard cheese made in summer over wood fires in the alpine huts of the Pays-d'Enhaut, reached on the MOB line; some farms take guests overnight in the high pastures, with dinner and the morning cheesemaking. Vaud's wider kitchen adds papet vaudois, leeks and potatoes stewed with saucisson, and malakoff, fried cheese fritters.
The wine is Chasselas from the Lavaux terraces just west of town, a UNESCO-listed landscape of stone-walled vineyards between Vevey and Lausanne. Many villages open their cellars on weekends in summer.
For everyday meals, the Forum shopping centre near the Place du Marché has supermarkets, and the covered market hall on the quay hosts a Friday market. Cheaper pizzerias and cafés gather around the Grand-Rue, while the hotel terraces facing the lake charge for the view.
Jazz on the quays and winter on the Riviera
Come in July for the Montreux Jazz Festival or in December for Montreux Noël. Sheltered from northern winds, the town stays warmer than most of Switzerland. July highs average around 25C with lows near 15C; January reaches about 5C. Rain is heavy in early summer, with June and August each topping 150mm, often in short, loud storms.
July is the town's big month. The Montreux Jazz Festival runs for about two weeks in the first half of July, with ticketed concerts in the Auditorium Stravinski and smaller halls and free stages, bars and food stands along the lakefront. The whole shoreline becomes part of it, and hotels sell out well ahead.
December brings Montreux Noël, a Christmas market spread along the quays, with extra trains running up the mountain towards the Rochers-de-Naye.
Day trips work in every season. Vevey is a few minutes west by train, and the Lavaux vineyards beyond are best walked between Saint-Saphorin and Cully. Lausanne is about 20 minutes away, Geneva about an hour, and the GoldenPass line carries on past Gstaad towards Interlaken and Lucerne for a full scenic day.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Montreux.
Getting there
About 45 minutes on foot along the lakeside promenade, or a few minutes by train to Veytaux-Chillon station.
Take a train from the airport station below the arrivals hall; direct trains take a little over an hour, others change at Lausanne.
On a clear day, yes: the cogwheel line climbs to about 2,000 metres with views over the whole lake. Check the weather first and look up the last train down in the timetable, as it leaves early.
General
Every year for about two weeks in the first half of July, with concerts in the Montreux Music & Convention Centre and free events along the quays.
On the Quai de la Rouvenaz by the lake, close to the market hall in the town centre.
A narrow-gauge railway from Montreux station towards Gstaad and Zweisimmen, with panoramic carriages on some trains and onward connections towards Interlaken and Lucerne.
Yes, CGN Belle Époque steamers stop at the Montreux pier in season, with routes towards Vevey, Lausanne and the French shore.
Very much so. Trains, boats, mountain railways and trolleybuses reach almost everything, and the main sights sit along a flat promenade.
The town itself is walkable along the flat lakeside promenade, which runs from Clarens through the centre to Territet and on to Chillon in about 45 minutes. Local VMCV trolleybuses run the same shore road. Uphill, the transport becomes a sightseeing trip in itself: the MOB narrow-gauge line leaves from platforms 5 and 6 of Montreux station for Les Avants, Château-d'Oex and Gstaad, with panoramic coaches on some services, and the cogwheel railway climbs via Glion to the Rochers-de-Naye.
What's included
Guests staying in local hotels get it free; it covers local public transport and gives reductions on several sights.
Booking
Two days covers Chillon, the promenade and the Rochers-de-Naye; add a third for Lavaux or a full GoldenPass ride.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Montreux is May to Sep. Highs of 18 to 25C, paddle steamers running and the Rochers-de-Naye open.
- Lake and mountain season: May - September (Highs from 18C in May to 25C in July bring out the quays and steamers, though June and August are the wettest months at over 150mm each, mostly in afternoon storms)
- Festival fortnight: First half of July (The Jazz Festival fills hotels for about two weeks; come just before or after for the same weather at calmer prices)
- Winter Riviera: November - February (Highs of 5 to 9C, rarely snow on the shore, and the Christmas market along the quays in December)
July is the warmest month in Montreux, with average highs of 25°C, and January the coolest, with lows of -1°C. August is the wettest month, at about 158 mm of rain; February is the driest. Montreux's July averages 25°C by the lake, and January sits at 5°C by day.
Visa & documents
Switzerland is not in the EU but is part of the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180; others need a Schengen visa.
Health & safety
Mountain hazards are the main risk in Switzerland, where crime is very low. Check weather and avalanche bulletins, stay on marked trails, carry insurance that covers mountain rescue and call 112 for any emergency.
