# Cerca de Geneva Geneva serves as a base for two countries. By train, an hour away, the terraced vineyards of Lavaux above Lake Geneva and, about three hours away, the Aletsch glacier; by the A40, an hour and a quarter, Chamonix and Mont Blanc, in France. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/ginebra/getaways ## Planes de un día - [The Lavaux terraces on foot, with lunch and a tasting](https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/vaud/lavaux/itineraries/terraces-from-lutry-to-epesses.md) (1 h 1 en coche): Train to Lutry, the terrace trail through the vines to Epesses, lunch at the Auberge du Vigneron and a tasting of three chasselas at the Vinorama in Rivaz. Works on a Sunday. - [Little train, lakeshore and vineyard train in Lavaux](https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/vaud/lavaux/itineraries/with-children-on-the-lavaux-express.md) (1 h 1 en coche): Train to Lutry, the Lavaux Express through the vines, a casual lunch by the water in Cully and the vineyard train from Vevey to Chexbres. Sundays from May to September. - [Chamonix: Aiguille du Midi, the red train and lunch at 1,913 m](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/cable-car-and-mer-de-glace.md) (1 h 15 en coche): Cable car to 3,842 m first thing, the red train to Montenvers, Savoyard lunch in the 1880 refuge and the Mer de Glace ice cave, an hour and a quarter from Geneva. - [Chamonix in winter: snowshoes, fondue and the Brévent](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/snowshoes-and-brevent-in-winter.md) (1 h 15 en coche): A half day of guided snowshoeing in the Bérard valley, fondue and a tart trolley at the Maison Carrier and the Brévent cable car in the afternoon, an hour and a quarter from Geneva. - [The Aletsch forest and the Bettmerhorn, by train from Geneva](https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier/itineraries/riederalp-forest-and-bettmerhorn.md) (2 h 29 en coche): Train to Mörel, the Aletsch forest and Villa Cassel, lunch at the Riederfurka, a walk to Bettmeralp and the glacier from the Bettmerhorn. Works on a Sunday. - [To the edge of the Aletsch through the Tälligrat tunnel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier/itineraries/fiescheralp-and-lake-maerjelen-from-geneva.md) (2 h 55 en coche): Train to Fiesch, cable car to Fiescheralp, the route through the Tälligrat tunnel to Lake Märjelen and the ice, and a late lunch at the Hotel des Alpes. Works on a Sunday. ## The station next to the terminal decides how you leave There are direct flights to Geneva airport (GVA) from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga, Seville, Palma, A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela, and from Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The airport has a railway station next to the terminal, and that decides how you leave the city. To Switzerland you go by train. From Genève to [Lavaux](/en/switzerland/vaud/lavaux) it is about 61 minutes, with a change at Lausanne, and from the airport to Cully, about 70. Towards the [Aletsch glacier](/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier) the train continues along the lake and the Rhône valley to Brig, where you change to the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn regional: about 149 minutes to Mörel and about 175 to Fiesch with the first EC. On that same line, with a change at Visp, you reach [Zermatt](/en/switzerland/valais/zermatt), for which there is not yet a timed plan from Geneva. To France you go by road. The A40 climbs the Arve valley to [Chamonix](/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix) in about 75 minutes, by hire car or on one of the shuttles that leave the airport and are booked online. In the valley you do not need a car: with the Carte d'hôte the train between Servoz and Vallorcine is free. [Annecy](/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/annecy) is about 50 km away, with a train and coach from the airport. ## Ten kilometres among vines from Lutry to Epesses **An hour away**, Lavaux, without a car. [The terraces from Lutry to Epesses on foot](/en/switzerland/vaud/lavaux/itineraries/terraces-from-lutry-to-epesses) are about 10 km among vines, with lunch at the Auberge du Vigneron and a tasting of chasselas at the Vinorama in Rivaz. With children, [the Lavaux Express through the vineyards](/en/switzerland/vaud/lavaux/itineraries/with-children-on-the-lavaux-express) swaps the walk for the little train, lunch by the water at Cully and the vineyard train to Chexbres. To stay, [two nights in Lavaux](/en/switzerland/vaud/lavaux/itineraries/two-nights-vineyards-train-and-spa), sleeping in Cully. **An hour and a quarter away**, Chamonix. [The Aiguille du Midi and the Mer de Glace](/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/cable-car-and-mer-de-glace) fit in a day: cable car to 3,842 m first thing, the Montenvers train and lunch at the 1880 refuge. In winter, [snowshoes in the Bérard valley and the Brévent](/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/snowshoes-and-brevent-in-winter). And to sleep a night beside the glacier, [two nights in Chamonix with Lac Blanc](/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/two-nights-from-geneva-lac-blanc). **Between two and a half and three hours**, the Aletsch glacier, the longest in the Alps. [The Riederalp forest and the Bettmerhorn](/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier/itineraries/riederalp-forest-and-bettmerhorn), about 149 minutes away, look at the glacier from above, among Swiss stone pines and from the summit; [Lake Märjelen via the Tälligrat tunnel](/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier/itineraries/fiescheralp-and-lake-maerjelen-from-geneva), about 175, reaches the ice on foot. They are long days by train, and that is why there is the [two nights at the Aletsch](/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier/itineraries/two-nights-with-marjelen-and-riederalp) getaway, with a guided crossing of the glacier. ## The Aiguille du Midi reopens on 19 December **In winter**, Chamonix. Snowshoeing runs from mid-December to March, on Sundays, and the Aiguille du Midi reopens on 19 December 2026. Lavaux stays open, with the Auberge du Vigneron every day, although the Vinorama closes from 1 to 21 January 2027. **In spring**, Lavaux: the Lavaux Express leaves Lutry on Sundays from April, and the terrace route is good from April to October. **In summer** the Aletsch opens: the Riederalp forest from late June to mid-October, and Lake Märjelen from July to September, when the route is free of snow. July, August and September are also the months of the Chamonix getaway and of Lac Blanc. **In autumn**, the September and October grape harvest in Lavaux. November is the month when the lifts and the Montenvers train are being serviced: that month, better the vines than the mountains. ## Lavaux on a Sunday, the Aiguille in clear skies - **Without a car and on a Sunday:** the Lavaux terraces on foot, all year. - **On a clear day:** the Aiguille du Midi and the Mer de Glace, all year except November. - **With two nights in summer:** the Aletsch glacier, without touching the car.