Stopping Over from Geneva to Zurich, Switzerland

We arrived at the Geneva pickup quite early on a summer morning full of promise. The traffic was not hectic yet, and we found our rental motorhome waiting for us with everything prepared. Where are you folks heading, the attendant asked curiously. When we told him our destination was Zurich, he replied, Geneva to Zurich is quite a distance at 275 kilometres (170 miles) given the mountain passes and all the stops you’ll want to take… why not stop over in Lucerne for a day or two.

Traveling to Lucerne on the Way from Geneva to Zurich

We bypassed several enticing coastal villages as we skirted Lake Geneva all of 73 kilometres (45 miles) long. The lake is a popular holiday destination with passenger boats ferrying visitors between towns. However, Montreux tempted us to tarry for a while at the foot of the Alps with gorgeous views across the placid water.

We had no particular schedule for our holiday, including the portion spent driving from Geneva to Zurich. We regularly spend our holidays exploring Europe in rental motorhomes. So we took our time exploring Montreux’s Crêtes and Châtelard castles. Then we took a delightful walk along the lake snacking on deep fried apple cookies we bought from a tiny takeout we stumbled over.

Onward from Montreux to Lucerne via Bern

We had burned half the day with considerably less than half the distance travelled on the first leg of our meander from Geneva to Zurich. We could have overnighted at a campsite somewhere, but Switzerland is a tiny country and there were, after all just 200 kilometres (125 miles) to do on the relatively fast E25 throughway.

Berne is actually quite a place, and generally regarded as the ‘federal capital’ with a history dating back eight centuries. However, we pressed on because we wanted to be in Lucerne well in time to enjoy the sunset. The view took us away as we came upon the ancient resort nestling around a giant lake among high mountains.

Lucerne turned out to be the perfect place to spend two days and three nights exploring. A street carnival added to the excitement, and we were able to experience yodelling first hand. This is a form of singing featuring rapid changes of pitch between high and low. Although our motorhome rental trip from Geneva to Zurich was most enjoyable, from the beginning to the end.