Lausanne vs Montreux: Which Is Better to Visit?

Lausanne and Montreux are only around 20–25 minutes apart by train, but they offer two very different experiences on Lake Geneva.

After visiting both without a car, I would choose Lausanne if you want a lively city with an artsy, urban atmosphere, while Montreux is better if you are looking for the classic Swiss Riviera experience with a beautiful lakeside promenade, palm trees and mountain views.

But my actual recommendation? Don’t choose if you don’t have to.

Stay in or spend most of your time in Lausanne, visit Montreux and Château de Chillon, and, if you have two or three days in the region, add the Lavaux vineyards as well.

Lausanne vs Montreux at a glance

	Lausanne	Montreux
Best for	City break, culture and atmosphere	Lake views and Swiss Riviera atmosphere
Vibe	Lively, artsy, alternative and urban	Relaxed, elegant and tourist-oriented
Lakefront	Ouchy	Excellent promenade
Old Town	Excellent	Not the main attraction
Without a car	Very easy	Very easy
Nearby highlight	Lavaux vineyards	Château de Chillon
Best for one day	Lausanne + Montreux/Chillon	Best combined with Lausanne
Best base	Lausanne	Good if you prefer a quieter resort atmosphere
My choice	Best overall	Best for the Riviera experience

The biggest difference isn’t really the number of attractions. It is the atmosphere.

Lausanne feels like a city. Montreux feels like a resort.

That distinction is probably the easiest way to decide which one suits your trip.

Lausanne or Montreux: which should you choose?

Choose Lausanne if you want:

• a lively Swiss city;
• more restaurants, streets and neighbourhoods to explore;
• an Old Town;
• museums and cultural attractions;
• a mixture of urban Switzerland and Lake Geneva;
• a good base for exploring the region without a car.

Choose Montreux if you want:

• a relaxed lakeside atmosphere;
• the classic Swiss Riviera scenery;
• a long waterfront promenade;
• easy access to Château de Chillon;
• a destination that feels more like a holiday resort;
• lake and mountain views to be the main focus of your visit.

For most first-time visitors who want more variety, I think Lausanne is the better choice.

That doesn’t mean I would skip Montreux. Quite the opposite: the two work particularly well together because they are so different.

The atmosphere: Lausanne vs Montreux

This is where I noticed the biggest difference.

Lausanne feels younger, livelier and more urban

Lausanne has a character that I didn’t completely expect before visiting.

Yes, it has all the things that make it unmistakably Swiss: historic buildings, public transport that works extremely well, views over Lake Geneva and the Alps in the distance.

But it also feels artsy, slightly alternative and urban.

There is much more going on away from the lake. Walking around the centre and Old Town feels like exploring an actual city rather than moving between tourist sights.

The streets around the Old Town climb steeply up and down the hillside, cafés and shops fill the centre, and then you can take the metro downhill and suddenly find yourself beside Lake Geneva in Ouchy.

Those contrasts are a big part of why I liked Lausanne.

I cover the city in much more detail in my guide to things to do in Lausanne.

Montreux feels like the Swiss Riviera

Montreux gives you a very different first impression.

Instead of a dense city centre and steep historic streets, the focus shifts towards the lake.

The waterfront promenade is the star here. Palm trees, flowers, grand hotels, Lake Geneva and the mountains on the opposite side create the resort-like atmosphere Montreux is famous for.

It is beautiful.

But compared with Lausanne, it also feels more tourist-oriented.

That isn’t necessarily a negative. If you are travelling to Switzerland specifically for beautiful scenery and want somewhere where you can simply walk along the lake and enjoy the surroundings, Montreux does that extremely well.

I just found Lausanne more interesting as an overall city.

Which has more things to do?

Lausanne has more variety, while Montreux has stronger scenic attractions nearby.

In Lausanne, you can easily move between completely different parts of the city.

You can explore the historic centre and Lausanne Cathedral, walk through busy urban streets, visit museums and then take the metro down to Ouchy for the lakefront.

The Olympic Museum is also here, which makes sense considering Lausanne is home to the International Olympic Committee.

Montreux’s attractions are more concentrated around the lake and surrounding landscape.

The promenade itself is one of the main things to do. You’ll also find the Freddie Mercury statue on the waterfront, while Château de Chillon is just outside Montreux.

If you are building a longer itinerary, that difference actually works in your favour.

Lausanne gives you the city. Montreux and Chillon give you the Riviera scenery.

Château de Chillon is a major advantage for Montreux

One of the strongest reasons to include Montreux is Château de Chillon.

The medieval castle sits directly on Lake Geneva just outside Montreux and is one of the most recognisable castles in Switzerland.

You don’t need a car to visit it.

It is possible to reach Chillon using public transport and, depending on your itinerary, you can combine Lausanne, Montreux and the castle in the same day.

I’ve written a separate step-by-step guide to visiting Château de Chillon from Lausanne without a car.

Lausanne vs Montreux without a car

You do not need a car for either Lausanne or Montreux.

In fact, I would happily visit this part of Switzerland entirely by public transport again.

Trains connect Lausanne and Montreux frequently, and the journey takes roughly 20–25 minutes depending on the service.

That makes the question of where to stay much less important than it might initially seem.

If you stay in Lausanne, you can visit Montreux easily.

If you stay in Montreux, you can visit Lausanne easily.

Getting around Lausanne

Lausanne has the more extensive urban public transport network of the two.

The metro is particularly useful because of the city’s hills. Lausanne’s M2 line connects areas including the main railway station, city centre and Ouchy.

You can still explore much of Lausanne on foot, but you will notice the elevation.

Getting around Montreux

Montreux is simpler.

For a first visit, much of what you want to see is around the station and lakefront, so walking works very well.

Château de Chillon lies further along the lake, but you can reach it without needing a car.

For travellers relying on Swiss trains, both destinations are excellent choices.

Which has the better lakefront?

Montreux wins this one.

Ouchy in Lausanne is lovely, particularly when the weather is good. The lakefront gives you wide views across Lake Geneva and feels completely different from the city centre higher up the hill.

But Montreux’s waterfront is much more central to the identity of the destination.

The promenade stretches along the lake with flowers, palm trees, hotels and uninterrupted views.

If your priority is waking up and immediately feeling like you are on the Swiss Riviera, choose Montreux.

If you prefer having that lakefront in addition to a larger city, choose Lausanne.

Which has the better Old Town?

Lausanne, easily.

If wandering through historic streets is important to you, Lausanne is the obvious choice.

The Old Town rises above the lower parts of the city, with Lausanne Cathedral dominating the skyline.

This is also where Lausanne’s hills become very noticeable, but I think that is part of its character.

Montreux isn’t a destination I would choose primarily for an Old Town experience. Its appeal lies much more in the lake, promenade and surrounding scenery.

Lausanne or Montreux for first-time visitors?

For most first-time visitors, I would recommend Lausanne.

It gives you a broader introduction to this part of Switzerland because you aren’t getting only the postcard scenery.

You get:

• a proper Swiss city;
• an historic centre;
• local urban life;
• museums;
• excellent public transport;
• Lake Geneva;
• easy access to Montreux, Chillon and Lavaux.

Montreux is more immediately picturesque, but Lausanne has more layers.

If your main priority is photography, lake views or a romantic resort atmosphere, however, I can easily see Montreux being the better choice.

Lausanne or Montreux for one day?

If you genuinely have only enough time for one destination, spend the day in Lausanne.

Start around the Old Town, see Lausanne Cathedral and explore the centre before heading down towards Ouchy later in the day.

But there is another option that I prefer if your schedule allows it:

Spend the main part of the day in Lausanne, then continue to Montreux and Château de Chillon.

Because the train journey is short, you don’t necessarily need to dedicate a completely separate day to each city.

Don’t make the schedule too aggressive, though. Lausanne alone can easily fill a day.

What if you have two or three days?

This is where I would stop thinking in terms of Lausanne versus Montreux.

Visit both.

With two or three days, you have enough time to combine the cities with the landscape between and around them.

A good outline would be:

Day 1 – Lausanne

Explore the Old Town, Cathedral and city centre before heading down to Ouchy.

Day 2 – Lavaux and Montreux

Spend part of the day around the Lavaux vineyard terraces before continuing towards Montreux.

Day 3 – Montreux and Château de Chillon

Take your time along the promenade and visit Chillon rather than trying to squeeze everything into a few hours.

You can obviously rearrange this depending on the weather.

Don’t overlook the Lavaux vineyards

If you have more than one day, I would add Lavaux rather than spending all your time inside Lausanne and Montreux.

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces lie between Lausanne and Montreux and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This makes them almost perfect for this itinerary geographically.

Instead of treating Lausanne and Montreux as two isolated city breaks, you can experience the city, vineyards, lake and Riviera as parts of the same trip.

There are walking routes through the vineyard area, and the railway makes it possible to incorporate Lavaux into a car-free itinerary.

For me, that is much more appealing than simply spending two consecutive days sightseeing in cities.

Which is better for photography?

This depends heavily on what you like photographing.

Lausanne is better for street and urban photography.

You have steep streets, historic architecture, modern city life, metro stations, lake views and much more variation in a relatively compact area.

The slightly artsy character also makes wandering around with a camera more interesting.

Montreux is better for classic travel landscapes.

The promenade gives you the lake, Alps, palm trees, Belle Époque architecture and boats all in one environment.

And Château de Chillon adds one of Switzerland’s most photogenic historic landmarks.

If I were carrying a camera for the entire trip, I would want both.

Which is better for a relaxed trip?

Montreux.

Lausanne has more movement. The city is busier, steeper and encourages you to keep exploring.

Montreux is easier to slow down in.

You can walk along the lake, sit somewhere overlooking the water and make the scenery itself the activity.

For couples looking for a slower or more romantic destination, that can make Montreux the more attractive option.

Where should you stay: Lausanne or Montreux?

For most travellers exploring Lake Geneva without a car, I would stay in Lausanne.

Its larger city centre gives you more flexibility, and its railway connections make day trips straightforward.

You can then travel to Montreux, Chillon and the Lavaux area without constantly changing hotels.

However, I would choose Montreux instead if the hotel and surroundings are a major part of the trip.

Waking up near the promenade and spending your evenings beside Lake Geneva has an obvious appeal.

So my rule would be:

Stay in Lausanne for convenience and variety. Stay in Montreux for atmosphere and relaxation.

Can you visit Lausanne and Montreux in the same day?

Yes. Lausanne and Montreux can easily be combined in one day by train, although you won’t see everything in either city.

The train journey is short enough that travelling between them doesn’t consume much of your day.

The more important question is how much you want to do.

If Lausanne is your priority, explore it during the morning and early afternoon before travelling east towards Montreux.

If Château de Chillon is also on your list, allow enough time for the castle rather than arriving shortly before closing.

For a slower trip, I would separate Lausanne and the Montreux/Chillon combination across two days.

Is Lausanne or Montreux cheaper?

I wouldn’t choose between Lausanne and Montreux based primarily on price.

Both are Swiss destinations and neither should be approached as a particularly cheap city break.

Accommodation prices can vary considerably depending on the hotel, season and events taking place, so comparing actual hotels for your travel dates is more useful than assuming one city will always be cheaper.

The good public transport connections also mean you don’t need to stay directly beside every attraction you want to visit.

Lausanne vs Montreux: my final verdict

So, is Lausanne or Montreux better?

For me, Lausanne is the better all-round destination.

I like its liveliness. It feels urban and a little artsy and alternative while still having everything I want from Switzerland: historic architecture, excellent public transport, mountains nearby and Lake Geneva at the bottom of the city.

Montreux serves a different purpose.

It gives you the Swiss Riviera: palm trees, lake views, grand hotels, mountains and a beautiful promenade. It is more tourist-oriented, but that is also part of why it works so well as a holiday destination.

That’s why I wouldn’t build a Lake Geneva itinerary around choosing one and ignoring the other.

For planning the Lausanne part of your trip, start with my complete guide to the best things to do in Lausanne. And if Chillon is part of your itinerary, here’s exactly how to visit Château de Chillon from Lausanne without a car.

You can also compare Lausanne and Montreux with more destinations in my guide to the best cities to visit in Switzerland.