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When you finish your tour of the Swiss city of Geneva, sailing on the sparkling waters of Lake Geneva (Lake Léman) will be the perfect choice to enjoy a unique experience, combining panoramic natural landscapes with the city’s poetic and tranquil landmarks.
Cruises are a distinctive means of transportation and a recreational activity that is appreciated and admired by the Swiss people and tourists from all over the world. Modern ships or steamers make many trips daily from Geneva to other Swiss regions such as Lausanne, Montreux, Nyon, Vevey, Morges, and all the way to the French coast.
Before returning to the pier from which you started, you will see the elegantly designed gardens that line the shores of Lake Geneva, the majestic Mont Blanc, and the surrounding Swiss Alps.
cruise
Whether you want to cross Lake Geneva, take a romantic cruise or have a delicious meal, the ships of the public shipping company CGN are an indispensable option for enjoying your vacation in Switzerland, departing from Lausanne Ouchy to one of the forty ports on the Swiss or French shores of the lake, located directly on the border between the two countries.
In addition to regular leisure cruises, full meals and restaurant service are available on most boats for an exceptional gastronomic experience that combines relaxation with high-quality cuisine, with lunch, dinner, sunset and fine seafood cruises on most summer days, sailing daily from Geneva and Lausanne in particular.
A 35 Swiss franc ($40.9) discount can be obtained on a first-class day pass (worth 90 francs or $105.3), which allows for all-day sailing, and advance reservations for food are always recommended.
Excluding transport and drinks, the famous “Echo du Marché” dish, for example, costs 27 francs ($31.6), while a three-course menu costs no more than 60 francs ($70.2), and there is one price for the children’s menu (ages 6 to 11), which is 20 francs ($23.4).
Meals are optional and often paid for separately, and are no different in quality and price than regular Swiss restaurants.
Featuring white paint, classic vintage lighting fixtures and bamboo furniture, these boats cruise between lake ports and over mountain peaks surrounded by greenery and flowers under clear blue skies, with the towering Alps as a backdrop.
Greenery and water
Not only are the steamers a means of transportation, they have become part of the country’s heritage and are very popular for sightseeing trips, lunch or dinner from Geneva, Lausanne, the French port of Evian and other ports on the lake, as well as being used by cross-border workers who travel between France and Switzerland every day.
Along the two-hour journey, you will be accompanied by colorful sailing boats and swimming pools, as the area is famous for kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and fishing.
The romantic steamers from the early 20th century are the best for sailing on Lake Geneva, but more modern boats also operate many tourist cruises, and ticket prices are the same, so it is advisable to choose the steamers if they are available.
The summer schedule runs from mid-June to mid-September, with additional sailings in July and August. Passenger ferries operate year-round on Lake Léman, connecting cities in Switzerland and France.
Jewels of the Lake
CGN has a fleet of eight Belle Époque paddle boats, one of which, completely refurbished in 2009, has been described as the most beautiful steamboat in the world, thanks to the restoration work in the first and second class lounges that has made it a true masterpiece.
Regular restoration work seeks to preserve this priceless pre-World War I heritage, keeping every detail of the fleet as close as possible to its old appearance, while retaining the original steam engines.
For example, the Swiss Public Navigation Company’s Vevey was built in 1907, is 66 metres long, can accommodate 560 people and is powered by two 270 kW diesel-electric engines.
The Swiss company celebrates its 151st anniversary since its founding in 1873, and owns 5 paddle-wheel steam boats and 3 diesel-electric paddle-wheel boats that ply the deep blue waters.
