Minibus Services Across Switzerland

Montreux and the Riviera by Minibus: Castle, Vines and Trains

This short stretch of Lake Geneva packs in a castle on the water, Charlie Chaplin's home, vineyard terraces and a festival town. Everything is close, the roads are tight and parking is scarce, so a minibus with a driver fits the Riviera well.

Château de Chillon

Chillon is about ten minutes from the centre. Right beside the castle, vehicles can stand at the roadside for three hours at most, with a parking disc, long enough for a good visit. Book a group visit in writing via the castle's form; a tour with a wine tasting is one of the options.

The town itself publishes no coach stops, so for Montreux centre and its stations the operator agrees a set-down point with you.

Minibus interior with individual seats
Minibus interior with individual seats

Chaplin's World above Vevey

Chaplin's World in Corsier-sur-Vevey is about 15 minutes away. The driver sets you down at the entrance and parks on site. Guided tours take up to 15 people per guide and are booked at least 15 days ahead. It closes for part of January, so check the dates.

Flying in to Montreux

Favourite stops around Montreux

  • CGN lake boats (Montreux piers) — CGN boats call at Montreux, Territet, Clarens and Chillon, with links to Vevey, Lausanne-Ouchy, Geneva and the French shore. Groups of 10 or more should contact the CGN group service; a group announcement does not guarantee seats, so groups should be at the pier at least 20 minutes before departure.
  • Montreux Noël (Christmas market) — Christmas market on the Montreux quays, from 20 November to 24 December 2026, about 200 m from Montreux station; attractions include the Maison du Père Noël at the Rochers-de-Naye and Christmas cruises from the CGN pier. Coach registration is compulsory on Saturdays and Sundays only. See coach notes for the coach set-down zone and parking.
  • GoldenPass Express (Montreux - Interlaken) — Through train between Montreux and Interlaken via Montbovon, Château-d'Oex and Gstaad, without changing trains despite the different track gauges of the sections; the full trip takes about 3 hours 15 minutes. Seat reservation is compulsory in Prestige class and strongly recommended in 1st and 2nd class. The MOB also runs GoldenPass Panoramic trains from Montreux to Zweisimmen. Groups (10 or more) must announce their trip in advance; group tickets and seat reservations are compulsory.
  • Rochers-de-Naye (cogwheel train from Montreux) — MOB cogwheel line from Montreux to the Rochers-de-Naye, at over 2,000 m, with views over Lake Geneva. In January, February and March, trains run only as far as Haut-de-Caux on Mondays and Tuesdays. The line is closed from 14 September to 16 October 2026 for works, with replacement buses between Montreux and Haut-de-Caux. Groups of 10 or more travel at group fares; group travel must be announced in advance with a group ticket and compulsory seat reservation.
  • Lavaux Vinorama (Rivaz) — Discovery centre for Lavaux wines at Route du Lac 2, 1071 Rivaz, with close to 300 Lavaux wines for tasting. Published hours (October 2026): Monday to Saturday 10:30 to 20:00, Sunday 10:30 to 19:00; exceptionally closed on 25 October 2026 (Lausanne Marathon). Tastings can be booked in advance.
  • Lavaux Express (vineyard road train) — Two 1 hour 15 minute loops: from Lutry pier (Quai Gustave Doret 1, Lutry) and from Cully pier (Place d'Armes 16, Cully). Season 1 April to 1 November; booking recommended. On scheduled trips, groups of up to 18 people can be booked, subject to availability; private trips (optionally with a wine-tasting stop at a winegrower, adding at least 1 hour) are also offered. Car parks near the Lutry start: Parking de la Possession (about 200 places) and Parking de la Combe (about 100); near the Cully start: Route de la Corniche "Fortunades" (about 60), quay and village (about 50) and Parking de la Gare (about 60). No coach parking is published.
  • Lavaux vineyard terraces (UNESCO World Heritage) — Terraced vineyards on the shore of Lake Geneva between Lausanne and Vevey (Lutry, Grandvaux, Cully, Chexbres, Rivaz - St-Saphorin). The UNESCO site management asks visitors to use public transport: RER Vaud trains, CGN piers at Lutry, Cully and Rivaz - St-Saphorin, bus 9 to Lutry, bus 47 to Grandvaux and bus 218 from Vevey to Chexbres. By road, motorway A9 exits 11 Belmont/Lutry, 13 Chexbres or 14 Vevey. Roads in the vineyards are narrow, many village crossings are one-way, parking is scarce and winegrowers have absolute priority; drivers should keep to the cantonal roads. Private and group guided visits run all year on request (at least 3 working days ahead; at most 16 people per guide), starting from Cully, Chexbres or Grandvaux stations.
  • Chaplin's World (Corsier-sur-Vevey) — Route de Fenil 2, 1804 Corsier-sur-Vevey, above Vevey; about five minutes from the A9 motorway exit towards Vevey. Coaches drop their passengers off at the entrance, and outdoor parking reserved for coaches is available. Group rate from 10 visitors with reservation; a booking is valid only after confirmation by the reservations department. Guided tours (up to 15 people per guide) must be booked at least 15 days ahead; school bookings at least 5 days ahead. Opening hours change with the season (generally 10:00 to 17:00 or 18:00); in October 2026: 10:00 to 18:00 daily from 10 to 25 October, then 10:00 to 17:00 daily from 26 October 2026 to 31 January 2027 (25 December 13:00 to 17:00); closed on 1 January and from 11 to 22 January 2027. Bus 212 from Vevey station to the stop "Chaplin" (about 15 minutes).
  • Château de Chillon (Veytaux) — Avenue de Chillon 21, 1820 Veytaux, on the lake between Montreux and Villeneuve. Open daily: April to September 09:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:00), March and October 09:30 to 18:00 (last entry 17:00), November to February 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00); closed on 25 December and 1 January. Group rates apply from 15 people and only with written advance booking through the online form (at least 72 hours / 3 working days ahead; the group page says 48 hours for groups and 72 hours for agencies and tour operators). Guided tours, self-guided visits with audioguide and visits with wine tasting can be booked; rooms can host events of up to 232 people. Cars and coaches may park along the road beside the castle for up to 3 hours with a parking disc. Regional S5 trains stop hourly at Veytaux-Chillon station (6 minutes on foot); VMCV bus 201 stop "Chillon" in front of the castle; CGN pier "Chillon" 100 m away.

Good pickup points

  • Lavaux villages (Cully, Chexbres, Lutry)
  • Villeneuve
  • Vevey and La Tour-de-Peilz
  • Les Avants
  • Chernex / Brent / Chailly (hillside villages)
  • Caux (above Glion, on the Rochers-de-Naye line)
  • Glion (above Montreux, Territet-Glion funicular)
  • Clarens
  • Territet (towards Chillon)
  • Montreux centre / Grand-Rue / quays (2M2C, Casino, station)

Lavaux on foot

Guided walks in the UNESCO vineyards run all year from Cully, Chexbres or Grandvaux stations, with up to 16 people per guide, booked three working days ahead. A full 16-seat minibus fits one guide exactly.

The village roads are narrow, often one-way, and winegrowers have priority. Cully, Chexbres and Rivaz have no known coach parking, so the driver keeps to the cantonal roads and meets you at an agreed point. The Vinorama at Rivaz, about 25 minutes from Montreux, has close to 300 Lavaux wines to taste.

Trains, summits and festival nights

The GoldenPass Express runs from Montreux to Interlaken via Gstaad in about 3 h 15 min without a change. Groups of ten or more must tell the railway in advance and book seats. Your driver can take the luggage by road and meet you at the other end.

The Montreux Jazz Festival is back from 2 to 17 July 2027. At the 2026 edition, coaches had nowhere special to park near the festival but could use Chillon, while the Grand-Rue was shut to cars each evening.

Questions travellers ask

Which airport is best for Montreux?

Geneva, about 92 km, around 1 h 15 min when traffic is light. Sion Airport is closer, about an hour, but has only a few seasonal flights.

Can we go up the Rochers-de-Naye?

Yes, by the cogwheel train from Montreux. Groups of ten or more announce their trip and reserve seats. From January to March, Monday and Tuesday trains run only as far as Haut-de-Caux.

Which day trips work from here?

Gruyères is about 45 minutes, Col du Pillon for Glacier 3000 about 55 minutes and Gstaad about 1.25 hours. Chamonix in France takes about 1.5 hours and Täsch, for Zermatt, about 2.25 hours.

Other trips we arrange

Other vehicles with a driver

Plan your Riviera days

Tell us when you are coming, the size of your party, where you are staying and whether castles, vineyards or trains come first. The booking goes to a licensed partner operator, who provides the minibus and driver.

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