Montreux

Late April through October is best, with warm sunny weather (20-26°C) ideal for the lakeside promenade and mountain trips. If you prefer calm, avoid the first two weeks of July - the Jazz Festival brings big crowds and noticeably higher hotel prices - unless that festival buzz is what you're after. September and early October offer pleasant weather with far fewer visitors, a great pick for families.

• Château de Chillon - the famous medieval lakeside castle, one of Switzerland's most visited sites
• Montreux lakeside promenade (Quai) - a palm- and flower-lined walk with lake and mountain views, plus the Freddie Mercury statue
• Rochers-de-Naye cogwheel train - a panoramic ride to a 2,000m summit with an alpine garden and small marmot park, great for families
• Chaplin's World museum in nearby Corsier-sur-Vevey, Charlie Chaplin's former home turned interactive museum
• GoldenPass Panoramic train - a scenic ride toward Gstaad and Zweisimmen
• Day trip to the medieval village of Gruyères, with its cheese factory and meringue-with-cream tradition
• Nearby Vevey - a quieter lakefront town with a weekly market, a short train ride away
• Historic CGN lake steamer cruises on Lake Geneva connecting Montreux, Vevey, and Chillon

Families: the Territet or Veytaux area southeast of town - quieter, close to Chillon Castle, with a small grassy lakeside spot good for kids in summer. Couples: lakefront hotels along Grand-Rue for direct lake views and an easy evening walk to restaurants and the promenade. Budget: stay in nearby Vevey or Clarens, noticeably cheaper, just minutes away by train or bus.

Book Chillon Castle and Rochers-de-Naye train tickets online in advance during summer to skip long queues. If visiting in July, reserve hotels months ahead - the Jazz Festival fills rooms fast and raises prices sharply. Restaurants are relatively limited outside festival season, especially on Sundays, so plan dinner reservations ahead. A Swiss Travel Pass or Montreux Riviera Card can be good value if your plan includes several attractions and mountain trips. The lakeside promenade has many wine bars and cafes, but plenty of ordinary family-friendly cafes line the same walk without needing to sit at those terraces.

2-3 days

Suggested plan:

1. Day 1: Arrive and settle in, stroll the flower-lined lakeside promenade, visit Chillon Castle before sunset, and have dinner with a lake view.
2. Day 2: Morning cogwheel train to the Rochers-de-Naye summit (panoramic views and marmot park), afternoon at Chaplin's World or exploring nearby Vevey's market.
3. Day 3 (optional): Day trip to the medieval village of Gruyères and its cheese factory, or a scenic GoldenPass train ride, returning in the afternoon.