GETTING TO MONTREUX VIA BY TRAIN

Members flying to Zurich who will not attend the Summit, but wish to go directly to Montreux, can travel there by train. A train to Montreux leaves from Zurich Airport once every hour. The train ride is very scenic and lasts about three hours. There is a train station in the airport. Getting to the station is easy by following these directions:

When you clear passport control/customs, get your bags and walk through the customs lanes. (Where you get your bags, there are free baggage trolleys available.) You will enter the "public" area of the arrivals terminal. You'll see overhead signs for the "Bahn" and pictograms of trains. Follow the signs and pictograms to exit the terminal. ( If you need francs, stop at one of the ATMs before you leave the arrivals terminal.) After exiting the arrivals terminal, walk straight ahead and cross over the passenger pick-up lanes. You will enter another building with a shopping center on ground level, and the train station downstairs/lower level. When you enter this second building, you will be in the shopping center. The train station is on the lower level. You will see pictograph signs to the station downstairs - you can take the escalators or the elevators. Just go down the escalator or elevator to the lower level, and you will see large boards showing trains, and the ticket windows. You can't miss it. If you purchase a pass for multiple day travel instead of a one-way ticket to Montreux, you will need to have your pass validated at the ticket window. Or, if there is a long line there, look to the left and you'll see the Swiss Rail travel office, you can get the pass validated there. If you wish to ship your bags to Montreux instead of carrying them with you on the train, to the right of the ticket windows is the baggage shipping office. About 20 francs per bag will get them to the Montreux train station by about 6:00 p.m. the same day and 10 francs get them there the next day if you ship by 9:00 p.m.

Outbound trains are shown on boards in the area. After purchasing your tickets, you go down another level to the tracks - you can take the baggage trolleys down to the platforms.

Once you are on the train platform, listen for the announcement of your train. If you buy first class tickets, listen for where 1st class coaches will be - they will say sector “A” or sector “B”, etc. Look above you and you will see signs with “A”, “B”, “C”, etc. These are the designated boarding sectors. Your sector will be stated on the schedule given to you when you purchase your ticket. Go to your sector and you will find that the first class coach stops there, so you won't have to run up and down the train or the platform looking for your first class car. Also, in between the platforms there often will be a billboard with train schedules - you can look up your train by time and see where the various classes and dining cars will be located at the platform. But still listen to the announcement, because sometimes the class sectors/locations are slightly different than what the billboard indicates.

You can buy train tickets ahead of time. This is a link to train schedules from Zurich Airport to Montreux: https://www.raileurope.com/european-trains/sbb/how-to-book.html. While on this site, you can consider the advantages or disadvantages of buying a rail pass for multiple day travel. It is worthwhile to study “point to point” tickets before buying a multi- day rail pass. They have a "daily cost" that often is much higher than using a special offer or point to point ticket.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON TRAIN TRANSFERS: To go from Zürich Airport to Montreux, you must transfer to another train at one of the stops. Train transfers are common to all train travel in (there may be even more than two connections). For the Montreux train, you also will need to change tracks to catch the connecting train to your destination. When you purchase your tickets, or before you embark on your first connecting train, examine the schedule given to you when you purchased your tickets, or validated your pass. The schedule will tell you at what station you will transfer to another train, what train to which you will transfer, and to which platform you need to go at that station. (Make sure the station agent prints your schedule showing from what tracks your connecting train departs.) Swiss train stations are well signed for directions to the different tracks, follow the signage immediately upon debarking your train for a connecting train. Be ready to move quickly when you change trains for a connection. You may have no more than 5 minutes to go from one track to another to catch your connecting train. Don’t be caught sleeping! Most importantly, do not be afraid. If you move promptly, 5 minutes are more time than you need. All you need do is get off the train, walk down the stairs or ramp, walk up another flight of stairs or ramp to your platform, and get on the train.

DINING ON THE TRAIN: There will be a dining car on the train. It is recommended that you use cash for food purchases made on the train. For more affordable eats, before your train departs Zurich find the Migros food store in the shopping center near the escalator going down to the train station. There you can get some pre-made sandwiches or bread, cold meats, cheeses, fruit, chocolate, chips, drinks and paper towels. There is a wine store next door where you can get a bottle of Swiss wine – and then have a picnic on the train! The journey to Montreux is 3-4 hours depending on which train you take, so a bite of food might be nice.

GETTING TO MONTREUX FROM AIRPORT

The closest to the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace is the Geneva International Airport (GVA/LSGG), located 58 miles from the Montreux Palace. The easiest method of travel from the Geneva Airport to the hotel is by train. The trip lasts approximately 1 hour. As you exit baggage claim and customs, turn left and walk the length of the airport (approximately 3 minutes) until you reach rotating glass doors. Pass through the glass doors and you will find yourself in the station. You can buy tickets from the ticket office, or from ticket machines. Trains are frequent, and there is a big board which shows which platform to go to. There are escalators and elevators down to the platforms. At least one train each hour goes directly to Montreux. For the others you have to switch trains in . If you want to bypass switching trains, ask for the direct train when you buy you ticket at the window at the airport train station. If you want a snack or refreshment on the train ride to Montreux, there is a supermarket at the far end of the station shopping center.

TIPS FOR TRAIN TRAVEL IN SWITZERLAND

The Swiss train system is world-class. You really don’t need an automobile with Switzerland’s high-speed rail system. You can buy a Swiss pass for train rides during your stay, but be mindful to carefully study the Swiss rail website information regarding passes. Many Swiss consider second-class train travel to be as good as first class elsewhere in Europe. Train schedules are as precise as Swiss watches. If your train ticket says departure is at 1:13 p.m., count on the train leaving at 1:13 p.m. sharp. When you purchase your tickets or pass, you will be given a printout of your train schedule showing from which platform your train will depart, the departure time, where on the platform to board depending on the class of your travel (i.e., first class, coach), and where you will change trains.

Note that some cars on the trains are designated as "Silent zones" and any talking above a very low level and especially the use of cell phones is prohibited.

ARRIVAL AT MONTREUX TRAIN STATION: NOT JUST ANY STATION Whether you arrive from Zurich, Geneva, or any other origination point, the Montreux train station is walking distance from the Montreux Palace. If you have too many bags to carry to the hotel, taxi service is available. You can access taxi information using this link: https://yellow.local.ch/en/q/Montreux/Taxi.html.

The train station in Montreux is noted as the starting point of the walking tour known as “On the Trail of Ernest Hemingway”. The trail follows the footsteps of the many celebrities, including Hemingway, who lived, stayed or made their mark in the environs around Montreux. If you are interested in fine literature’s links to Montreux – including Hemingway’s - please consult the Annual Meeting brochure for “A Stroll With Hemingway” planned for the afternoon of Thursday, July 28.