JUST TO RIDE A LITTLE TRAIN? I retrace my steps from 36 years ago. Geneva-Nyon-La Cure & the border

This is one of the craziest trips I've ever done, and for me to admit that means something. I fly from Edinburgh to Geneva, catch a train to Nyon and then the little narrow gauge train to La Cure on the Swiss/French border. On the way back I discover Nyon is a beautiful town, stumble across a Christmas market and discover the airport lounge at Geneva is definitely NOT value for money. #geneva #swissrailways #easyjet
Filmed December 2023 | Geneva, Switzerland.
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*** TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:52 Easyjet Edinburgh-Geneva
00:07:31 Train Gevena Airport-Nyon
00:08:36 Train Nyon-La Cure
00:11:49 Le Cure
00:14:58 The border
00:18:02 Train La Cure-Nyon
00:20:13 Nyon
00:25:29 Geneva Airport
00:27:57 Airport lounge
00:29:40 Easyjet Geneva-Edinburgh
00:30:41 Conclusion

[@MichaelTrick]

Can we get a few more subscribers so poor Scott doesn't have to camp out overnight in the aiport with whoever wanders in? He gives us so much, he at least deserves a bed!

[@Benjamin.Jamin.]

Nah that what's make it great to watch :p

[@rosemarymee]

I think he objects to paying over the odds on principle -it’s a Scottish thing.

[@mylesm12923]

HAHAHAAHa! So true! I do love his positive spirit though!

[@jamesnunn5688]

Heh heh! After reading your comment and hearing Scott say at the end there 90% of those watching aren’t subscribed I thought, you know what, let’s do that. Turns out I was already! I almost feel uncomfortable on his behalf when he sits overnight in an airport etc. Think it’s somewhere between the search for Value for Money and being “Grippy” as they say here!!

[@soundararajangovindarajulu817]

Lightening trip..I can't imagine that I can do that..keep it going..give us more trips..

[@philsher]

From watching Scott's first videos, he has quickly become one of my fave KZbinrs. Love your videos Scott, inspired every time.

[@theitgal100]

Subscribed way back when you had about a 1000 subscribers and so glad you are doing great 👍🏻 Let’s get Scott to a 100k asap please, he deserves it!

[@mariosphere]

Between Geneva and Martigny, almost every town has a narrow-gauge railway that goes up somewhere. Especially in Aigle, where three narrow-gauge railways meet, two of which wind through the streets of the medieval town before heading up into the mountains.

[@janetmackinnon3411]

Goodness all those people need to subscibe! Otherwise how can the man afford his coffees?

[@algojeff]

Switzerland : the only country in the world where you may leave a major city like Lausanne by rails in the morning with your walking mode ski boots on, go to Zermatt for a day on the slopes and be back, always in time, for a lovely evening along Lake Geneva shoreline. CCF are just amazingly convenient ! And there’s also the connecting yellow La Poste buses that lead you to far villages like Zinal. Way to go, la Suisse !

[@MikeRyan-vd1qw]

Deutsche Bahn also does an all in one skiing/train ticket including a lift pass from Munich to the Zugspitze in Garmisch.

[@Fan652w]

As a regular visitor to Switzerland, I can assure you that a nine minutes time for connections is GENEROUS. At Zurich Hauptbahnhof, if there is seven minutes or more between trains, that is a connection! At Berne Hauptbahnhof the margin is five minutes. Swiss railways have a target that 97% of connections should be made. I know from personal experience that it is very rare to miss a connection.

[@malo66]

I don't think we would often take such a risk in UK, especially if ticket only valid for a particular train!

[@rjs_698]

​@@malo66- in the UK, if a connection is offered on a pre-booked ("Advance") ticket then they have to either hold the connection, let you on the next train, or get you a taxi - it isn't an issue as long as you know your rights.

[@Fan652w]

@@malo66 Note rjs.698's reply. But I would add a number of points. Firstly, as other commentators have indicated, in Switzerland tickets are rarely tied to particular train times. Secondly, Swiss punctuality is so good that it is rare to miss a connection. If you do, the longest wait is only going to be an hour as almost all train services have at least an hourly frequency. In the La Cure direction Scott would have had to wait an hour at Nyon. But going the other way there are at least four trains an hour from Nyon to Geneva.

[@user-eg8pv2om7j]

If I could do it again I'd do Chamonix Vallorcine Martigny narrow gauge railway. Spectacular

[@MegaINSELAFFE]

The Chur-Arosa Bahn goes partly on the streets in Chur, before it climbes to 1,800 meters high at Arosa.

[@mikegapper8485]

As i am someone without a passport and a little long in the tooth ,i really appreciate you going on all these trips outside of the UK.If it wasn't for peeps like you and your mate Steve i would never see any of these wonderful places that you go to . I have been subscibed for ages .Well done in reaching the 52K subscribers ,onwards and upwards .Cheers Scott

[@DSTWizz]

Well Scott, it was a great idea! It's amazing what you can pack into 24 hours. Thanks for taking us along; it was a great day out!

[@ludwig327]

The saga continues. Tomorrow I'll give a copy of your book as a christmas prezzie to my dear old mum. Merry Christmas one and all.

[@twentyrothmans7308]

My German girlfriend and I went to a tourist information bureau in Zurich to ask about something, and she had to ask the woman to repeat it in English. Merry Christmas.

[@daniel69]

Super video. Reminds me of an old program i used to watch called Swiss Railway Journeys on the travel channel. Well done for capturing the beauty of the countryside.

[@hoof2001]

Geneva airport has a French side and a Swiss side. My colleague wandered into the France channel by accident grinning as he thought he was beating me to land side. I was patiently shufffling through into Switzerland. That took 2 hours to sort out and for him to enter Switzerland 🙄. It can always go wrong

[@Fan652w]

Basel airport, actually on French territory, has a similar French side Swiss side arrangement.

[@rogink]

@@Fan652w As does the railway station. At least pre-Schengen.

[@gti505]

Well here is one of the part of 10% that is subscribed! Hope you appreciate that Scott.

[@eslofftschubar206]

Just for your information, there is a Migros at the Geneva and Zurich Airport. There the prices are normal.

[@alisonlucas6206]

Best choice you made getting the earlier train

[@johnjames01]

Enjoyed that one enough to be up at 5am watching happily 😊

[@stevemee6640]

I'm definitely up for this trip: that little train looked wonderful.

[@paulmark63]

great 🎉video Scott happy Christmas 🎄 from paul in kent

[@kazzicup]

Merry Christmas, Scott ! I enjoy your videos. I hope there is a travel budget for your wife in 2024, so that she can join you on these trips. It will be nice if she makes frequent appearances in your video. 🎅🎄🎄🎄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

[@Michaelgoestofrance]

I'm lucky enough to live an hour and three quarters from Geneva by train. With my railcard it costs me a grand total of €4 return. I love Swiss trains and have recently visited the RhB and MGB at Chur and Brig respectively. I only stayed for one night but, yes, it can be extortionate. I always stock up for the train and go to a supermarket for evening supplies to eat in the hotel room. As regards connections, I was quite tense about only having 10 minutes in Zurich to change trains. I asked the conductor if it was doable and he very confidently said "no problem!". As it happens, he was absolutely right.

[@ozymet]

This is why I love this channel, a man who knows how to enjoy traveling itself. Thank you.

[@theoasisvlogs5954]

Switzerland I think the greatest European country 10/10 might go on holiday with the wife in 2024❤

[@Fan652w]

Remember to buy Swiss Travel Passes. Google 'Swiss Travel Pass' if you do not know what i am talking about.

[@riklund691]

I'd definitely do a trip like this but I'd certainly combine it with a few other things over a long weekend perhaps!

[@steve-marsh]

Great video Scott, what an adventure. Re-posting this comment, I'd said I recognised Brig station, but what I meant is I recognised the NAME! I was getting pulled up for it hence the re-post :D Have a great Christmas mate! And these are my favourite adventures :)

[@Fan652w]

Thanks Steve for making the correction. (I was the one who pulled you up!)

[@RobinHullBuilds]

Merry Christmas! We did a day trip to Billund from London in September with a few hours at the LEGO House. It’s all do-able in a day. The only downside was, Ryanair lost our son’s pushchair on the flight home. Thankfully it was a cheapo buggy and not worth much!

[@mw...]

cool

[@Fan652w]

Scott. To boost the number of subscribers, copy one excellent feature of Steve Marsh's videos. At the end he gives a written list of the date(s) he traveled, the various tickets he bought, and the fares and hotel bills he paid. (Sometimes special comments as well.) For me, that is the most important part of his videos! A lot of people, including me and even some Swiss residents were puzzled by the specifically timed train ticket. They are unusual in Switzerland, especially for shortish journeys. However, as your journey to La Cure took you outside the area covered by the Geneva local fares system, you were able to get a specific trains 'saver' ticket.

[@cms9902]

Season's greetings. The background music had a ring of 'Swiss Railway Journeys', the wonderful TV series, that can be found on YT.

[@dannycrooks8462]

I thought that was a fantastic idea I used to do things like that all the time

[@Fan652w]

Switzerland is regarded as having the best public transport in Europe. One of the reasons why the public transport is so good is that their politicians regularly use it. In September 2019 I was traveling around Switzerland on a first class Swiss Travel Pass. On one train I just managed to to find a seat, next to a well-dressed woman engrossed in her laptop. A man sitting opposite eyed me suspiciously, but relaxed when I flashed my STP at the conductor. I thought, is this woman a cabinet minister? ( She got off at Berne.) Watching the TV evening news two hours later, there she was! Karin Keller-Sutter, at that time the Swiss minister for legal matters, but now Finance Minister. In 2024 she will be Vice-President; almost certainly President in 2025.

[@TheBown1]

This indeed is a big reason for why public transport is awesome here. Anybody from working class up to polticians and CEO's use the trains (and other public transport) here as they are usually the most efficient way to get around. I think almost everytime I've seen a famous politician was in the train.

[@Fan652w]

@@TheBown1 Thank you! The current British Prime Minister seems to go everywhere by Helicopter.

[@TheBown1]

@@Fan652w Yup stuff like that is obviously not ideal. Though to be fair our small size does help in that regard.

[@harriscouwenberg139]

Dare to live dangerously Scott!

[@jamessmith6402]

Thanks Scott that was a brilliant video very enjoyable 👍

[@StuK323]

This train reminds me of the original T69 trams that ran on the midland metro. So small.

[@Kenbur]

very nice Scott. enjoyed this very much. brought back some memories for me. thanks for taking us on you "little" jaunt.

[@Steve-eo9iy]

That was fun. And thanks for a blast from my past. Back in 1978 my wife and I were newlyweds and travelled from Montreal to Geneva to visit family. I remember us taking that same train to the French border. We travelled midweek so there were more dining possibilities. Cheers

[@michaelmckelvey5122]

Thank you for the idea. I should try it out for myself but maybe in the summer time! Nyon looks a really nice place to visit.

[@egpx]

Sounds an ideal day out to me. Maybe not so much the overnight at the airport but otherwise it’s the sort of day trip I’d love to do.

[@mary-janejenkins9560]

Not video related but just finished the book really enjoyed it ❤ Thank you for taking the time to write it

[@susanowen3714]

Just found you and enjoying your Videos. Thanks.

[@garymcgregor7048]

Loved that Scott. Reminded me of great Swiss rail journeys that used to alway be on tv. You even got some of the music. Merry Christmas.

[@yyyfffff33333]

I thought he would mention The Champions ! I think you only see the fountain from Geneva city !

[@davidbirch9108]

That video brought back a lot of happy memories for me as I did the line in July 1983 to ride on the old trains from the 1910s which were about to be withdrawn. Great viewing for me for Christmas Eve - thank you and more of the same please in 2024!

[@dominikschmalstieg2912]

Small correction: although not part of the EU, Switzerland is part of Schengen zone, this is why there are no checks. Edit: what kind of ticket did you get? Unless things changed very recently, Swiss rail tickets are usually not linked to a specific time, but only to the route and date. This does not apply, if you bought a saver ticket online, which can well be linked to a specific train.

[@jonjohnson2844]

Yeah it's the same in the UK, the cheaper tickets are for a specific train and time and they are often MASSIVELY cheaper...but still expensive :/

[@rjs_698]

​@@jonjohnson2844- that depends on your definition of "expensive". UK "Anytime" tickets can be ridiculously expensive but, in general, Off-Peak and Advance tickets are not (unless you wish to travel on peak-hour trains using an Advance ticket).

[@hanshartfiel6394]

Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein are associate members of the Schengen Zone and only implement the visa free travel through special agreements

[@rosemarymee]

Scotrail has - for the time being - done away with the idea of peak and off-peak.

[@m0llux]

Sparbilette are, in fact, train specific. So he probably had that.

[@williamkettle8666]

Agree about Swiss trains have done several journeys using the great value Swiss Rail Pass although disappointed in the free coffee in 1st Class served in flimsy small cup. Rest of Switzerland and its trains EXCELLENT.

[@richardstreet7518]

Merry Christmas Scott. Thanks for the content... you have introduced me to some amazing places..

[@user-nc4io7bc9x]

merry xmas

[@debshipard1664]

I would . My two favourite things Snow and trains

[@rosslewis4893]

Just read your book it’s a amazing

[@davidknox5929]

HAPPY XMAS Scott.Thx for all the vids.

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

You have to wonder what kind of shenanigans when on in those border towns during WW2.

[@brulai]

Merry Christmas @planestrainseverything from a long time subscriber.

[@douglasreeves9938]

Had to laugh. Proper meal for a Scot...pizza and a beer. I would have thought haggis and a whisky.

[@davedacigarguy]

Hi Scott! My wife and I were watching the video on the big screen - and toward the end my wife said, "Look! A Rolex store!" I told her, "I don't think we need a $10,000 wristwatch!!!" But it was Geneva......🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@simonholliday9874]

Switzerland joined Schengen years ago, as did Liechtenstein. Your passport check was to enter or leave the entire Schengen area, of which the UK is not a member. Flights within Schengen do not have such formalities. The lake is actually called Leman but yes, everyone calls it Lake Geneva.

[@stuartlong6217]

I used to work in the Travel Centre at Waterloo in the late 80's/early 90's and the Thomas Cook timetable was our Bible. With all the little Swiss private railways you could do a similar trip every Sunday next year and not finish them all. I particularly like the line just up from Nyon that goes to both Biere and Apples!!

[@Fan652w]

Correction, the line to Biere starts from Morges, some way east of Nyon. Perhaps more importantly, while Thomas Cook no longer exists, but the European Rail Timetable still continues. The compilers staged what might be best described as a 'Staff Buyout'.

[@beachman8106]

Hello Scott, I am one of the 10% who are subscribers. I am watching this in Melbourne (Mornington) on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Best wishes 👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️ from 🇦🇺.

[@teresahill6356]

Thank you Scott for another brilliant video Happy Christmas to you and your Family

[@470danadidas]

What a great spectacular trip, Scott. I love the fact that you always go off the beaten track on all your adventures. Nyon looked like a beautiful town.

[@janettesinclair6279]

Super little train! Really enjoyable trip! Thank you for taking us along. Holidaying in Austria, Switzerland and Germany, I am a sucker for narrow gauge trains, funiculars, gondolas, chairlifts - anything that gets me up higher. As a person who loves borders have you visited Dreilandereck (near Basel) where three countries meet? Basel Airport has it's own border situation, make sure you come out into the correct country! PS I have just bought your book - not started yet, but read the end first, you must have got home....maybe that is another book?

[@michaelgill8397]

Great video Scott..😊

[@rebeccahaddow7913]

Me and my dad would as we like trains 😊

[@frankbarr1101]

I would! Life is about experiences and travel is one of the better experiences even if its just to view a mountain

[@thijsdejong7355]

Great video, keep it up. Always welcome in the Hague 😊

[@stephenhorobin580]

The narrow gauge line used to cross the border into France running to Morez SNCF have a standard gauge line to Morez crossing many viaducts. The service is sparse in an isolated part of the country.

[@jasonwyland5198]

Thank you for this

[@derekfagan3301]

Hi Scott wishing you and your family a very Happy Christmas 🎄 and New year can't wait for the new video.

[@harveyfleming9572]

ski sunday

[@cannybearsed]

Superb! Great trip and great video. Cheers, Scott.

[@robertblechle6365]

Great Video, already subscribed. Switzerland is beautiful, but pricey. Have a Merry Christmas. Thanks for all yourbwork

[@horsehollerer]

All of it seemed extremely worthwhile to me. A great watch, cheers!

[@davidsmart1819]

Another really interesting jaunt Scott.keep them coming!

[@SimonsVids222]

We did this trip last year at Christmas!! ☺️ top tip for you Scott, Liverpool oddly have very regular services to Geneva, twice a day in fact so we did 6am out and 8pm back one Sunday. You are right about the prices, not cheap at all whilst you are in Switzerland but wonderful all the same

[@terryomara9403]

Great trip

[@Pooky-Cat]

A very enjoyable trip Scott, thank you. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@markheasman7631]

Hi Scott i am subscriber since the middle of year and really enjoyed your travels And videos Keep them coming

[@IN_THIS_DAY_AND_AGE]

Great video, thanks. How do you film in airports without security jumping on you?

[@AnoNymInvestor]

I miss the trees on the swiss christmas market!

[@pnwlion9337]

Love this Scott, your adventures make this expat in America homesick for European adventure. Happy New Year mate 🎉🎉🥃🥃😊

[@mikestephens5622]

Actually, travelling on that narrow gauge railway in the mountains was a real treat, and I would do it too. Well worth the journey, and if it was steam hauled even better. Thanks for losing a night's sleep just for us Scott, and Happy Christmas to you and your family.

[@smoothmicra]

Well played chap, I don't know why but I like these travelogues to unfashionable spots out of season. I always find it a tad sad when trains, planes, buses or boats don't have healthy custom, we are basically chucking pollution into the air for no reason. Surely we can be a bit smarter in this day and age? Whatever, great content!😉

[@christinehodge3608]

Switzerland is lovely, but a bit pricey, but worth it 😊

[@annekerkvliet5096]

Happy Christmas Scott! Great trip. And I agree about how clean Switzerland is. Everytime I visit I always think somebody's been up all night scrubbing it to within an inch with a bloody toothbrush! I live in NL and it's fairly clean and tidy, but it couldn't hold a candle to Switzerland. And the other surprising thing is that all your trains ran on time. On a Sunday! This almost never happens here as there are always maintenance issues being dealt with at the weekend. Another lovely trip is Tirano to Chur. Both towns are interesting. You've probably done it already but if not, you can put it on the bucket list! All the best with your channel for 2024!

[@Fan652w]

It should be stressed that one of the reasons why Swiss public transport is so good is that the ''Taktfahrplan' (Hourly train/bus on all important routes) runs 365-days-a-year. Yes, they will be running today, 25th December!

[@walterfillingham]

It was a great trip, with fantastic scenery. Just goes to show what you can find if you do go out and explore

[@robertcaulfield5233]

Merry Christmas- very best wishes to you and yours. Excellent content right here, as ever.

[@WalkingEng]

Any travel for any reason is a great idea. Reliving an old memory is a fantastic idea.

[@Diana-andre2018]

Another great video Scott, Nyon looked so interesting and what a lovely Christmas Market you found. I do admire how you manage all your journeys as you make it seem so effortless, and La Cure looked beautiful with its gorgeous scenery. Have a great Christmas and best wishes for 2024 and hopefully, many more amazing and interesting places for you to plan and visit for all your subscribers, including me, to enjoy 😊

[@davidhotchkiss-ms5fd]

Lovley scenery a few years ago om a shearings holiday we took the train from Cher to innsbruck it was spectacular with plenty of snow hope To go again soon ,happy Christmas to you thsnks

[@EddersGTI]

I'm very tempted to do this myself. I've often gone for day trips by plane. Didn't think Geneva was possible but seems it is.

[@PhilipWalker-no1jb]

Merry Christmas Scot to you and your family

[@jkardez4794]

Merry Christmas to you Scott . Can't think of a more masochistic way to enjoy the yuletide than go visiting the country of the Helvetii where retail prices are ballistic and you're always watching the mercury go south . Anyways it's a learning curve and I enjoyed it with caveats ; always a pleasure to see the Swiss trains in action and Xmas shopping. Keep challenging yourself.

[@peterdnreynolds777]

Brilliant video as always!! Excellent views and scenery especially with the snow. Have found the same as that lounge at some of the ones in the UK. wishing you a very Merry Christmas, hope all is well and take care

[@paulhoughton5266]

Oh Scott, school boy error regarding buying water. Carry a water bottle with you and fill up at airports as most have watter station once you are past security

[@davidw1518]

For a moment I wondered why you were talking about German, when you were in the French part of Switzerland. But then you explained that you overheard a conversation between two German-speaking women. Before I went to live and work in Switzerland (the part you were visiting), I was given a book entitled "Living and Working in Switzerland". The only thing I remember from it was the statement: "Swiss German... not so much a language, more a throat infection"!

[@jimwilson4651]

Great video Scott, I'm glad the exchange rate worked in your favour, the wife and I spent 2 weeks in Switzerland in November and the exchange rate was a 1,77 Canadian dollars to the Franc. We loved Switzerland...but the cost of food alone could have bankrupted us lol. Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

[@jkardez4794]

When a Canadian says that...

[@ferrerosimoes8513]

Very nice :)

[@BobTravellin]

Ahhh, Geneva - spent a lot of time there over the last 20 odd years, some good times, some bad. Too pricy by half. Fun facts on the airport - the terminal building is in Switzerland, but the runway in France. As you go out of the airport in the bus to the city there is a tunnel under the runway into France, and about a kilometre beyond it a supermarket where many Geneva residents do their weekly shop as it's much cheaper than the local Co-op. And Swiss railways are the best in the world, IMO. Thanks for sharing, Scott.

[@Chronograph71]

Merry Christmas, Scott! A great video as always!