SWITZERLAND PROGRAM

Travel

Planning Travel

Alpine Adventures

Around the Château

— WHY WE TRAVEL

Let the place teach you something the classroom can’t.

Switzerland sits at the heart of Europe, making it the perfect home base for travel across the continent. Because we believe that experience enhances classroom learning, our academic schedule has been intentionally designed to give students the ability to regularly explore the cultural richness and history of Europe through university-sponsored field trips and independent travel.

That means travel here isn't a distraction from the program — it's part of it. Whether it's a weekend train ride to a city you've only read about or a day hike above the lake, the goal is the same: explore widely, and let it shape you.

— PLANNING TRAVEL

Get the right pass, then go.

Planning travel can be overwhelming when trying to balance school and social life. Below we've provided a few resources that students have utilized in the past and a brief description about them, to help in your planning.

Air Travel

Most students fly out of Geneva Airport, as it is only a one-hour train ride from the Château; however, sometimes flights may be cheaper at airports such as Milan or Basel.

Skyscanner

A travel search app that lets you compare flight, hotel, and car rental prices across multiple booking sites to find the cheapest options for your trip.

Google Flights

A flight search tool that aggregates prices from airlines and travel sites, letting you compare routes, track price changes, and find the cheapest dates to fly.

Kayak

A travel search engine that compares flights, hotels, and rental cars across hundreds of sites to help you find the best deals in one place.

Rail Travel

With a train station right out front of the Château, rail travel is affordable, and connections are easy to find from big cities.

Half Fare Travelcard

Half-price travel on all SBB routes plus most other rail, boats, buses, and trams. Pays for itself in a few trips — every student gets one.

CHF 120

Night GA Travelcard

Free travel on Swiss trains between 7pm–5am, 2nd class, for anyone 25 and under. Valid for one year across the whole network.

CHF 99 per year

Eurail Pass

Near-free rail travel across Europe. Most students choose the Global Pass and a 10-day, 2-month pass for one semester.

Prices vary depending on length of pass: 10 day pass is around CHF 300

Accommodations

When you’re looking for a place to stay, there are 3 price points. Also, some work better than others depending on your group size.

Hostels

One of the cheapest accommodations, also one of the best way to meet other travelers. Hostels, can work great for solo trips all the way to large group trips.

Airbnb

This is the most common accommodations students use. Great for big groups and also easy to check in, and find last minute places.

Hotels

Hotels are rarely used by students normally just because of their price point, but sometimes if traveling in a pair for example, hotels can make the most sense.

— DAY TRIPS

Out the door and back by dinner.

All places below are accessible by public transit. Most are doable comfortably in a day.

Château de Chillon

A medieval castle rising straight out of Lake Geneva, just past Montreux. One of the most-visited historic sites in Switzerland, and barely 20 minutes from the Château by train and a short walk.

Lutry

A small lakeside village just outside Lausanne, with a working harbor, a Saturday morning market, and the start of the Lavaux vineyard trail right at its doorstep.

Cailler Chocolate Factory

Tour, tasting room, and store in the Gruyère region. Via Vevey → bus to Châtel-St-Denis → train to Bulle → train to Broc-Fabrique.

Gruyère

Medieval villages, the Maison Gruyère cheese factory, the castle, and fondue restaurants at the foot of the Pre-Alps.

Lavaux Wine Region

UNESCO-protected vineyard terraces between Lausanne and Montreux. Train to Chexbres, walk to St. Saphorin, then train back.

Annecy, France

A canal-laced old town on its own alpine lake, just across the border near Geneva. A favorite weekend-feeling day trip that doesn't eat a whole weekend.

Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen

Hiking, paragliding, and a gondola up to Mürren. Via Vevey → Bern → Interlaken Ost (or onward to Lauterbrunnen).

Geneva

Cosmopolitan and diplomatic — UN tours, the Red Cross Museum, the Jet d'Eau. Direct trains from Vevey, close to hourly.

Lucerne

Old Town, the wooden Chapel Bridge, and a lake ringed by mountains. A longer ride (transfer via Bern or Olten), but worth the early train.

Bern

The de facto capital — Bundeshaus, the Zytglogge clock tower, and the famous Bear Park. Direct from Lausanne.

— HIKING

From a 30-minute stroll to a 12-hour ridge.

Dent de Jaman
A rite of passage in the program and a longtime staff favorite — Montreux up to a rocky summit with views down to the lake and across to the French Alps on the way back.
Difficulty: Moderate · Time: 5–6 hr
Lavaux Terrasses
Chexbres to St. Saphorin. Easy vineyard paths with lake views — a great introduction to the Vaud region, barely 30 minutes from Vevey.
Difficulty: Easy · Time: 30–45 min
Lake Oeschinen Loop
One of the highest-rated hikes in Switzerland — a circuit above Kandersteg around a glacial lake ringed by the Bernese Alps. Steep in sections, with a gondola option to skip the climb up.
Difficulty: Hard · Time: 3–3.5 hr
Five Lakes Trail
Zermatt's signature hike, linking five alpine lakes — three of which mirror the Matterhorn on a calm day. Mostly downhill if you start from Blauherd.
Difficulty: Moderate · Time: 3.5–4 hr
Bachalpsee
A wide, well-kept trail above Grindelwald through alpine meadow to a glacial lake beneath the Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn. One of the most accessible big-payoff hikes in the Bernese Oberland.
Difficulty: Moderate · Time: 2–2.5 hr
Aletsch Panoramaweg
Views of the largest glacier in the Alps, plus the Aletschhorn and Geisshorn peaks from above Bettmeralp. Not recommended in winter.
Difficulty: Moderate · Time: ~4 hr
Hardergrat
Often called the most beautiful trail in the world — and one of the most dangerous. A knife-edge ridge from Interlaken to Brienz.
Difficulty: Very Difficult · Time: 12+ hr
Creux du Van
A massive natural rock amphitheater in the Jura — sheer 150-meter cliffs ringing a valley often called the "Swiss Grand Canyon." Watch for ibex along the rim.
Difficulty: Hard · Time: 5.5–6 hr

— ALPINE ADVENTURES

Rent your gear from the Château.

Switzerland has long been recognized as one of the most beautiful places on earth, and each weekend thousands of people head to the mountains to hike, ski, climb, sail, or camp. At the Switzerland Program, we share that love for the outdoors — so we make a small fleet of camping gear available to students, in hopes that you'll get out and experience as much of Switzerland's beauty as we have.

The Gear

Our gear has been carefully selected to be exceptionally user-friendly and strong enough for almost any adventure. Click a category below to view full specifications.

4 Season Tents

3 Season Tents

Snowshoes

Sleeping Bags

Backpacks

UCO Firepits

We carry two portable fire pits: the UCO Flatpack, better suited for preparing food, and the Firewall-03, better suited for providing warmth. Both are ultralight and incredibly portable.

Ready to reserve gear?

Gear rental is only available to currently enrolled Pepperdine students in Switzerland. Submit a request and we'll follow up with availability for your travel weekend, rental contract terms, and a link to pay online.

All rental requests must be submitted at least 48 hours before your travel period.

Reservation Request Form Rental Gear Payment

— AROUND THE CHÂTEAU

Beyond the gates.

People in Switzerland book restaurant reservations in advance — make sure you do too. The Fork app (or thefork.ch) makes it easy. Roughly: $ = 10–20 CHF, $$ = 20–30 CHF, $$$ = 30–40 CHF, $$$$ = 50–70 CHF for a main.

Breakfast and Coffee

Eleven Coffee

$

A cozy specialty coffee corner in the old town — consistently rated the top coffee house in Vevey.

Brew Society

$$

Lakefront roastery and café, solar-roasted coffee and a weekday brunch service.

Café du Bois d'Amour

$

A local favorite for an indulgent start to the day — known for its potato waffles.

Modern Times

$$

Breakfast served daily, 7–10am, inside the Modern Times Hotel.

Boulangerie Bread Store

$

Authentic Swiss bakery, excellent pastries.

Lunch

Le Non-Stop

$$

Burgers, chicken burgers, salads, and specialty fries — a Vevey institution.

Le Charlot

$

Fresh sandwiches made to order, including solid vegetarian options.

Modern Times

$$

Lunch served daily, 12–2pm, inside the Modern Times Hotel.

Comelon Burrito Bar

$$

Build-your-own burritos and burrito bowls.

Holy Cow

$$

Swiss gourmet burger chain — beef, chicken, or veggie, with locally sourced ingredients.

Dinner

Bla Bla Café

$$$

Italian — pizza, gourmet pasta, fish.

KJU

$$$

Gourmet tartare, unique pastas, fish.

Pizza Taxi

$$

A Vevey staple since 1992 — pizza, pasta, and burgers, with a lakeside terrace on the quai.

Ze Fork

$$$

French cuisine in an elegant setting.

Swagat Restaurant

$$

Traditional Indian cuisine.

Le Carré

$$$

French brasserie — gourmet burgers, tartare, mussels, fish.

TomSab Thaï

$$

Authentic Thai — pad thai, khao soi, laab, and curries, made as spicy as you like.

The Greek Project

$

Greek street food and specialty coffee in the old town — moussaka, souvlaki, gyros.

Ma Cocotte

$$$

A Vevey institution on the lakefront — French and Swiss brasserie classics by day, piano bar by night.

Hotels

Visiting the Château and need a place to stay? Here are some local options — ask program staff about a Pepperdine discount where noted.

Modern Times Hotel

4-star · 150–200 CHF/night

Chem. du Genévrier 20, St-Légier (0.2 mi from the Château). Pepperdine discount available.

Astra Hotel Vevey

4-star · 200–300 CHF/night

Pl. de la Gare 4, Vevey (1.4 mi from the Château). Directly across from the train station; family rooms available. Pepperdine discount available.

Trois Couronnes

5-star · 300-400 CHF/night

Rue d’Italie 49, Vevey (1.3 mi from the Château). Pepperdine discount available.