007 Travel story: Interlaken & Montreux (SWITZERLAND) 2014

In order to read our 007 Travel story of Switzerland from the day one, click here.


Sunday 20 July 2014

INTERLAKEN

Our breakfast was in the beautiful Hotel De La Paix.

Later we checked out and returned our rented Skoda Fabia to Europcar. Near by is Hotel Victoria - Jungfrau Interlaken and we took some photos of it. James Bond visited there in John Gardner's book "Never Send Flowers" (1993).

"Less than an hour later, they pulled up in front of the imposing Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau-a building which still retains the splendour of the British Victorian architectural influence on so many large Swiss hotels. There had been no sign of the red car once they had got fully under way.

Inside, there was the usual gravity over the formal registration: a neat, unsmiling dark-haired under-manager, whose little plastic nameplate revealed her to be Marietta Bruch, watched them as though intent on taking their fingerprints. She then went through the passport routine before saying that she was so sorry about what she actually called `the untimely demise of your relative' Then: `You have, I believe, papers from the police?" Fredericka smiled, digging into her large shoulder bag, carefully keeping it below the level of the reception desk so that nobody could glimpse the pistol. `Yes, I have them, don't I, darling?" She beamed, giving Bond a quick, raised eyebrow."

Perhaps you would like to come with me?" She came around to their side of the reception desk, back on form, curtly instructing a porter to take Mr and Mrs Bond's cases to 614. She put a great deal of stress on the Mrs Bond, as though clearly saying that she did not believe a word of it.

Laura March had opted for an obviously cheap and cheerful room.

It is not one of our luxury accommodations." Unterfuhrer Bruch as Bond now thought of her-broke the seals and turned the key in the lock."

John Gardner: "Never Send Flowers" 

Did you notice the statue?

MONTREUX

Pirita / 007 Travelers

We took a train from Interlaken to Montreux:

Price:
69,00 CHF (56,45 EUR) / adult, 34,50 CHF (28,23 EUR) / child, total 172,50 CHF (141,13 EUR)

Timetable:
- 9.11 From Interlaken West we took a train RegioExpress 3115:
Direction: Zweisimmen, platform 1
- 9.32 Arrival: Spiez, platform 2/3
- 9.36 Departure: Spiez, InterCity 812:
Direction: Brig, platform 2/3
- 10.02 Arrival: Visp, platform 6
- 10.06 Departure: Visp, InterRegio 1720:
Direction: Genève-Aéroport, platform 4
- 11.16 Arrival to Montreux

There is also a Golden Pass Line between Montreux and Interlaken, if you want to visit BOND WORLD 007 and the Revolving Restaurant Piz Gloria. They are located in Mürren. 007 Travelers warmly recommends!

HOW TO GET THERE
Take the Golden Pass Line from Montreux to Interlaken Ost.
Take a train from Interlaken Ost for Lauterbrunnen, from where a postbus takes you to the bottom station of the Schilthorn aerial cableway in Stechelberg. The aerial cableway to Mürren departs every 30 minutes.

By the time we arrived, we were quite hungry. We found Ristoranti-Pizzeria Molino where we had tuna pizza 24,50 CHF, Margherita “Pizza O Penne” 10,00 CHF and Salami E Gorgonzola 24,50 CHF. Montreux was much more expensive than Interlaken.

While visiting Bern, people speak German, and in Locarno they speak Italian and here in Montreux they speak mostly French. However everyone can speak very good English.

We found our hotel with a beautiful lake view form our balcony.

Hotel: Golf Hotel René Capt

Address: Rue Bon Fort 33-35, Montreux
Price: 214 CHF (199 EUR), breakfast included, reserved via booking.com
Wi-Fi: Free
Check in: 14.00
Check out:11.00
Room type: Triple Room with lake view and balcony

Our room was on the first floor, room 132.

We wanted to explore the area, where we found the famous statue of Freddie Mercury. 
He settled in Montreux where Queen had bought Mountain Recording Studio and where he learnt to appreciate the peace and quiet. He recorded his last album, Queen - "Made in Heaven" at the Montreux studio.

A statue by sculptor Irena Sedlecka is a tribute to Mercury. It stands almost 10 feet (3 metres) high overlooking Lake Geneva and was unveiled on 25 November 1996 by Mercury's father and Montserrat Caballé, with bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor also in attendance. Beginning in 2003 fans from around the world have gathered in Switzerland annually to pay tribute to the singer as part of the "Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day" on the first weekend of September. (Wikipedia)

We also visited the Chillon Castle, an architectural jewel located in the most beautiful setting imaginable - on the shores of Lake Geneva, right at the foot of the Alps.

Address: Avenue de Chillon 21, Montreux
Open (2014): 9.00 - 19.00 (last entry 18.00)
Price (2014): Family ticket 29,00 CHF (23,73 EUR), but with our Swiss Pass it was free

Later we had a boat cruise on the Lake Geneva, it was free since we had the Swiss Pass and validated for this day.

The places where the boat stopped were:
* Montreux

* Territet
* Chillon
* Villeneuve
* Bouveret
* Saint-Gingolph

We visited Villeneuve and took a bus back to our hotel.

We had dinner in hotel's own restaurant. Chicken salad, salmon pasta and spaghetti.

We went to sleep when thunderstorm started.

Our next and last 007 stop in Switzerland is Geneva, where this tour also started. Read what happened in Geneva and Coppet here


See more 007 Travel stories here