From Geneva
Yvoire and the Savoy shore
Thirty kilometres, an hour on the road. Distance does not tell the story.
Loop
70 km
Driving time only
1 h 59
Suggested hire
4 h
From
440 CHF
Price for 1 to 3 passengers in an E-Class. Up to 7 passengers in a V-Class, from 575 CHF.
Yvoire is a fortified town from the start of the 14th century, on the French shore of Lake Geneva, some thirty kilometres from Geneva. Ramparts, fortified gates, a castle, two harbours: it belongs to the Plus Beaux Villages de France.
The full loop runs 70 kilometres, but allow two hours of driving out of the four: there is no motorway and the road follows the lake. It is the only one of our four-hour itineraries where the journey weighs as much as the visit.
We drive and we wait. The village is pedestrian: the chauffeur drops at the entrance and collects from the same place.
The itinerary
The lakeside road
No motorway: the road follows the French shore through Hermance and Nernier. Thirty kilometres out that take nearly an hour, which is both the charm and the constraint of the drive.
The fortified town
Built at the start of the 14th century, Yvoire has kept its ramparts and fortified gates, its castle and its two harbours. It belongs to the Plus Beaux Villages de France and is nicknamed the Pearl of Lake Geneva.
The Jardin des Cinq Sens
In the heart of the village near the Rue du Lac, on the castle's former kitchen garden: medicinal and aromatic plants, roses, fruit trees. It is listed as a Jardin remarquable by the Ministry of Culture.
The return, to be counted in
Another hour on the same road. Over a four-hour half-day that leaves two hours on the ground: enough for the village and the garden, not for an unhurried lunch. At six hours it is comfortable.
km included : 125 km
The kilometres below are measured from the airport. Starting from a hotel in town, or from another town, changes the loop and therefore the count: the quote is adjusted to your actual pickup point.
Four hours, or six
Over four hours, two remain on the ground. Enough for the village and the Garden of Five Senses, not for a lunch without watching the clock. Many clients take six hours and do not regret it: we say so beforehand, not on site.
Crossing the border
France and Switzerland apply the Schengen agreement: no systematic check. Still carry valid ID, as spot checks remain possible on either side.
The season changes the mood
Yvoire is known for its flowers, which supposes flowers: from late spring to autumn the village is at its best. In winter it is handsome and empty, which pleases some and disappoints others.
Frequently asked questions
From 440 CHF in an E-Class for four hours of hire, 725 CHF in an S-Class and 575 CHF in a V-Class. The loop runs 70 kilometres, under the 125 included: no supplement.
About an hour for some thirty kilometres, on the lakeside road via Hermance and Nernier. There is no motorway: it is the duration, not the distance, that defines this drive.
Two hours of driving out of four, so two hours on the ground. Enough for the fortified village and the Garden of Five Senses, not for an unhurried lunch. If you want to eat there, take six hours.
A garden laid out on the castle's former kitchen garden, in the heart of the village near the Rue du Lac: medicinal and aromatic plants, roses, fruit trees. It is listed as a Jardin remarquable by the Ministry of Culture.
France and Switzerland apply Schengen, so no systematic check. Still take valid ID: spot checks remain possible on either side.
No, the town is pedestrian. The chauffeur drops at the entrance and collects from the same place, which avoids the hunt for parking, particularly painful here in summer.