If you want a Christmas that feels like a scene straight out of a Netflix holiday movie, with or without your dog, fly into Geneva and spend Christmas in Montreux. I've spent Christmas there with Daisy, my dog, more than once, and every year I try to plan something different, I end up asking myself the same question: how do you beat Montreux?
Snow-capped mountains across Lake Geneva. A Christmas market along the waterfront. Santa flying off in his sleigh over the lake. A hotel that treated Daisy like royalty from the moment she arrived as a tiny puppy. Here's exactly how to do it, day by day, with everything I've learned along the way.
The view I keep coming back for, and the dog I bring with me.
Your Christmas itinerary at a glance
- Days 1 to 2, Geneva. Stay at the Geneva Marriott Hotel. Tram into town and the Geneva Christmas market.
- Days 3 to 5, Montreux. Stay at the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic. Montreux Noël, the flying Santa and Christmas Day on the lake.
- Day 6, Montreux. Spa day and slow lakeside walks.
- Day 7, Gstaad day trip. The GoldenPass train, Glacier 3000 and dinner at The Mansard, then back to Montreux for the night.
- Day 8, home. Direct train from Montreux to Geneva Airport.
If you can, add a spare day at the end. We loved it so much we cancelled our next stop and extended our stay in Montreux.
Two nights in Geneva to ease into Christmas
Two nights in Geneva was perfect timing. We stayed at the Geneva Marriott Hotel, which is modern, super dog friendly, and sits right by a tram stop, so you're straight into town without needing a taxi.
The whole hotel feels open and welcoming to dogs. Daisy was allowed in for dinner and drinks with us, which is always my first test of whether a hotel is properly dog friendly or just tolerating you.
On our first night we hopped on the tram into town for the Christmas market, and it was all of the vibes. Hay bales and cosy corners to sit with your drink, fire pits glowing, everyone wrapped up holding warm mugs of mulled wine. Confession: I actually hated the mulled wine, but we had to do it for the pictures. Daisy wore her Christmas outfit and soaked up all the attention.
Montreux, the gold standard Christmas
The year before Geneva, I spent Daisy's very first Christmas in Montreux, and when I tell you it was a scene out of a Netflix holiday movie, I could not believe the magic.
Where to stay, the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic, right on the waterfront and directly across from the Christmas market. Daisy was only two and a half months old on that first visit, an absolute puppy, and the staff knew her by name. Well, by nickname: to the whole hotel she was simply "Crazy." If you've met Daisy, you know exactly why she's Crazy Daisy. She's three now and has calmed down, but she's still the most social dog you'll ever meet.
The hotel was so amazing to her as a puppy that I went back the following Christmas. Read my full dog-friendly review of the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic for the details.
Christmas morning on our balcony, with Lake Geneva and the mountains laid out in front of us.
Montreux Noël, the most special Christmas market
Montreux Noël stretches along the lakefront, and because the hotel is right on it, it becomes part of your daily routine. We went several times. On our morning walks we'd stop for hot chocolate, a coffee or a sweet treat, then carry on along the lake in either direction. The views are spectacular and you'll take more photos than you thought possible.
In the evening, go and watch Santa's sleigh take off. Santa literally rises into the sky and flies off over Lake Geneva towards the North Pole. It is the most magical thing.
Good to know before you go:
- In 2026 the market runs from 20 November to 24 December, so plan to arrive before Christmas Eve if the market is on your list.
- Santa flies at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm on weekdays, with an extra 4pm flight at weekends. On 24 December there are just two flights, at 4pm and 5pm, and the market closes at 5pm that day. Check the official schedule before you go.
- The best viewing spot is on the quayside between the Freddie Mercury statue and the Ferris wheel.
- Dogs are welcome at the market on a short lead, and Daisy came with us every time.
Christmas Day in Montreux
On Christmas Day the market is closed, but that doesn't matter one bit. We got up and walked along the lake, and the weather was spectacular: bright sunshine, snow-capped mountains across the water. It's one of those moments where you ask yourself, is this real life?
Bright sunshine, snow on the mountains and nowhere we needed to be.
After our walk we settled onto the hotel's raised terrace overlooking Lake Geneva with a glass of wine, and they brought out olives and nuts. That's how we spent Christmas afternoon, just looking out over the lake and the mountains. I honestly cannot tell you anything I'd rather be doing.
Christmas dinner, book ahead even if you didn't need to last time
On Daisy's first Christmas, I had dinner in the hotel restaurant, where she was welcome, and enjoyed a lovely steak. It wasn't busy, so the following year I didn't think twice about booking. Big mistake. The hotel restaurant was full, so we couldn't have Christmas dinner there.
It worked out beautifully anyway. We went to 1820 Restaurant, an Italian restaurant I'd already eaten at a couple of times. Sublime service, a gorgeous three-course meal, a lovely bottle of wine, and the friendliest staff. Daisy was on her bestest behaviour.
My advice: whatever you want to do for Christmas dinner, reserve it, and tell them you're bringing your dog.
Boxing Day, a spa day and why you need to know your dog
The day after Christmas was all about relaxing. After our morning walk, Daisy stayed in the room for her rest while we spent two to three hours at the spa at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.
Pro tip: dogs need downtime too. Daisy is on the go a lot and happily naps in her bag while we're out, but dogs will just keep going and going if you let them, so you have to manage their rest. When I leave her in the room, I set up a Zoom camera on my laptop and log in from my phone so I can watch her. Same as watching her on the camera at home. She just sleeps away, and she doesn't destroy anything.
Know your dog
This is why I always look for hotels that allow you to leave your dog in the room for a short time. But it all comes down to knowing your own dog, and some dogs should never be left.
A few rules I live by:
- Never leave your dog the first night. I would never walk into a hotel room we've just arrived in and say "See you later, Daisy." She doesn't know the room yet. If I'm going to leave her for a couple of hours, I wait until the next day.
- Be honest about anxiety. If your dog gets stressed on their own, plan around it. Don't bring them somewhere that's going to cause them stress and then leave them.
- Pick your hotel carefully. You know the no-frills hotels where all the dogs get put on the ground floor, the owners go out, and every dog is barking its head off? Stained carpets, the smell, the stress. I don't think that's right, for the dogs or anyone staying there.
- Ferries are the same. My second pet peeve: people who shut their anxious dog in the ferry pet cabin at boarding time and disappear to the bar for the whole crossing. Those dogs are stressed out of their minds. If your dog struggles, pop up for food and come straight back to sit with them.
Most of the time Daisy is right there with me, and breakfast rooms are hit or miss on whether dogs are allowed. But when she does stay behind, it's planned around her. I've written the full version of these rules in Know Your Dog.
The pièce de résistance, the GoldenPass to Gstaad and Glacier 3000
The next day we took the GoldenPass train from Montreux to Gstaad, and when I tell you I was in a winter wonderland. The train has huge windows that curve right up into the roof. It climbs slowly up the mountain through snow-covered forests and the middle of nowhere, and you just sit there taking it all in.
Then you arrive in Gstaad, and it's another Netflix holiday movie. This time you're in the village where everybody knows everybody: an upscale little Alpine town with chalets, boutiques and cosy cafés.
Glacier 3000
After a look around the village, we took the bus up to the cable car for Glacier 3000, a ski area at 3,000 metres. The cable car ride is a great experience in itself, and at the top there's a lovely restaurant, the Peak Walk suspension bridge, and endless photo opportunities.
Again, know your dog. If your dog is very sprightly or nervous at heights, this isn't the place for them. For Daisy, snug in her carrier, it was perfect. Wrap up warm, it's much colder at the top.
Dinner at The Mansard
Back down in Gstaad, we had dinner at The Mansard, the rooftop restaurant at the Miiro hotel. By then it was dark. We were upstairs with wine and food, Daisy was chilling, other dogs were around, and through the glass all you could see were snow-covered rooftops and the trains in the distance. Magical doesn't cover it. The food was the best of our whole trip. Book ahead.
We left Montreux at 9am and caught the last train back in the evening. It's a long, full day, so check the last train times before you set off.
Getting there and final tips
- Fly into Geneva. The airport station connects straight to the Swiss rail network, and there's a direct train from Geneva Airport to Montreux, so there's no need for a car.
- Dogs on Swiss trains. Small dogs in a carrier travel free. Bigger dogs travelling outside a carrier need a ticket, so check the current SBB rules for your dog's size.
- Book the dog when you book the room and the table. Dog-friendly rooms and restaurant spots fill up at Christmas. Tell every hotel and restaurant you're bringing your dog.
- Leave room in the plan. We were supposed to move on to another town, and instead we extended our stay in Montreux by a day. You'll want to as well.
Even writing this makes me want to change this year's Christmas plans. But if we keep doing the same thing over and over again, we'll never discover our next Montreux. If you want the best Christmas experience, with or without your dog, Geneva and Montreux is the way to go.
If you're choosing where to stay, I've listed the dog-friendly hotels in Montreux and in Geneva with their fees and where your dog can go.
