Montreux and Snow!
This is what drove our interest in finding somewhere in the Geneva area for a short pre-Christmas break. I'd heard of Montreux because of the Jazz festival but had never visited but when I found that it had a Christmas market and was accessible by train from Geneva airport we thought why not.
It turned out to be a great choice. Montreux is a charming town, small enough to see in a couple of days but with enough of interest to keep the family happy.
We stayed at the 4* Royal Plaza right on the lake with amazing views of the mountains. Although a little dated, it had spacious rooms, great service and views to die for from the breakfast room. There can't be many Christmas markets that have such a stunning setting as Montreux, the stalls and festive food and mulled wine outlets wrap around the promenade next to the lake and offer the usual Christmas gifts, ornaments etc and every kind of food including the obligatory fondue. In the evening a real-life Santa takes a high wire ride on his sleigh above the market which is charming and a great surprise to our kids - although his Christmas message in French was lost on me! This takes place at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm.
For families with younger children I would highly recommend taking the train up to see Santa at Rochers de Naye. This traditional link train leaves from central Montreux to the peak at Rochers de Naye. The 50-minute journey takes you above the snow line to a converted ski station turned grotto to meet the big man himself. There's time for a snowball fight, a bite to eat and to take some photos before taking the train back, this costs about £25 a head but includes a gift from Santa and is a must for younger children.
In summary, Switzerland is not cheap for eating out and shopping, but for a quick and easy trip to the Christmas markets in a beautiful setting with the option to visit Father Christmas and have a snowball fight its perfect!