Special 3-hour evening on the lake on CGN steamboats, departures from Geneva and Lausanne
Link out: http://www.cgn.ch/plain_site/croisieres_tourist…
Date: 14 Feb 2012
Start time: 20:00
End time: 23:00
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – It’s been 70 years since Lake Geneva has seen five elegant steamboats crossing the lake regularly. The return Sunday 12 June of the Simplon, which has undergone major renovation work, is the latest sign of the CGN’s (Compagnie Générale de Navigation) successful efforts to get more people onto the water in summer. The boat is part of the new summer schedule that goes into effect Sunday.
The Simplon made her new debut as part of the lake boats parade in Rolle 5 June, attended by 10,000 people, according to the CGN.
Newly restored 1920 steamer, Simplon, making her new debut on Lake Geneva, June 2011
The new summer schedule features not only the return of the newly elegant 1920 Simplon, but 90 crossings a day between France and Switzerland on the four NaviBoat public transport lines: N1 Lausanne – Evian (35 minutes), N2 Lausanne – Thonon (27
minutes), N3 Nyon – Yvoire (20 minutes) and N4 Nyon – Chens (20
minutes).
The Simplon, for her part, will make the “Majestic promenade” cruise daily from Geneva to Lausanne and back by way of Evian, stopping at Yvoire. The Rhone boat will do the trip in the other direction, daily starting 5 July, but will also do an evening short cruise, Lausanne to Yvoire and back, for CHF49, including a cold meal.
Lake Geneva steamboats parade in Rolle 5 June (photo, CGN)
The Rhone, built in 1929, was refurbished over the winter and first class passengers in particular can enjoy velour seats like the original ones.
The Simplon’s restoration features a transformed first class lounge with carpeting that is an exact copy of the 1920 original, maple furniture and bronze fittings.
The steamer’s mechanical parts were completely dismantled and repaired for the first time in its history and the engine is once again its original black colour. Windows have been added to the bridge that allow travellers to see the massive pistons at work.
The three other Belle Epoque boats have the following assignments this summer:
- La Suisse, 1910: Swiss Riviera, including the Lavaux vineyards and the Chateau de Chillon, fine cuisine option
- Le Montreux, 1904: Lausanne-Chateau de Chillon and back during the day, with Lausanne Palace chefs cooking a sunset cruise feast
- Le Savoie, 1914: fine cuisine cruises with Geneva chef Philippe Chevrier at noon and in the evening; afternoon cruises between Geneva and Yvoire.
Ed. note: The Swiss Family Boat pass is worth considering if you’re taking children, with parents traveling for half-price and two accompanied children under 16 free.
Click on images to view larger
Turn on your lights and fill the windscreen cleaner: winter is here!
One in four Swiss road deaths occurs at pedestrian crossings: make sure your lights are set correctly and windscreen cleaner is full with dark, wet days here (photo: TCS)
Lugano and Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – One in four road deaths in Switzerland occurs at a pedestrian crosswalk, a problem the country shares with the rest of Europe. TCS (Touring Club Suissse) in 2008 embarked on a programme with other automobile clubs in Europe to test pedestrian crossings, and the worst one this year turned up in Lugano. The intersection at the Via San Gottardo and the Via Genzana was given a mark of “very inadequate”, reports news agency ats. Its low marks were due to no traffic lights, very poor light during the day and at night and the difficulty seeing pedestrians that drivers have when they turn right have.
TCS, as part of a national Day of Light 25 November, published a set of reminders for drivers that include these points:
- 90 percent of the information we receive as drivers is visual
- fatigue sharply reduces your ability to process visual information quickly
- night driving cuts visibility by 5-10 percent and rain reduces it even further
- visual acuity is reduced as we get older.
Winter weather brings a reminder to refill your car’s windscreen cleaner liquid, making sure it’s the anti-freeze kind for winter.
Ed. note: the Day of Light organizers have a safety quiz contest with only four easy questions, which require only basic French, and the prizes are handy items like a mountain bike, bicycle helmets, Swiss thermos and safety vests. It runs until 11 February 2010.
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Forty people lost their lives in accidents in 2008 that were linked to public transport: three of them in buses, one in a tram accident and the other 36 in accidents that involved “unauthorized” crossings or inattention at crossings of trains and trams. Switzerland has one of the world’s lowest rates of accidents linked to public transport systems, but the government, in its annual report on public transport safety, notes that more needs to be done to protect crossings.
The figures show a 33 percent increase over 2007 figures, but Bern notes that 2008 figures were lower than those for every year since 2001 except 2007.
Lausanne's M2, photo on flickr by Overthemoon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/overthemoon/2803023765/)
Lausanne, Switzerland (24 Heures, Fre) – Lausanne’s new M2 metro system is a resounding success but the city’s drivers and pedestrians seem to be having trouble adapting to it, reports 24 Heures. The city recorded 98 incidents in 2008 of cars either getting caught in the crossings as barriers come down and they try to shoot across, or cars and trucks or pedestrians forcing the barriers to stay up while they scoot through.
