MontreuX Jazz Fest

Q: My wife and I will be leaving for London on the 10th July, 2009 for about two weeks. While in London, we would like to travel to Switzerland for two days (14-15 July) to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival. Please advise on the cheapest way of getting there from London and affordable accommodation in Montreux or the nearest town. - Mango Tshabangu

A; The nearest airport is in Lausanne, but your best bet is to fly to Geneva. There are frequent flights from London Gatwick to Geneva on easyJet. Prices depend on date and time, but I did a test booking for your dates and the price for a return ticket including taxes was around 70 British pounds (R940). You need to book as soon as possible on www.easyjet.com. You can catch a train directly from Geneva Airport station to Montreux. There are plenty of trains, and additional services will be operating during the festival period. The best price I could find was 64 Swiss francs (R480) for a return ticket. However, if you already have a ticket to the festival, you can get a 20% discount from the Swiss Railways. The journey should take less than 90 minutes. (For further details, see www.sbb.ch) Budget accommodation will be difficult to find at this late stage. The simplest way to get a room is to contact the Montreux-Vevey Tourist Office online reservations centre (www.montreux-vevey.com). You can also book accommodation on the festival website (www.montreuxjazz.com). (28 June 2009)