Montreux Jazz Festival 2027. A lakeside town, sixteen nights, one road in.
Montreux is a narrow strip between Lake Geneva and the mountain. For two weeks in July it holds a festival far larger than the town, and the last mile is the part that goes wrong.
The festival
Montreux 2027 at a glance
- DatesFriday 2 to Saturday 17 July 2027The 61st edition. Sixteen nights, with the heaviest traffic on the two Fridays and Saturdays.
- WhereMontreux, Vaud, SwitzerlandOn the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, about 90 kilometres from Geneva Airport.
- Main venues2m2c, the Montreux Music and Convention CentreThe Auditorium Stravinski and the Montreux Jazz Lab sit inside it, with free stages along the lakeside promenade and the Quai.
- Nearest airportsGeneva, then Sion and ZurichGeneva is the practical choice for almost everyone. Zurich is a longer but straightforward run.
Dates as published by the festival for the 2027 edition. We review this page each year.
Getting there
Geneva is the airport, the lake road is the variable
Almost every client arrives through Geneva. From the private terminals on the west side of the field the car is on the A1 within minutes, then the A9 along the north shore of the lake through Lausanne and Vevey. On a clear run it is a little over an hour. On a July Friday afternoon, with holiday traffic heading for the Valais on the same motorway, it can be half as long again.
The alternative worth knowing is the train. Genève-Aéroport has its own station under the terminal and there are fast services to Montreux most of the day, typically a little over an hour with one change. For clients travelling light on a peak afternoon it is sometimes the quicker half of the journey, and we will say so rather than sell you a car that will sit in traffic. In that case we meet you at Montreux station instead.
Our own cars and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In Montreux and Geneva your car is arranged through operators we have worked with for years, briefed by us and managed by us, with one number to call for the whole trip.
Journey times
To Montreux
| From | Distance | Typical road time in festival season |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva Airport | About 90 km | 1 hour 5 to 1 hour 40 |
| Geneva city centre | About 85 km | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 |
| Lausanne | About 30 km | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Sion Airport | About 70 km | 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 |
| Zurich Airport | About 230 km | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours 15 |
| Gstaad | About 60 km | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 over the Col des Mosses |
Realistic ranges for planning, not promises. We set departure times against the day's conditions and the evening closures in Montreux itself.
The last mile
The Grand-Rue closes when the music starts
The festival takes over the lakefront. The Grand-Rue is closed to private traffic in the evenings for the duration, the promenade between the venues is pedestrian, and the streets that remain open carry shuttle buses, deliveries and residents. Parking near 2m2c is effectively gone from late afternoon. This is not a place to circle looking for a space in a dinner jacket.
What works is a drop-off agreed in advance on the open side of the barriers, a short walk in, and a pick-up point your chauffeur holds rather than a spot found at midnight in a crowd. Tell us which venue you are in and roughly when you expect to come out. Concerts in the Auditorium Stravinski regularly run past one in the morning, and the Lab later still, so we plan for a late finish and are glad when you are early.
If you are staying along the shore at Vevey, Clarens or Villeneuve, the CGN lake boats are a pleasant way in and out on a calm evening, and your car can meet the landing stage instead. It is often the most civilised option.
What clients usually book
A car for the evening, not a transfer each way
- Collection from a private terminal at Geneva with the car on the motorway inside ten minutes
- An as-directed car from early evening until you leave the venue, however late that turns out to be
- A hotel drop and a separate late pick-up for guests who want dinner in Vevey or Lausanne first
- Several cars for a company party or a sponsor's guests, arriving together and leaving together
- A day car for the Lavaux vineyards, Gruyeres or Chillon Castle between concerts
- Onward runs to Gstaad, Verbier, Crans-Montana or Zermatt at the end of the week
Book early
July is the busy fortnight in Vaud
The festival fills hotels from Lausanne to Villeneuve and the regional car supply with it. The two weekends go first. Tell us your nights as soon as your tickets are confirmed and we will hold the cars.
Around the festival
Related pages
Request a quote
Tell us which nights
Your nights, your venue, where you are staying and how you are arriving into Geneva. We come back with a clear price for the days you need. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Montreux travel
How close can the car get to the venue?
To the edge of the evening closure around the Grand-Rue and the lakefront, which usually means a short walk. We agree the exact point with you before the night rather than improvising in the crowd.
Our concert finishes after midnight. Will the car be there?
Yes. As-directed hire is the sensible way to book Montreux for that reason. Your chauffeur waits at the agreed point and you leave when the encore does.
Is it quicker to take the train from Geneva Airport?
Sometimes, on a busy Friday afternoon. There are fast services from the station under the terminal. We will tell you honestly which we would do, and meet you at Montreux station if the train wins.
Do you have your own cars in Switzerland?
Our own fleet and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In Switzerland we arrange the cars through operators we know and have used for years, and we manage the trip for you throughout.
Are you connected to the festival?
No. We are an independent chauffeur company arranging transport to and from it.
