Montreux for Newcomers: Twenty Villages Between the Lake and the Rochers de Naye
Montreux Newcomers' Guide
Montreux: From the Lakeshore Up to Caux
The first few weeks
Montreux is the third-largest town in the canton of Vaud after Lausanne and Yverdon-les-Bains, and belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut district. The town stretches for around 5.5 kilometres along the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, from Territet to Clarens, and behind it climbs steeply to the heights of Glion, Caux and Les Avants. In everyday life, French is spoken above all: in the 2000 census, 74.4 per cent of residents named French as their main language and 6.2 per cent German. So expect French documents from the authorities, for your tenancy agreement and at school.
In the first weeks, three things count: registering with the Office de la population, health insurance and the route to work. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), EU citizens register with their municipality of residence within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. We take care of the move itself: we come from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and drive to Lake Geneva. Route, customs and duration are described on our page Moving from Berlin to Montreux.
Your Household Goods to Lake Geneva
Fixed price after a survey, liability under the German Commercial Code (HGB)
For your move to Montreux, we calculate a fixed price for packing, transport and assembly after the survey. Whether a flat in Clarens near the shore or a house in Chernex on the hillside: access, floor and carrying distance are all reflected in the quote. Your belongings are covered under the HGB (§ 451e: €620 per m³). Call us on 01625978461.
Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.
How We Prepare for Moving Day
Slope, Access, Customs Papers
Montreux lies on a slope: behind the narrow strip of shoreline, the land rises quickly, and villages such as Chernex, Brent or Glion are considerably higher than the station. That is why we clarify access, vehicle size and carrying routes before moving day. We come from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21); planning, packing, transport and assembly all come from a single provider. Your belongings are covered under the HGB, and additional insurance is possible on request. When crossing the border, you present form 18.44 for removal goods to Swiss customs. More on home removals.
Packing Service
Hillside Location
Customs papers
Furniture assembly
Your To-Do List for Montreux
From the Office de la population to the travel pass: these points belong on your list in the first weeks after moving in. We calculate the transport itself with a fixed price after the survey.
Registering
Choose a health insurer
Check the Village Carefully
Travel Pass with Subsidy
Allow for French
Settling in by the lake
Shared Load to Lake Geneva
What
Newcomers Should Clarify Early
If you are moving to Montreux, you first decide on the location: the stations are on the shore between Territet and Clarens, while the funicular, the rack railway and the MOB run up to Glion, Caux or Les Avants. Montreux has all school levels up to upper secondary (gymnase); the municipality can tell you how enrolment works. Many commute to Vevey, where Nestlé has its headquarters, or to the Lausanne area. We plan the transport as a home removal from Berlin.
Lakeshore or Hillside
Getting Around Without a Car
Practice, Office, Single Item
Questions from Newcomers in Montreux
Working and Learning Between Vevey and Glion
The economy of Montreux lives mainly from services: hotels and catering, administration, banks and insurance companies, education and medicine. In the higher villages of Glion and Caux there are numerous private clinics and care homes, and Caux has also had an international conference centre since 1946. Right next door in Vevey, the food group Nestlé has its headquarters.
Montreux offers all school levels up to upper secondary (gymnase). In Glion, an internationally known hotel school has been training students since 1962 and attracts many young people from abroad. For university studies, many commute to the Lausanne area with its university and EPFL; Lausanne is around 24 kilometres away as the crow flies.
Leisure Between the Lakeside Promenade and the Rochers de Naye
The lakeside promenade with palm trees and other Mediterranean plants is the town's meeting point. On the shore stands the monument to Freddie Mercury, erected in 1996, who had his own recording studio in Montreux with Queen. The Montreux Jazz Festival has taken place every July since 1967, and Chillon Castle lies three kilometres to the south-east.
Behind the town the Prealps begin: the rack railway runs from Montreux via Glion and Caux up to the Rochers de Naye, whose ridge belongs to the municipality. West of Vevey lie the vineyards of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.
Guide Prices for the Move to Montreux
| 1 room | from €354 |
| 2 rooms | from €579 |
| 3 rooms | from €894 |
| 4 rooms | from €1,279 |
| House/villa | individual quote |
| Long-distance move | from €4.10/km |
Request your free survey now!
What Determines the Price on the Riviera
Besides the volume of your belongings, the distance between the two homes plays a major role – here we calculate with €4.10/km. The floor, lift and a possible parking restriction zone are also reflected in the price. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a shared load round off the offer.
Services for the Move to Lake Geneva
We know the challenges of a move and offer you exactly the right solution.
- Furniture transport: reliable transport for all kinds of furniture. Furniture transport
- Home removal: one team for packing, transport and assembly. Home removal
- Shared load: affordable transport through shared trips. Shared load
- House clearance: make space with our house clearance service. House clearance
- Company relocation: we organise your office move efficiently. Company relocation
- Move with assembly: all-round service with dismantling and reassembly. Move with assembly
From Berlin to Switzerland
We come from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and drive within Germany and abroad, including to western Switzerland. Destinations with their own page can be found in the locations overview, and long routes under long-distance moves.
Registering in Montreux: Office de la population and Guichet virtuel
If you move to Montreux, you register with the Office de la population. According to the municipality of Montreux, the office is at Avenue des Alpes 18, 1820 Montreux, and can be reached by phone on 021 962 78 50 and by email ([email protected]). According to the municipal page, the opening hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.00 to 14.30, Wednesdays from 8.00 to 16.00.
According to the municipality, you can also report a move online via the Guichet virtuel. For this you need a citizen account, which you set up via the municipality's portal. The municipality also provides a PDF template for confirmation by the landlord, tenant or owner.
- Deadline: the municipality's overview page does not state its own deadline. For EU citizens, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM): registration within 14 days of arrival and before starting work.
- Documents: you should also clarify in advance which additional documents are required, for example when moving from Germany, so that you do not need a second appointment at the counter.
- Health insurance: according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), every person must have health insurance no later than three months after taking up residence in Switzerland. The obligation is set out in federal law and therefore also applies on Lake Geneva.
It is best to plan your registration for the first week after moving in. An overview of the process and organisation can be found in our guide to moving to Montreux.
Villages and Mobility in Montreux: Where You Live and How You Get Around
According to its own information, the municipality of Montreux consists of “une vingtaine de villages”, i.e. around twenty villages. The official page lists these places, among others: Brent, Caux, Chailly, Chamby, Chernex, Clarens, Glion, Les Avants, Tavel, Territet, Vieille Ville and Villard-sur-Chamby. For newcomers, this means the address “Montreux” covers very different residential areas. So when looking for a flat, check which village it actually lies in, and clarify lorry access with us before moving day.
On mobility, the municipality names several specific offers:
- The municipality grants a subsidy of 350 francs towards the purchase of a general annual public transport pass. You apply for it online via the Guichet virtuel.
- SBB day passes can be checked via cartejournaliere-commune.ch and collected from the Tourist Office at Rue des Alpes 45. The municipality points out that quotas no longer apply per municipality.
- The municipal “Mobility” page organises the topic by walking, cycling, bus, train, car and boat.
If you want to commute from Montreux towards Lausanne, the article Living in Lausanne has tips on the neighbouring city. For the journey by removal van from Germany, read our long-distance moving guide for Montreux.
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