Cully (Lavaux)
Cully, in the Lavaux vineyards, is about 78 km from Geneva Airport, roughly an hour by car on the motorway past Lausanne. By train it is straightforward too, with a train from the airport to Lausanne and a regional connection along the lake to Cully; a private transfer with AirportsTransfers.ch is worth it for groups, wine tours, luggage or addresses up among the terraces.
- Distance from GVA: about 78 km
- Drive time: around 1 hour
- Border crossing: none
- Train option: yes, change at Lausanne for a regional train along the lake
- Best for: wine tasting in Lavaux, lakeside stays, walks through the UNESCO terraces
Cully and the Lavaux terraces
Cully is a small wine village on the shore of Lake Geneva, between Lausanne and Vevey, at the heart of the Lavaux region. The steep vineyard terraces of Lavaux, built up over centuries by monks and winegrowers, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most photographed landscapes in Switzerland. Cully itself has a charming old centre, a lakefront and a long tradition of wine and music, and it is surrounded by villages such as Riex, Epesses, Chexbres and Saint-Saphorin, many of them perched on the slopes above the lake.
Visitors come for wine tasting in family-run cellars, for walks along the paths between the vines, for lake swimming in summer and for the views towards the Alps and the French shore.
The region is compact but surprisingly vertical. The distance from the lakeside to the upper villages is short on a map, yet the roads and footpaths between them climb steeply. That geography shapes every decision about how to arrive, because a station on the lakeshore is not necessarily close to where you are staying.
Train: easy, with one change
Swiss public transport handles this route well. Trains run from the station under Geneva Airport to Lausanne, many without a change. At Lausanne, you switch to a regional train on the lakeside line towards Vevey, which calls at Lutry, Cully and other Lavaux villages. The total journey is comfortable and scenic, with the last part running directly along the water.
For a couple with light bags arriving in the daytime and staying near Cully station, this is a perfectly good choice. The drawbacks appear if you are staying in a village up the hill, such as Chexbres or Riex, where the slope is steep and local connections less frequent, or if you have heavy luggage, children, or a late flight.
Buses and alternatives
Local buses link some of the Lavaux villages, and in summer a small tourist train runs among the vineyards, but there is no direct bus from the airport. Lake boats also call at Cully in season, an attractive option for a day trip from Lausanne but not a practical airport link.
Private transfer: Lavaux door to door
By road, the route follows the A1 along Lake Geneva to Lausanne, then continues on the motorway or along the lakeside road to Cully. Your chauffeur can drop you at a lakeside hotel, a guest house among the vines or a winegrower's estate. That is particularly useful in Lavaux, where narrow roads climb steeply between the terraces.
A private car is worth considering for:
- groups visiting several wine estates, who can book a chauffeur by the hour (minimum two hours) and leave the driving to someone else;
- wedding parties and family celebrations in Lavaux, using a van or Sprinter minibus;
- travellers with heavy luggage or children who need child seats;
- evening arrivals when you would rather not change trains at Lausanne.
Timing and traffic tips
The motorway between Geneva and Lausanne is busy during weekday rush hours, which can extend the drive. The lakeside road through Lavaux is slower than the motorway but very scenic. Trains are not affected by road traffic, which favours them at peak times. During popular summer weekends and wine events, the villages get busy, so booking a transfer in advance is sensible.
If you plan to taste wine, a chauffeured car or the train has the obvious advantage that nobody in your group needs to drive. This is one of the most common reasons visitors combine an airport transfer with a few hours of chauffeur service in the vineyards.
Spring and autumn are particularly pleasant in Lavaux, with the grape harvest bringing colour and activity to the terraces in early autumn. These seasons are also popular for small group trips and corporate outings, so reserving vehicles early is wise if you are planning for a team.
Booking your Cully transfer
Book online with AirportsTransfers.ch and you see the fixed price per vehicle before paying by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your chauffeur waits in arrivals with your name on a sign, monitors your flight and waits if it is delayed. Child seats are available on request, return trips are easy to add, and companies can receive invoices. For anything else, call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77, 24/7.
