Going to Vaud: Vacations, Tourism, Hotels, Things to Do, and Airports

Chillon Castle in the Lake Geneva region, Canton Vaud, Switzerland

Paraskiers in Vaud, Switzerland. (ThinkStock)

What to do in Vaud

The Lake Geneva Region, or Canton Vaud, wraps around Lake Geneva and includes two mountain ranges. The Jura, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers, straddles Switzerland's border with France. To the south, the Vaud Alps are home to four of Switzerland's Families Welcome resorts, meaning they have a wealth of programs, activities, and special offers for parents and kids.

Summer or winter, Villars-Gryon, Les Diablerets, Leysin, and Chateau-d'Oex are resorts geared for active families.

Villars-Gryon, high above the Rhone Valley, has hiking, biking, golf, and traditional alpine farms to visit in summer; ages eight and younger ride the mountain transport system for free. The resort has its own skiing and ski schools but is also linked with Les Diablerets; together they have 77 lifts and 137 miles of...