There were six paddle steamers in service on Lake Geneva this June all quietly going about their business, carrying good loads and offering trips either connecting individual honeypot tourist locations along the ribbon of the lake shore or offering cruises of generally between two and three hours duration from points along the way in different segments of the lake..
Italie ran morning lunch cruises away from Geneva at 12.35 on Saturdays and Sundays to the small medieval town of Yvoire and during the week to Hermance returning at 3.30pm or 2.20pm respectively followed by afternoon cruises to Hermance at 3.50m back 5.50pm and evening cruises to Yvoire away at 7pm back 10.20pm every day. So that’s three round trips, about three hours each, from Geneva every day.
Until Sunday 18th June Savoie was away from Geneva at 10.45am calling at Versoix, Coppet, Nyon, Yvoire, Rolle, St Prex, Morges and St Sulpice on her way to Lausanne for arrival at 2.25pm before setting off at 2.35pm and following the same route back to Geneva for arrival at 6.25pm. So that’s a three hour trip one way or the other along the lake with other options along the way including, for example, a three hour lunch cruise from Nyon at 12.25pm and a return trip, about two hours each way, from Geneva to Yvoire.
Flagship of the fleet La Suisse was away from Lausanne Ouchy every day at 9am for Pully, Lutry, Cully, Rivaz, Vevey, Montreux, Chateau Chillon, Villneuve, St Gingolph and then direct across the lake back to Lausanne for 12.22pm. She then ran a lunch cruise at 12.30pm to Vevey and back at Lausanne 2.25pm before setting off once again at 2.40pm for St Gingolph direct returning along the north shore of the lake calling at points along the way back to Lausanne for 6.05pm. So that’s three round trips of two to three hours each from Lausanne every day.
Rhone was away from Lausanne at 10.55am for St Sulpice, Morges, St Prex, Rolle, Yvoire, Nyon, Coppet, Versoix and Geneva for arrival at 2.35pm setting off again for the return at 2.45pm to Lausanne for arrival at 6.10pm. So that’s a three hour trip one way or the other along the lake with other options along the way including, for example, a three and a half hour lunch cruise from Nyon at 1.20pm and a return to trip Lausanne to Yvoire which is about two hours each way.
After that she offered a two hour evening cruise from Lausanne at 6.20pm to Vevey and Montreux returning to finish her day at Lausanne at 8.35pm.
Vevey started her days at Le Bouveret at the eastern end of the lake at 9.05am feeding passengers in to Montreux, Vevey and Lausanne for 10.40am. Then she was away again at 11am calling at all piers on the Swiss shore including Vevey, Montreux and Chateau Chillon, to St Gingolph where she arrived at 1.43pm before crossing directly to Vevey for 2.05pm. She then ran two more circuits of the eastern part of the lake away from Vevey at 2.10pm and 4.10pm calling at all piers to St Gingolph and then directly back across the lake to Vevey. After that she continued on to Montreux and then Le Bouveret where she finished her schedule at 6.55pm. So that is connections from the eastern part of the lake to Lausanne and then three round trips of about two hours each in the eastern part of the lake.
From Monday 19th June Simplon took over the Savoie’s duties away from Geneva at 10.45am calling at Versoix, Coppet, Nyon, Yvoire, Rolle, St Prex, Morges, St Sulpice on her way to Lausanne for arrival at 2.25pm before setting off at 2.35pm and following the same route back to Geneva for arrival at 6.25pm.
So that’s it. A paddle steamer filled June on Lake Geneva with six of the seven operational paddle steamers in service on the lake. It is not a business model which is targeted at the enthusiast community although of course all are very welcome. It is not a service based on offering long day trips to unusual destinations to draw in the punters. Rather it offers the same sort of relatively short trips every day week in week out in different parts of the lake to a more general clientele of both tourists and locals who want to get afloat a little bit, but not too much, and probably enjoy some nice food, or at least a drink, aboard whilst they are at it.
This works well economically for the company. For example a ticket for each of La Suisse’s three daily circuits of the eastern part of the lake from Lausanne costs 53 CHF (£46.70) second class and 75 CHF (£66.10) first class. The three trips therefore notch up 159 CHF (£140.14) or 225 CHF (£198.32) per passenger per day. So with only 100 passengers aboard on each of the three trips that brings in a revenue of 15,900 CHF (£14,000) or 19.800 CHF (£17,466) per day with commensurately more when the steamers are fuller. With 600 aboard on each of the three trips paying the first class fare that could push the revenue for La Suisse up to a very healthy 118,000 CHF (£104,000) per day.
Although fewer in number there are those who do want to spend longer on the lake and for them there are day cards which come in at a more affordable 64 CHF (£58) second class or 90 CHF (£79.33) first class. And remember you don’t have to be of Swiss nationality to buy their annual Swiss card which gives half price on all the trains, boats and bus tickets throughout Switzerland. With one of those you could spend the whole day on the lake for just 32 CHF (£28.20) second class or 45 CHF (£39.66) first class.
By targeting the shorter trips of two to three hours duration the business model therefore produces a higher take per passenger per paddle steamer per day thereby producing a revenue more commensurate with the costs of running the steamers. And it does not forget those who want to spend longer aboard by offering the day card option at a more affordable fare.
There is great local support for the paddle steamers and the heritage they represent on the lake. There is an Association of Friends of the Steamships for Lake Geneva but unlike here in the UK the pyramid of ownership is the other way up. There they do not see the role of the Friends as being at the top of that pyramid owning the paddle steamers and having ultimate control but rather as background fund raisers providing support and finance for the company which does own and operate them.
In that the Friends have enjoyed considerable success in recent years both in lobbying other potential funders, including the cantons, as well as raising substantial sums themselves to restore the paddle steamers. The last decade has seen Italie, Vevey and Rhone all stripped back to nothing and rebuilt up again with steel and deck replacements as necessary to set them up for the next thirty or so years.
And fund-raising is ongoing in order to be able to do the same to PS Helevtie which has languished out of service now for more than twenty years.
It is a wonderful success story. The proof is in the pudding. I have learnt so much there over the years. And it has all been a little bit of a role model for me not only for KC’s own rebuild but also in how she is operated. I think that Lake Geneva is a little slice of paddle steamer heaven. Their business model is spot on for the local geography and delivers economic success. It is the closest place I can think of to paradise on earth.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years running on the River Dart. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for the second phase of the rebuild. You can read more about the rebuilds and how you can help if you can here.
John Megoran
