I live in Boston and just came back from a week in Switzerland and a couple nights (with a car) in Gruyeres. The comments about the train are excellent. We drove (simple and easy) but if you don't want to rent a car, do the train.

There are three parking lots to get into Gruyeres. P3, P2, and P1. For walking, P1=5mins away, P2=8mins away, P3=10 mins away. You can walk to the train (near the cheese factory tour) in about 15 mins, we did it. So yeah, train would be great way to get in there.

Note that cars are not allowed into Gruyeres during tourist hours (e.g. 10am-6pm) so people walk anyway, and the walking is easy from any of the lots or even the train station.

Gruyeres is a GREAT little old town, you'll love it. You can walk end-to-end on its cobblestone streets in about 5 minutes (it's that small) - from the entrance, to the church, to the castle - bang bang bang. We went to visit the castle on one of the days, allow about an hour for that, everything else another hour, but grab lunch at one of restaurants and you're looking at 3 hours min to do most of it. If you want to visit the Tibet Museum there, or the Alien-looking museum allow more time I suppose. Enjoy!

Take the train!! The town of Gruyeres can be appreciated in 4 hours. The castle is worth an hour, the town itself is quite small, have a beer at the Giger bar and stay for lunch. Half of the joy is the scenery to and from. The train has easy connections. We stayed on Lake Geneva in August. There’s a shuttle bus from the train station that coincides with the train schedule. Plus the cheese factory is beside the train station, or walk up the hill to town in 15 minutes. You will be walking up from the parking lot anyways. Take the train.

Just to add use SBB.ch. Geneve to Gruyeres, you will change in Palézieux. Easy and quick to change trains in Switzerland.

By car the trip seems to be about 1h30 but you are in an unfamiliar place (perhaps?). I suggest you search the sbb.ch site. The trip duration seems to be 2h30 max. Compare price with car rental. Train is not cheap so car vs train also depends on number of people travel.

On foot, from the train station at Gruyères to the historic village on the hill is almost 900m of which 250 climbing. If you go by car and park at bottom of hill, climbing is the same.

Consider time to see the castle, aliens museum, perhaps lunch, some shopping... 4-6 hours? Plus travel time.

Hay, about going to Gruyeres Its better to contact a day trip ,that’s including a visit to a chocolate factory called Cailler and you could try in small factory a lots of Swiss products and mainly you will try a topical Gruyeres cheese.In Geneva you can contract this next to the bus station.

I rented a car. Sorry, but I don’t know about trains.

rent a car, too difficult and time wasting otherwise.

I would suggest renting a car to get to Gruyeres. I am not sure about the train service, but the local station is a ways from the castle, where there is ample parking available.