I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland, so when my mum and I were looking for somewhere to go for a short break I jumped at the chance. We were looking to go away in June so the south of Europe was written off as a bit too hot but Geneva looked pleasantly warm and so still managed to gives us that mini ‘summer holiday’ in the sun. We also were looking for a mini mini-break as only wanted to go for 2 nights so wanted a small-ish city that we could explore easily.
We flew with Easyjet from Edinburgh direct which is a short 2 hour flight, arriving in Geneva just before lunch. One great thing about Geneva is how close the airport is to the city at only a 10 minute train ride from Genève Aéroport to Gare de Genève train station. We found it a bit confusing to work out what train to get on at the airport but we quickly realised they pretty much all go to Geneva so just jumped on one going the right direction.
Top tip: at the airport in the baggage claim hall look for the ticket machine on the back wall which dispenses free train tickets from the airport to the city centre.
From the train station it was just a short walk down the hill to our hotel. It’s always tricky to pick a hotel in a city you know nothing about so we went with one close to the water so easy to get around and also one which was packed with Swiss cliches just for fun! The Hôtel Edelweiss was perfect for us, very comfortable and really helpful staff. We didn’t eat in the restaurant but it is meant to be very good for a ‘Swiss experience’.
As we had arrived quite early we had the rest of the day to explore. Geneva is a very walk-able city, and although the old town is on a hill, overall it’s really easy to get around. We didn’t really have any plans as such so spent the afternoon walking around Lake Geneva (taking lots of photos of the fountain!). Sadly we hadn’t taken our swimming costumes but we wished we had as there are a few places you can go for a dip, one of which is the pier at Bains des Pâquis on the northern edge, or at Baby-Plage which is a new man-made beach on the southern shore.
We also ventured up into the old town, past the beautiful L’Horloge Fleurie which is a large floral clock. The old town was a hive of activity as we had unknowingly booked our trip at the same time as the music festival L’Abri. The old town was full of music venues tucked into various buildings but also on stages in squares and parks, which made the whole city feel as though it was full of wonderful music. The old town is also full of quirky shops and winding streets so you can easily while away the hours exploring. And all that walking is a great excuse to stop for a well earned refreshing beer.
L’Horloge Fleurie
The Old Town 
L’Abri music festival
After a brief stop at our hotel to freshen up we went for a walk along the north shore of the lake. From here you have wonderful views across the lake, and if you walk along far enough you get a great view of Mont Blanc in the distance. That night we continued our Swiss experience with traditional fondue at restaurant Auberge de Savièse which was just around the corner from our hotel – I would recommend booking in advance as it is very popular. The fondue was delicious, and the restaurant felt like it was in the depth of the Swiss Alps – I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea but seeing as we were only in Switzerland for 2 nights we were happy to indulge in the stereotypes!
Mont Blanc in the distance 
Fondue it yourself
The next day we had a lovely breakfast at a small Swiss cafe across the square from our hotel, Salon de thé La Vouivre – really sweet cafe with delicious pastries. To work off our breakfast we joined a free walking tour (you may have gathered by now I’m a big fan of a walking tour) with Free Walk Geneva. We did the “Heart of Geneva” tour which starts at the Pont de l’Ile at Place Bel-Air (the bridge over the river) and led us around both the new and old parts of Geneva. Our guide was very well informed and so we really enjoyed our 2 and a half hour tour. One highlight was visiting La Maison Tavel Museum which in it’s attic has a huge scale map of Geneva. We also went to Parc des Bastions and saw the Reformation Wall, and into St Pierre Cathedral which has a beautiful ceiling. It was getting pretty warm as we reached mid-day so we stopped off for some lunch at a cafe next to the small beach Baby-Plage, and this is where I introduced my mum to Aperol Spritz – probably one of my favourite drinks, especially in the summer.
Scale model in La Maison Tavel Museum 
The Reformation Wall 
Mum enjoying her Aperol! 
Ceiling of St Pierre Cathedral
That night we decided to dine Swiss again so ventured back into the Old Town to Restaurant Les Armures where we enjoyed some sausage with giant rosti – delicious! It was lovely wandering around Geneva after dinner looking at the nice shops and hotels, and the fancy cars which line up outside the Four Seasons Hotel.
Our huge potato rosti 
Geneva looking beautiful at dusk 
The cars outside the Four Seasons
Our last day in Geneva was actually quite long as we didn’t need to leave for the airport until late afternoon. We spent the morning in Carouge which is a suburb to the south of the city, also known as “Geneva’s small Italy”. We took the tram from Pont de l’Ile at Place to Acacias and walked around this sleeply hamlet. It was quite quiet when we were there but we were happy walking and looking in the windows of the pretty shops and cafes.
Carouge
To fill in our afternoon we walked out to the Botanic Gardens, which are free to visit. These are lovely, with interesting glass houses and various garden areas to explore. We had bought some sandwiches on the way up so we enjoyed a picnic under the trees, it was so peaceful and relaxing.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Geneva, it was everything we hoped it would be. We did a lot of walking, and could have gone further if we had time so I would recommend taking comfortable shoes. It did get quite hot, but we also had one torrential downpour so it is best to cover all bases. I would love to go back and take one of the tour boats up the lake to one of the other towns, or venture out into the mountains…another one for the wish list!
One last top tip: it might seem an unusual suggestion but a great place for a cake stop is the department store MANOR Genève, its very affordable and you get great views out from the terrace. They also have a great food hall down at ground floor.
Planes, Trains... and Cake 