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Geneva late July

Posted by (San Francisco) on

Hi all:

We are thinking of arriving in Geneva late July as the start to 2 weeks in Europe. No one seems to like Geneva at all... but also I remember when I went to Madrid in 2015 no one seems keen on that but I loved it there.

Looking for any input - we are a little constrained in travel, 4 in my family (me, husband, boys 17 and 19), and we all like a separate sleeping space... we usually do Home Exchange and have an option in Geneva, hence why we are considering it.

We have traveled in Europe quite a bit and done lots of the "biggies" so we don;t feel the need so much now... museums ok but not super important. We have not been to Switzerland. We will continue on maybe to Paris and then to Brussels (another exchange I will post separately on). We would happy with nice environment, cafes, beer, restaurants.

I thought Geneva since looks like we can do lake things, maybe water ski, son wants to paraglide, maybe day trip to Annecy, perhaps some other day trips, relax at the lake. I just saw rafting...

So I guess I am asking is Geneva so horrid? Or just not the most beautiful place in Switzerland? We can't really stay in a cute little mountain place since it is impossible to find exchanges there and I don;t want to pay for lodging...

Thoughts? Suggestions? Anything I am really missing thinking about?
Thanks!
Kim

Posted by
6900 posts

Geneva is not the most beautiful place in Switzerland, but it is a pleasant city. Definitely in the "I'd live there!" category.
And plenty of day trips are available; there is good public transportation in every direction (except towards the Jura).

Posted by
427 posts

Geneva isn't horrid. Not at all. Parts of it are quite built out with various U.N. office buildings and related organizations, so those areas can seem kind of sterile and office campus like, but Geneva's old town and some of its shopping areas are quite nice, in my view.

With sons the age of yours, a visit to CERN might be of interest as well, if they restart guided tours. At a minimum one can visit one of their exhibitions.

Also, if you visit Geneva I would suggest Chamonix over Annecy. Annecy is a cute town with a lake and low mountains around it. Chamonix has téléphériques (cable cars) that offer incredible alpine views of peaks and glaciers offering unmatchable memories that would last a lifetime, plus the opportunity to walk down to and inside an alpine glacier. I would think it's something your sons (and perhaps you and your husband) would find interesting. If you have any interest in mountains or glaciers, it's worth a stop.

Lots of paragliding opportunities in Chamonix as well.

But to do Chamonix right, you'll want to spend at least one night so you can head up to Aiguille du Midi first thing in the morning. So, paying for lodging would be a must.

Posted by
16280 posts

Geneva is definitely not horrid, but some find it horridly expensive. The city is geared to business and governmental functions, not tourism.,

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