Stay in Geneva

We went to Geneva this summer with low expectations based on reviews of the town we had read but we were pleasantly surprised! I love the old town with it's cathedral, winding streets, and AMAZING antique shops. Walking along the lakefront and seeing the "Jet d'eau" was really nice. It's a very comfortable town to be in and I wouldn't mind going back.
If you're into science, you could visit CERN and take the large hadron collider tour. Make reservations ahead of time on their website. We did this and it was mind-blowing what they are doing there!
Along the northern shore of Lake Geneva you have three lovely towns that are well worth visiting; Laussanne, Vevey, and Montreux. Laussanne has a beautiful cathedral and old town (lots of walking up and down hills). Vevey has a beautiful old town, lakefront promenade and, if you're a foodie, a unique food museum right along the lakeshore. Montreux has it's beautiful Chateau Chillon that sits on the rocks at the edge of the lake. It is a beautiful castle and uber picturesque!
The vineyards that go around the north of the lakeshore are beautiful to see as well. They are built on the original, Roman terraces, and vines have grown here since humans have kept records of such things.
All of these things can be easily reached by train in an hour or less.

Would you skip Bern then and recommend Geneva in its place?

Kim, I would definitely prefer Geneva to Bern. Geneva is a big, international city, located on a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains. Bern is nice too, but not as exciting or scenic. However, if your intent is to see the big mountains (Berner Oberland) you need to go up further to Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen. Luzern is good option too.

Agree...I would definitely choose Geneva over Bern.

any hotel recommendations in geneva???