Geneva - City Guide

Where To Stay

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Eating

The Canton of Geneva shares a border with France of over 100km which helps explain its reputation for good food. Although specialities are more French than typical Swiss, the visitor can enjoy dishes from the whole world at a range of prices, from cheap local food to luxurious cuisine from quality restaurants including:

Budget: Jek’s Place (14, Rue de Neuchâtel, 022 7313303), a pan-Asian restaurant with a tempting menu and a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Mid-Range: Café Du Centre (5 Place du Molard, 022 3118586). Permanently busy, but in a fantastic location, surrounded by flower stalls. The menu is jam packed with choice and available in various languages.
Luxury: La Perle Du Lac (Rue de Lausanne 126, +909 1020), a classic choice serving a range of dishes in an attractive setting overlooking the lake.

Drinking

Mid-Range: Mr.Pickwick pub (80 rue de Lausanne)
Luxury: Le Francis Bar (8, bd.helvétique), a fashionable establishment that transforms into a piano bar come evening time.

Things To See And Do

Book a cheap flight to Geneva with Jet2.com and experience Geneva’s trademark attractions including the “Jet d’Eau”, a plume of water rising 140 meters above the water of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), and the huge Flower Clock in the English Gardens – pull in the summer crowds. But there is far more to Geneva that year-round visitors can enjoy. Book your cheap flights with Jet2.com and visit the famous sites and attractions of this beaultiful city.

The city straddles the Rhône river. The Rive Gauche is where you will find the main shopping and business districts, and above them, the Old Town, while on the Rive Droite are the grand hotels with the station behind and the Las Paquis area with its masses of cheap restaurants. Further north international organisations such as the Red Cross and the UN have their offices.

The main thoroughfare of the Old Town, the cobbled and steeply ascending Grande Rue, is full of cheap second-hand bookshops and galleries. You’ll also find the atmospheric 17th Century Hôtel de Ville and the arcaded armoury, backed by a lovely terrace with the longest wooden bench in the world (126m). A block away is the huge, late-Romanesque cathedral with its incongruous 18th Century portal and plain, soaring interior. The frescoes are modern versions of the faded 15th Century originals now in Geneva’s main museum.

The hub of the Old Town is Place du Bourg-de-Four, a picturesque split-level square perched on the hillside and ringed by cafes.

A few metres east of the Old Town is the gigantic Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (2 Rue Charles Galland). Upstairs are three stunning sculptures by Canova and Rodin. The fine art collection includes Witz’s famous altarpiece made for the cathedral in 1444, showing Christ and the fishermen transposed onto Lake Geneva. Nearby is the Collections Baur, (8 Rue Munier-Romilly) the country’s spectacular collection of East Asian ceramics, porcelain and jade.

About 1km north of the station, opposite the UN complex on Avenue de la Paix, is the thought-provoking Musée International de la Croix-Rouge which documents the origins, growth and achievements of the Red Cross.

Urban and suburban Geneva boast a large network of cycling lanes and signposted itineraries. A few pushes on the pedals will take you out into the country amid the vineyards, forests, fields and villages.

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Nearby Resorts

- Morzine – Avoriaz: Unlike any other resort in the world, this award winning resort has bizarre buildings, a traffic free road system and you 'ski from your door' literally! Part of the Portes du Soleil (offering 650kms of runs), this is a really popular resort for skiers and boarders alike. Situated 98Km from Geneva airport with a journey time of approximately 1hr 25min.
- Chamonix: This resort will really test your skills and is ideal for the perfect weekend break as it lies only 1 hour from Geneva Airport. Made up of a numbers of villages linked by a ski bus, the Chamonix ski area offers some great off piste and something for the extreme skiers out there. Chamonix is situated 101 km from Geneva, approximately 1 hrs drive.
- Courmayeur: At the base of the breathtaking Mont Blanc, this Italian resort has a charming centre with narrow cobbled streets and a traditional feel. With really good snow (on and off piste) Courmayeur is the ideal destination for the intermediate skiers out there. Courmayeur is 120km from Geneva and approximately 120 minutes drive away.
- Verbier: A huge ski field, deep powder bowls and a glacier…. Verbier has the lot. Although Verbier can be more on the expensive side, with low cost flights the more advanced skiers of you have no excuse…this is the ideal resort for you. Situated 90km from Geneva and a 2 hour journey by car.
- Châtel: A charming resort with great access to the Portes du Soleil, Chatel offers a more traditional option to that of Avoriaz. A good mix of accommodation and steady après ski, makes Chatel a Jet2.com favourite. Great for all levels of ski expertise, Chatel is a great all rounder, situated 90km from Geneva a 1hr 15 minutes drive away.
- Champéry: Widely acknowledged as “base camp” to Les Portes des Soleil, the rustic village of Champery is situated high up in the Swiss Alps. With a variety of slopes on the doorstep all levels are catered for and it’s just 1 hour and 30 minutes (135km) from Geneva!

Book your cheap flights to Geneva with Jet2.com and visit these popular ski resorts located in France and Switzerland. Experience skiing holidays in the best ski resorts in Europe.

Cost Of Living

One-litre bottle of mineral water - SFr1
33cl bottle of beer - SFr3-5.50
36-exposure colour film - SFr4.50-6
City-centre bus ticket - SFr2.30
Adult football ticket - SFr17-50
Three-course meal with wine/beer - From SFr40

Key Phrases

Geneva belongs to French-speaking Switzerland (la Suisse romande). French is the official language, however English, German, Italian and Spanish are widely spoken.

Yes - Oui
No - Non
Hello - Bonjour
Goodbye - Au revoir
Please - S’il vous plaît
Thank you - Merci
My name is … - Je m’appelle …
How are you? - Comment ça va?
I’m very well - Ça va bien
I feel ill - Je ne me sens pas bien
How much does it cost? - Combien est-ce que ça coûte?
Do you speak English? - Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
I don’t understand - Je ne comprends pas
Where is …? - Où est …?
Entrance - Entrée
Exit - Sortie
Danger - Danger
Open - Ouvert
Closed - Fermé
Toilets - Toilettes
Doctor - Médecin
Hotel - Hôtel
Restaurant - Restaurant
Beer - Bière
Wine - Vin

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