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Located on the only beach in the region, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is our all-ages luxury oceanfront resort with its own private cove. Enjoy stunning ocean vistas from our sunset bar or sneak a peak of breaching whales from our beachfront restaurants.

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  • filter_dramaUnderstand
    In 1536, a young man named John Calvin, fleeing the persecution of Protestants in France, spent a night in Geneva. As it turned out, he was to do a lot more there than sleeping. After being expelled from Geneva for nearly three years, Calvin returned triumphantly in 1541 to help elevate the city to the rank of a Protestant Rome. The intellectual influence of the Reformation extended to all realms of Genevan life: politics, economy, and administration.

    Geneva was an independent republic from at least the 16th century until it became a Swiss Canton on 31 Dec 1813. This is a point of some pride to the Genevois, who still refer to their Canton as the République et Canton de Genève. A favorite festival is the yearly celebration of the Escalade, which commemorates a failed attempt in 1602 by the forces of the Dukes of Savoy to invade the city by climbing and otherwise breaching the city walls. Having turned aside this invasion attempt at the cost of only 16 lives, Geneva had secured its liberty, since the House of Savoy was never again strong enough on this side of the Alps to attempt such an invasion.

    Geneva is still a very proud city. Some find it downright stuffy, although there is quite a bit more life to be found if you look under the surface, especially if you speak some French.

    Geneva is officially a [wiki=4ab1c324b79a182e72e067ba8e9a510d]French[/wiki]-speaking city, and the vast majority of the population speak [wiki=ad225f707802ba118c22987186dd38e8]French[/wiki]. All advertisements, information, and signs are in French. With the large international presence, English takes a close second. Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, and Arabic speakers abound, and of course you will also occasionally hear German and Italian.
  • filter_dramaGet in
    Due as much to its location as its international status, Geneva serves as a transportation hub for most of French speaking Switzerland and for access to the Swiss Alps from points west.
    • By plane

      Geneva airport is served by almost all European carriers as well as a few daily trans-Atlantic flights. These include flights from Montréal's Trudeau International (YUL) on Air Canada (AC), Washington's Dulles (IAD) and Newark International (EWR) on United (UA), and New York's Kennedy (JFK) on Swiss (LX). Otherwise, when flying from North and South America you will have to change planes. Most passengers travelling in from the Asia-Pacific region and Africa will need to change planes as well. Air China has started direct services between the Chinese capital of Beijing and Geneva from May 2013.

      Within the last few years, Geneva itself has become a hub for the [wiki=55c4f48c4e5ad288c770be9ebdf0778a]low-cost carrier[/wiki] [url=http://www.easyjet.com]Easy Jet[/url] serving a number of destinations in [wiki=912d59cdf1d3f551fae21f6f0062258f]Europe[/wiki] including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Edinburgh, London, Madrid, Manchester and Paris.

      The airport itself has an UBS bank with ATMs and exchange machines in the arrival area. There is an American Express office just beyond security control in the departure lounge. There are several cafes and duty free shopping as well, open 8am-11pm.

      To get into town from the airport, the cheapest way is to take the free public transport ticket from a ticket machine located in the baggage claim area - to the left before the the Green Corridor (nothing to declare) of Swiss Customs. The machine prints you the ticket valid for 80 minutes for Geneva and suburbs.(with this ticket you can go as far as CERN or Anieres or Veyrier). The ticket is valid only with your boarding pass! With this ticket you can either use Train or Bus to reach center of Geneva. The fastest is by train: to reach train station (named Geneva Airport) you need to walk 100 meters to the left after you passed Swiss Customs. Train Station is adjutant building to the airport building. Trains usually go every 15 minutes or more frequently, and all of them stop at Geneva Cornavin (Geneva Central Train Station). The journey takes 6 minutes.

    • By train

      The Swiss Federal Railway (SBB-CFF-FFS, called CFF (Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses) in Geneva and the rest of French-speaking Switzerland) serves Geneva's Gare de Cornavin (also called Gare Cornavin or simply Cornavin) with trains to [wiki=9d1a0b4eef61178e4c6e9fd16fda3a02]Neuchâtel[/wiki], [wiki=961698fa64951bd6d3437ebc7931a899]Bern[/wiki], [wiki=aea93afdf4bee7f4b52526ee5f040cea]Basel[/wiki], [wiki=103a821a3a6a0b923c9f74a39662bb51]Zürich[/wiki], [wiki=27cf3f0959b6f18616d876219b63488a]St. Gallen[/wiki], [wiki=cceafad713406bc4d8421dbdd142523a]Luzern[/wiki], [wiki=906e621d0a453fe7be4c326293881c73]Interlaken[/wiki] and the [wiki=7073322280d239541a9682bbeebb1e91]Valais[/wiki] (e.g. [wiki=04e9af1b2819c9316f2b813d7f93d121]Sion[/wiki], [wiki=149d2c479350f96aba96eafa7565ab9e]Visp[/wiki] --> [wiki=d0dd8ec0c54bfc44e84edbb133bc249a]Zermatt[/wiki], and [wiki=6259fd0991cb80ffe4336e0ca169eae3]Brig[/wiki]) at least every hour, or even half an hour. Regional and InterRegional trains heading to [wiki=3ae3b1c94904e70dae76a8f67445935c]Nyon[/wiki], [wiki=2f4d156f29b46c9add9d9337453822fc]Lausanne[/wiki], [wiki=8d9cafbdba16e54bc75952984ed08b24]Vevey[/wiki], and [wiki=13708c657f137acd3b2ec03ec45dfb3a]Montreux[/wiki] leave every 15 minutes.

      The Gares des Eaux-Vives is another railway station and it is situated on the southeastern side of the lake. It has French train services with the SNCF to and from Evian, Chamonix and Annecy.

      International trains leaving from Cornavin include the joint service by the Swiss (CFF) - there are 6 to 10 times a day a direct TGV service from Geneva to [wiki=e20d37a5d7fcc4c35be6fc18a8e71bfa]Paris[/wiki] with a journey time of three hours as well as a direct service to [wiki=914d0a4ebc177889b5b89a23f556fd75]Nice[/wiki], by way of [wiki=8377de0f1845174610bd8b815b9a285e]Marseille[/wiki] of six hours. Many Italian cities are connected by direct connections from Geneva to [wiki=437d461430ecc08e2d51abbcf5ce9b3c]Milan[/wiki] (daily four direct connections in less than 4 hours travel time) and [wiki=607d28488d1859e84884914a1b3598bd]Venice[/wiki] (daily one direct connection in 7 hours). There is also a night train service to [wiki=bbf5e1be3178100ef6a81c2e4ba0304e]Florence[/wiki] and [wiki=1f49f770adc6c84629f50ce3ca2a2109]Rome[/wiki] Termini Station.

      For more information:
      * Swiss Federal Railway website [url=http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html],]telephone 0900-300-300 from within Switzerland or +41-900-300-300 from outside. Provides a useful online travel planner, which includes information about local bus and tram services anywhere in Switzerland, as well as rail services and can plan your journey from any address to Geneva.
      * Take usage of CFF's real-time apps [url=http://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/mobile-timetables/mobile-apps.html[/url]]for smart phones.
      * TGV Lyria website [url=http://www.tgv-lyria.com/[/url]]provides information about TGV Lyria journeys between Paris and Geneva as well as travel and touristic advices.

      services anywhere in Switzerland, as well as rail services and can plan your journey from any address to Geneva.

      Unless otherwise announced, most trains arriving in the Gare de Cornavin will usually have the Geneva Airport as their final destination (if they come from elsewhere in Switzerland), which means you do not have to use the TPG (Geneva Public Transport Company) tram or bus to get there.

      While not anything special in architectural terms, Gare Cornavin is, nevertheless, exceptionally well designed, and a key part of Geneva's public transport network. TGP's [http://www.tpg.ch/plans/reseau-urbain[/url] city tram and bus routes converge at a terminal located directly outside the front doors of the station, making transition from train to public transit extremely easy. If you're staying in a hotel, hostel or campground, don't buy more than a single ticket. If you arrive at the airport, free one-hour transport passes can be obtained from machines that will allow you to travel to your hotel. Geneva provides free transit passes to any tourist staying in one of the types of accommodation mentioned, and you will be provided with (or can ask for) a free transit pass when you check-in. The station also features a basement-level shopping concourse, along with an underground passage which connects to the south side of the busy main street, permitting new arrivals to avoid crossing busy roads. The passage also connects to a lovely, open-air pedestrianized shopping street, leading down to the lake.

    • By car

      The motorway network brings you right into Geneva, only 40km from Annecy and 80km from Chamonix with customs such as at Bardonnex - Saint-Julien en Genevois. You need the compulsory motorway sticker (single annual CHF40 fee) to come through this customs office. Purchase of the motorway tax sticker (aka Vignette) at one of the customs is obligatory in order to drive on Swiss motorways.

      To avoid the purchase of a vignette, you can enter Geneva through other crossing points at Bardonnex or Mouillesulaz, for example. If, however, you decide later to drive on the motorway, you will need to purchase a vignette - you can generally purchase the vignette at Petrol Stations, Post Offices or at Tourist Offices.

    • By bus

      Geneva is served by a number of regular international bus routes (Bus station: tel. +41 22 732 02 30). Additionally, the TPG (Transports publics genevois - Geneva's Public Transport system) provide regular services from the neighboring French towns of Saint-Julien, Archamps, Thoiry, Ferney-Voltaire, Moillesulaz (tel. +41 22 308-3434). See [url=http://www.tpg.ch/en/web/site-international]TPG's website for bus and tram timetables[/url], its [url=http://www.tpg.ch/plans/reseau-urbain]local and urban network[/url], and a very useful [url=http://www.tpg.ch/fr/horaires-temps-reel]smart phone app[/url] with real-time information about delays and connections (currently all in French only).

    • By boat

      Regular boat service is provided, mainly in paddle steamers built between 1904 and 1927, from ports all around Lake Geneva by [url=http://www.cgn.ch/en-gb/accueil.aspx]Compagnie Générale de Navigation[/url]. All boats arrive at the Paquis port after docking briefly at Parc des Eaux Vives and the Jardin Anglais.

      Private boat tours and transfers from Geneva to any port on the lake by [url=http://www.lemantransfers.com/index/info/Boat_Tours/10]Léman Transfers[/url]. Groups of up to six passengers can be privately chauffeured around the lake.

  • filter_dramaGet around
    Geneva, like most cities in Switzerland, is a marvel of public transportation efficiency. [url=http://www.tpg.ch/en/web/site-international]Transports Publics Genevois[/url] provides frequent bus, tram, 'mouette' (boat), and suburban train service to within a block or two of most locations in the city and canton.

    The law changed this year and anybody staying in a Geneva hotel/hostel is entitled to a free daily travel pass for the local Transport TPG. This is provided by the hotel. Read more about it in the section "by bus".
    • Districts

      Old Town (vieille ville) and St. Gervais
      * Paquis
      * Plainpalais
      * Hopital
      * Eaux-Vives

    • On foot

      The old-town can be easily visited on foot starting anywhere around the tour boat dock on Lake Geneva, or if you come from the Cornavin station, walk down to the Bel-Air island and continue straight on uphill to the old town. Crossing the bridge (Pont du Mont Blanc), you'll get to the English Garden with the famous flower clock and a sculpted bronze water fountain. Then you can cross the street (Quai de General Guisan) and go up the hill (on Place du Port and Rue de la Fontaine) and up the long stairs passage and end up behind Saint Peter's Cathedral. After visiting the cathedral, which is Geneva's well-known landmark, you can exit the courtyard and be right in front of Geneva City Hall. From there you can easily walk down to the Bastions Park where you can find the famous Reformation Wall memorial. This park is very quiet and romantic, especially at the beginning of the fall season when the leaves start falling.

      Geneva is fairly walkable but the fact that the name of some streets change frequently as you walk can make navigation difficult. For instance the street from Bel-Air square to Rive roundabout has five different names on a section of less than a kilometer.

    • By bike

      Geneva is a great town to get around in by bicycle. Except for the old-town, the city is fairly flat, and though there are some streets that are dangerous to ride, there is almost always a safe, fast route to your destination. If you want to know the best routes, you should get a copy of the beautifully designed VELO-LOVE plan de ville, which is available at all bike shops in Geneva, or by writing to: [mailto:velo@ville-ge.ch velo@ville-ge.ch] or calling (+41) 22 418 42 00.

      A social organization called Genèveroule [url=http://www.geneveroule.ch/]]lends bicycles free of charge (for four hours and then a fee of CHF 2 per extra hour), from 30 April through 30 October. A passport or identity card must be shown and a refundable deposit of CHF 20 is required. Six stations are located along the lake, behind the railway station, in Eaux-Vives (Terrassière) the Plaine de Plainpalais and at Carouge. While this service is quite convenient, be sure to bring ID and contact information, including hotel phone number, to speed up the paperwork.

      Otherwise, if you're looking for a road bike or a trekking bike, then there is a shop very near the train station called "Bike Switzerland" [http://www.bikeswitzerlandrentals.com[/url]

    • By bus

      Tickets, which cover both trams and buses, must be bought from ticket machines (located at every stop) before boarding the transport. Some bus stops do not have a ticket machine, but in that case you can buy a ticket on board the bus itself.

      Tickets cost 2CHF for a short hop (three stops or less, or a one-way crossing of the lake). 3CHF for one hour with unlimited changes on tram, bus, boat, and rail within greater Geneva, 8CHF for a day pass valid from 9AM to midnight, and CHF 10.80 for an extended day pass valid from the time it is purchased until 5AM the next morning (it is valid for 2 people during Saturday or Sunday , but only for 1 person during weekdays). Holders of the SBB Demi-Tarif/Halbtax card get 20-30% off these prices. Old ticket machines (without touch screen display) do not give change, if you have over paid, keep the ticket and take it to a TPG office (located at the airport, Cornavin railway station and in the middle of the rond-pont de Rive), where the difference will be refunded to you. New ticket machines (with touch screen) give change and accept more ways for payment. By December 2013 all old ticket machines will be changed for new machines.
      If the ticket machine for some reason does not work - just embark the bus and warn the driver - he will stop on the next stop and will wait for you to buy the ticket from a working machine.

      Observe that you will need to purchase a separate ticket if you are traveling outside the canton of Geneva - ie. to or from France or the canton of Vaud. "Ordinary" tickets and day passes are only valid inside Geneva. Bus stops in France that are served by the Genevan transport authority do not have ticket vending machines, instead you have to buy the tickets from vending machines on board the bus when traveling from France.

      Since January 2008, if you stay in a hotel, hostel, or on a camping site, you will get free public transport. Typically, you will receive a Unireso Geneva Transport Card at check-in. It will be authorized for use for the length of your stay and like a ticket one gets in the airport upon arrival it is valid for Geneva and suburbs including the Unireso network. You are supposed to carry your passport or identity card with you at the same time, to ensure validity. The ticket is valid on trains as far as the airport. One pass is valid for a maximum of 15 days, and it is valid also on the day you check out from your place of stay, which is handy if you have a late flight and want do some sightseeing or shopping.

      For Geneva Airport transfers to ski destinations such as Verbier you can get affordable options at [url=http://alpybus.com]Alpybus[/url]

    • By car

      If you want to explore the mountainous countryside or go skiing in one of the ski resorts in the Alps, getting a car is a better option. Numerous local and international car rental service providers operate from the airport. They provide customized traveling services to the needs of tourists visiting Geneva.

    • By train

      Suburban trains to outskirts run every half hour during the day and every hour after 8PM. The last train to the eastern terminus, ([wiki=a9c4e907fbae491c02721199637b1ffa]Coppet[/wiki]), leaves at 12:03AM. Though these "Regios" mostly serve commuters, at least two of their station stops, Versoix and Coppet, have several good restaurants and historic main streets. There is also another suburban rail line: the RER Genève, which goes from Cornavin to La Plaine, sometimes continuing to France (2 stops from La Plaine). As with buses and trams, tickets must be bought before boarding the train. If you are only travelling with the canton of Geneva, a bus/tram ticket is valid on the train and vice versa; travelling further afield will cost more unless you buy a so-called regional ticket, which also includes parts of Vaud and France.

    • By tram

      Geneva has an expanding network of super frequent trams. Many lines have their hub at the Cornavin train station, a few others at Place Bel-Air on the old-town side of the river. If you did not receive a TPG / Unireso card from your hotel, you will need to buy a ticket from one of the ticket machines located at every stop before boarding the transport. Tickets cover both trams and buses.

    • By boat

      The "mouette" service is included in the TPG / Unireso card that tourists receive free of charge from their hotels. This is a nice way to get from the Pâquis station near the Quai du Mont-Blanc in the north to the other side of the lake, e.g. to the Eaux-Vives stop near the Jardin anglais. Boats run every 10 minutes. See [http://www.swissboat.com/en/shuttles.php] for more information.

    • By Segway

      It is a pleasure to ride a Segway in Geneva. You can ride where the bicycles go, that means almost everywhere. Riding a Segway is very easy and a lot of fun. However, the Swiss law requires that the rider should hold a driving licence.
      *

  • filter_dramaSee
    One of the crowning symbols of Geneva is the monumental Jet d'Eau, a fountain of water pumped 140m into the air. The spectacular plume was once an occasional pressure release for hydro-power generation on the Rhône River, but people liked it so much that in 1891 the city created a permanent pumped fountain. It's beautifully lit at night. Best viewed from a distance - the surrounding half kilometer is soaked with water. However, the more adventurous might want to try the pathway leading right up to the Jet d'eau -- prepare to get enjoyably wet!


    * The new Espace Saint Pierre pass includes entrance to all three sites of Cour Saint-Pierre, a noteworthy space of unique spiritual and cultural importance. The Cathedral and its towers, originally Catholic, both embody the high point of the Reformed tradition and explore the origins of Christianity with an extensive archaeological site and they are now complemented by the International Museum of the Reformation on the ground floor of the Maison Mallet. An underground passage, reopened when the Museum was created, connects the two buildings. The archeological tour [url=http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000454&lang=_eng]]beneath the cathedral is excellent for those interested in such material and it explains the origins not only of the cathedral but the reason for Geneva's location back to pre-Roman times. Those willing to climb the steps of the Cathedral's towers will be rewarded with magnificent views of Geneva and the lake.

    Nearby, the Auditoire, where Calvin taught, completes a complex that is both representative of the past and open to current questions. The new Espace Saint-Pierre thus aims to contribute to our understanding of today’s world - between tradition and modernity, cultural experimentation and spiritual practice. These three buildings invite the visitor to explore the city’s history. Religious denominations aside, Espace Saint Pierre represents a spirit that continues to guide the city and citizens of Geneva today. For schedules and information about free live organ performances in the cathedral, go to the website [url=http://www.concerts-cathedrale.ch/[/url]]

    * Aside of the cathedral the Old town in general is worth walking around in for a hour or two. Among the highlights are the city hall with the cannons in the little square opposite to it, Rousseau's birth house and various antique shops with all sorts of interesting stuff in the windows. A word of warning to people with physical disabilities: the Old town, is situated on a hill with quite steep streets leading up to it.

    * Originally built to house the League of Nations, the Palais is worth visiting just to take in the magnificent Assembly Hall, in addition to the large collection of public art, the library, and the landscaped grounds.

    * An area with interesting shops and most importantly, a series of residential buildings called "les Schtroumpfs" (1982-1984), where the architects tried to avoid all straight lines, leading to an unconventional Gaudi-like appearance.


    * An impressive monument, constructed in 1873 as a Mausoleum for the Duke of Brunswick, as a replica of the tomb of the Scaligeri family in Verona (14th century). Also worth visiting for the 5 star hotels and the cars in front of them.


    * Small island named after the famous philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

    * Worth visiting for the old Tour de L'Ile, the remains of a fortified castle erected in the 13th century. Very good.


    * Small garden at the lake where people like to spend their lunch break. See the famous Flower Clock.


    * See the impressive Grand Theatre (1879, renovated after a fire in 1951), the Conservatoire de musique, and the Musée Rath. Also visit the Parc des Bastions, which includes a large wall ("Mur des Réformateurs") showing some of the famous people of the Reformation movement.


    * While many of Geneva's buildings are similar in style to what you would find in French cities, the Mairie of Eaux-Vives is a great example of the typical Swiss architecture you would find in cities like Zürich. If you're interested in modern architecture, also visit Rue Saint-Laurent for "La Clarté", an avant-garde building designed by Le Corbusier in 1931/32. Another interesting attraction here is the Russian Orthodox Church built 1859-1866 with its golden cupolas.


    * A suburb of Geneva that once belonged to the Kingdom of Sardinia and hence retains a distinct Italian flavour.
    • Museums and Galleries

      Installed on the ground floor of the magnificent Maison Mallet (next to Saint-Pierre Cathedral), this new Museum presents the main spiritual and cultural elements of the Reformation. Unique objects, manuscripts, rare books, engravings, and paintings illustrate the close ties between Geneva and the Reformation. State-of-the-art technology welcomes a modern audience: films, a music room, and demonstrations, including many for children, invite visitors to both rediscover the past and imagine the future.

      * The Museum of the I.C.R.C. is one of the best in Europe, providing detailed photographic and other physical evidence of the I.C.R.C.'s service to humanity during countless wars and natural disasters. The displays are striking and affecting, but somehow manage to avoid taking sides.

      * Occupying a big chunk of what would otherwise be the UN campus, the Ariana Museum offers a huge collection (16,000 pieces) of ceramics from around Europe and the far East.

      * Late modern, post-modern, and contemporary works by internationally known artists, as well as a special collection of Swiss conceptual work.

      * Geneva has a wonderful natural history museum which is worth a visit, especially if you have youth and children. It has various sections: Insects,Birds,Fish,Mammals,Snakes, Origins of Life, Minerals,Dinosaurs, and many more.

      * Extensive art and archaeological-historical collections. Painting gallery extends back to the early Renaissance, but is most extensive in Swiss-French and Impressionist works.


      * The largest collections of Far Eastern art open to the public in Switzerland. Temporary exhibitions are regularly organized several times a year.

  • filter_dramaDo
    Téléphérique du Salève (Salève cable car) [url=http://www.telepheriquedusaleve.com/?lang=en],]Veyrier, France (Number 8 Bus to either Veyrier Douane or Veyrier Tournettes. Or line 41 to Veyrier-École). Just over the French Border, this high alpine ridge has a stunning view of Mt. Blanc and the Lake Geneva area and miles of walking trails. A cute little corner shop in Pas de l'Échelle Village (France) sells about 100 varieties of French cheeses and is open on Sundays. The Association Genevoise des Amis du Salève (AGAS, Tel: 022 796 41 33 or [http://www.rando-saleve.net[/url]) organizes free hikes around Geneva every Sunday. Start at 10AM (sharp) at terminus (End station) of bus number 8 at Veyrier-Douane.
    • Events

      March: Motor Show.
      *May: Caves Ouvertes [url=http://www.opage.ch/lesvinsdegeneve/ENG/viticulture.htm]]- Free annual event. Sample wine at Geneva's wineries while exploring the canton's rural side.
      *June:
      **Bol D'Or Yacht Race (biggest in Europe).
      **Fête de la Musique, +41 22 418 65 32, Free, [http://www.fetedelamusique.ch[/url]. For three days in June, the whole City of Geneva is a stage. Actually, there are on the order of 40 of them. The musical offerings include children's choirs, punk rock, chamber orchestras, jam bands, avant-guard jazz, klezmer, and drum and bass DJs. The venues are as diverse as the music, with stages inside and out of l'Usine, Parc des Bastions, and even Cathédral St. Pierre. There is also a wide assortment of international food and drink for sale, which can be a bit pricey, but highly worth it. The easiest way to get information is to just head to one of the parks listed above and find one of the free newspaper-style festival guides. It includes time-tables and maps. Additionally, be sure to wander around, as the festival is full of many excellent unofficial performances, including drums, juggling, and dance.
      *August: Fete de Geneve - Week long party, including best fireworks display in Europe.
      *December: L'Escalade.

    • Parks

      It's worth taking at least a day to explore the green places of Geneva, of which there are quite a few, not the least because some of the more interesting parts of town are between those green places. There are a number of suggested promenades for which there are maps available at the tourist office on the Ile de la Machine.

      *Parc des Bastions, entrance at Place Neuve or just down rue St. Léger from Place Bourg de Four. This lovely tree lined park, which is home to the liberal arts campus of the University of Geneva features giant chessboards and even larger statues of Geneva's Calvinist founding fathers, and it's directly between the old town and Plain de Plainpalais, so it makes a good transitional area for exploring.
      *Parc des Eaux Vives, entrance at the far end of Rue des Eaux Vives and the number 2 bus line. There's also a boat dock, with service from the Pâquis. This park offers promenades and views over the lake of the U.N. campus and the Palais des Nations. Geneva beach is at the end furthest from the city, on the lakefront.
      *Parc de la Grange. - Just along the south side of the Lake Geneva promenade, Parc de la Grange is a large park which contains a rose garden, an historic mansion and a tree-lined path leading to the nearby Parc des Eaux Vives.
      *Bois de la Bâtie - Just over the river Arve from Jonction. Most of this woodsy bluff has been left in a more-or-less natural state, though there are walking trails around the edges. The trails connect eventually with a sidewalk which crosses a railroad bridge to the St. Jean neighborhood. There is also a small zoo at the western edge of the woods.

  • filter_dramaLearn
    • Language

      French language lessons are available, both through formal courses and informal arrangements, but in both cases they can be more expensive than other French-speaking countries.

      *Geneva University also offers quite cheap classes and there are a number of the big language schools, including Berlitz and Inlingua.

      *One well-known school is The Ecole Du Monde [url=http://www.ecoledumonde.com]]located near the train station and near the lake of Geneva.

      *Migros also offers language courses at rather decent prices.

      *IFAGE[http://www.ifage.ch[/url] (fondation pour la formation des adultes‎) has a strong reputation locally, and offers intensive French courses in addition to vocational training and language courses aimed at locals. IFAGE also offers preparation for the French Government's DELF and DALF exams.

    • Higher Education

      There are several English language universities in Geneva, mostly focusing on international business and relations.

    • Research

      The world-famous European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN [url=http://www.cern.ch]]is in Meyrin, just outside of Geneva. Tram line 18 runs to the CERN campus from Cornavin station in downtown. It is hosting the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which, at 27km in circumference, holds the title of "world's largest machine". It will hopefully answer many fundamental questions in particle physics and open a host of new ones. CERN has a famous summer student program that accepts 150 European students, 20 American students, and a handful from other countries. CERN also features an exhibition open to the public and tours can be arranged in advance [http://outreach.web.cern.ch/outreach/[/url].

  • filter_dramaWork
    Many foreign professionals working in Geneva are employed by one of the United Nations agencies or international banks. Non-Swiss UN employees get a special visa to live and work in Switzerland, but the jobs can be hard to find unless you are already in Geneva. Of course if you speak French and are a EU citizen, you can accept a job offer by any other employer since the bileteral agreements between Switzerland and the EU allow you to work here as anywhere else on the continent - whether you are a blue or white collar worker. Since the beginning of 2009 unemployment is on the rise though and it is proving more and more difficult to find a post in all fields regardless of the work permit issue.

    If you are not very proficient in French, it is also possible to find work as an au pair, a housekeeper, or at one of the many bars. You really do need to be in town to set this sort of thing up. If you want to do household work, you will probably want to advertise on the bulletin boards which can be found at the entrances of most grocery stores, at the English and American churches, and at the American Women's Club. For a bar tending job, you do what you would do to get a similar job anywhere else, go talk to the manager (you should know enough French to serve drinks, obviously).
  • filter_dramaBuy
    Switzerland is famed as a land of banks and financial institutions, so getting local cash from ATMs at banks, train station and within shopping malls should pose no problem.

    * Chocolate can be bought at any number of specialty stores, but the stuff at the grocery is just as good for a fraction of the price (CHF 1-3 a bar). Meanwhile, if you have a place to prepare meals the grocery stores in Switzerland offer the best possible dining deal for your money. For many fresh foods you'll pay a lot more than you are accustomed to paying in the U.S. or Britain.

    * Wine and spirits cost much less than in Anglophone countries, and the local stuff is particularly cheap, and not just drinkable but quite good. Some say that the only reason Swiss wines are not well known internationally is that the Swiss drink all of it.

    * Shopping for clothing and accessories can be disappointing in Geneva. Most offerings are usually expensive and uninteresting, unless you're really after that floor-length purple fur coat with the rhinestone trim. Geneva is home to several watch manufacturers, and there are many jewelers and horologers with a great selection.

    * If you are interested in taking or sending home some outwardly Swiss souvenirs you can certainly find them in Geneva, mainly along the main streets leading down to the lake from Gare Cornavin. There are also a couple of good spots on the other side of the lake near the end of the Mont Blanc bridge. You should be able to easily find at reasonable prices:
    : * Cuckoo clocks (in fact originally from southern Germany and formerly produced in [wiki=8b476ff778119b8d49588f3daadf69a1]Hong Kong[/wiki] *(now in mainland China)... but who cares!)
    : * Swiss Army Knifes, with Wenger and Victorinox being the two most well-known brands (Best price at Migros/Coop)
    : * Almost any sort of object with a cow or a Swiss flag printed on it

    * Want more? La Rue du Marché, a 5 minute walk southwards from the train station, has just about everything. From the traditional to the modern, from souvenirs to household appliances to libraries to prescription glasses. This is one of Geneva's busiest streets, and is kept clean and appealing. Prices are fair for the most part, but checking several stores before buying, or asking a friendly-looking passer-by for shopping tips can't hurt.

    * If you are looking for Louis Vuitton-fashion and golden wristwatches, Rue du Rhône on the south side of the river is a good place. Of course you can easily find them elsewhere in the city - this is Switzerland!

    * A department store in the city center where you can buy clothes, food, electronics, souvenirs, clocks etc. There is a self service restaurant on the top floor.

    * A variety of smaller shops and eateries under one roof a short walk along Rue de Lausanne from the railway station.
  • filter_dramaEat
    Geneva has a huge number of restaurants for a city its size, and the international community means there's more variety than you'll find in most Swiss cities. On the downside, Geneva is possibly the most expensive city in an expensive country. Additionally, it can be quite difficult to find food on Sunday night, so it might be worth planning ahead or just visiting the more touristy region near the train station. If you have the possibility to cook your own food, [wiki=3ad08396dc5afa78f34f548eea3c1d64#Supermarket_Chains]self catering[/wiki] is a good idea to save money. If you are staying for a longer period, it's a good idea to make shopping trips to supermarkets in France where many foods cost less than half of what they do in Geneva.
    • Budget

      There are many budget spots located around the train station and in the nearby Paquis district, or near rue de l'Ecole de Médecine off of Plaine de Plainpalais.

      * Wonderful place in the middle of the lake. Beach in Summer, fondue restaurant in Winter. Good "plat du jour" all day for CHF 12
      *This is a lovely little creperie with savory and sweet crepes, and very friendly service. A complete meal of one savory crepe, ome sweet, and a small salad for CHF 21. Drinks vary in price from CHF 3 for hot milk, to somewhat more for wine and beer. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
      * A tiny bar and three tables means this little local spot is usually packed with a very international crowd of people who know where to get the best pizza, salads, and pasta dishes in town, with many vegetarian selections. Espresso club keeps the ovens going late for late working customers and it's a nice spot for a cafe and newspaper afternoon as well. Unfortunately the quality of its customer service does not mirror that of its pizzas.
      * (sic) it really is spelled that way, we know it's wrong, take it up with the owners of the café
      * Café Art's (sic) has a limited menu of salads and pasta dishes, but all around or under CHF 15 and service is non-stop all day.
      * Serves fairly authentic chinese dumplings and noodles.
      * Large selection of chinese and japanese dishes. Fast, but impolite service. Quality Chinese food (it's always full of Chinese customers) but no fancy atmosphere.
      * Italian style take out fast food in a charmingly appointed space. Vegetarian options are available. Good quality freshly made food served with a friendly smile. English spoken. Good prices especially for Geneva.
      * A chain with a simple menu: chicken, chicken, or chicken. The roasted chicken is what they're famous for, and two chicken salads make the rest of the regular menu, each under CHF 14.90.
      :*
      :*
      :*
      * Inauthentic Thai, but not terrible.
      :*
      :*
      * Soup and/or salad is the specialty at this lunch place just across from a lovely terrace on the Rhône. If you're really hungry you should probably order both.
      * Serves kebabs of lamb, chicken, or both, dolma. Baklava too.
      * Turkish kebab house.
      * Cafeteria like serving area with everything and anything including (but not inclusive): chicken, pasta, pizza, desserts, entree of the day, salads, and coffee. Great view of the Geneva skyline from the balcony eating area.
      * As the name suggests, Japanese food to eat in the restaurant or to take away.

    • Mid-range

      Vegetarians beware, this Genevois favorite serves one dish only: steak, chips, and salad. But apparently they do it very well.
      * This ancient Petit Saconnex roadhouse claims to be possibly the oldest restaurant in Geneva and to have probably the best fondue in Switzerland. They have a nice large patio in front that is overlooked by a 2nd floor balcony with a few small tables.
      * Great friendly atmosphere specializing in East-West fusion dishes. Open weekdays.
      * Easy-Listener-chic Asian/fusion restaurant and bar sporting white leather sofas and the occasional local DJ. Not a cheap choice, but the food is unusually interesting and the crowd friendly.
      * A little hard to find, but worth it for the fresh, hand made pasta dishes and generous portions. A favorite for lunch among the UN crowd.
      * Hashimoto Sushi is a favourite spot for Japanese diplomats and international civil servants in Geneva, which should tell you enough.
      *Self-consciously hip but decent food. Ocasionally snooty service.
      *Excellent steak restaurant with fast and efficient staff. The wine card is limited but has good Swiss wines. Just 40 seats so better reserve a table
      *Relaxed, modern and justifiably busy.
      * Packed with locals at lunchtime and for a reason - delicious warm sandwiches and cakes. On the downside it is a bit hectic and it might be difficult to find a seat.
      * A centrally located restaurant with a varied menu and moderate prices for being in the middle of Geneva. Really good tartar with french fries.
      * Swiss Fondue, Malakoffs as well as French Cuisine at affordable price.

    • Splurges

      Good Brasserie, lots of seafood.
      * This little place fills a nice niche at the low end of the high end, where it is likely to impress the heck out of a date without overly denting the bank account. The room is cozy and romantic. The service is attentive, but not at all pushy or snobbish. The Triporteur has the feel of a lot of the better restaurants in say, [wiki=f4334fdfa1c728eae375fe781e2e2d9d]San Francisco[/wiki]. Expect to spend around CHF 50 per person if you're drinking the house wine.
      * Wonderful hip restaurant with wonderful hip food and a wonderful hip wine cellar where you can wander around and choose from all the wonderful hip wine on the racks. You can guess what the desserts are like. Everyone wants a piece of this place, so plan to reserve up to a week or so in advance.
      * This is a must if you want to taste the Swiss culture. You will get the cheese fondue, of course, but also some other local delicacies. But you get there for the show: you can hear and see folklore music and yodeler singers, as well as many other instruments. It is however a very touristic restaurant and you are not likely to see many Swiss people eating there.
      * The only restaurant located adjacent to the Lake Geneva footpath. Food and service are excellent. The view of the Lake is excellent and the ambiance is outstanding.
      * A pleasant restaurant with Italian flair in the Hotel International-Terminus.

  • filter_dramaDrink
    One of the few brew pubs in Geneva, Les Brass serves three flavours of home brew in the usual half pints, pints, and litre glasses or you can go for one of the giant plastic tubes filled with three to five litres. A small menu of pub food and a full restaurant in the back makes it a good spot to waste an evening.

    * Of the two restaurants attached to the Hotel Montbrillant this is the pick. The beautifully decorated but unpretentious Café de la Gare captures the laid-back feel of some of the best sidewalk cafés in [wiki=e20d37a5d7fcc4c35be6fc18a8e71bfa]Paris[/wiki]. It's a great place for dinner as well, with excellent Swiss, French, and Italian offerings.

    * One of the half-dozen or so British pubs. Usually full of football watching ex-pats eating fish and chips while sipping Guinness. Saturday night has low-key dancing to sometimes cheesy disco and pop music. A laid-back, friendly spot. One of the best in Geneva for burgers and a dozen of draft beers!!

    * (CLOSED)A swanky cocktail bar above the Alhambra Theater. Pretty people in a pretty room, usually with a DJ. A small tapas menu early in the evening and a nice brunch on weekends until 2PM.

    * This cozy little bar on the central square of Geneva's old town more than quintuples in size from April until October when it is able to use a huge swath of the place as its terrace. During warm weather it's packed, but is such a lovely and central stopping point that it's worth the wait for a table - check out the gallery on their website. In the winter they have the best vin chaud in town.

    * Located in a small street connecting to Place du Bourg-de-Four (Old town), this little café has a very charming attitude and atmosphere. A good place for after dinner drinks with good friends.

    * (CLOSED)Located in the old town, 10 minutes from the train station, this is a classic Irish pub. The establishment is comfortable and friendly, though on soccer nights, it can get a bit rowdy as fans come to enjoy the large screen TVs. As you might expect, Guinness flows free from the tap, but you can also order sweets, snacks and freshly made hot sandwiches if you get hungry. CLOSED as of Fall 2012.

    * The Grottes neigborhood of Geneva has long been a center for creative types, many of whom can be found of an evening enjoying a glass of wine at this comfy little bistro.

    * This cosy Coffee Shop is in the bank district. Espressos, Cappuccinos, Lattes, Renversés, Macchiatos, Mochacinos, ice coffees and teas can be consumed there or take-away. The coffee is great, there is a free WIFI connection. This is the kind of places where you feel like staying hours, lovely !

    *A café bar bicycle-workshop hair salon and wine shop, with a nice lunch tapas buffet and Thursday night jazz in a beautiful post-industrial space with atrium roofs and an olive tree. What is there not to like?

    *One of the oldest English pubs in Geneva. Live sports, wide selection of draught and bottled beers, ciders. More than 5 big television screens are there to watch different sports as well as a good area to play darts. You can enjoy watching major sports such as NFL, NBA, Masters Tennis, Football League, Boxing, MLB, NHL, Premier League, International Rugby union etc. . . . Also serves lunch specials, burgers, steaks, salads and chips.

    *You will be guaranteed a great time at this centrally located pub. Good Music most nights. Bands often play on Thurs-Fri Evenings. A good lively crowd who know how to party...Guinness, Bulmers, Staropramen, Boddingtons, Spirits, shots etc etc

    *This Pub/Wine Bar offers a wide choice of wines, guinness, beers, spirits and shots in a more tranquil environment. Tapas etc available on request. Mid-week and weekend parties often offer an alternative to Mulligans or you can simply stroll between the two.
    • Plaine de Plainpalais

      Around a dozen of the best bars in town are located around this diamond shaped parade and circus ground in the area southwest of the old town. This shouldn't be surprising since the many buildings of the Université de Genève are ranged around it as well.

      *Remor, Place de Cirque 1, phone number ((+41)22 328 12 70). Really the best Parisien style grande café in Geneva. Artwork by University Students and sometimes the Proprietor hang on the wall. They also offer two salads of the day, and a range of ice-cream treats. On recent evenings they've been screening the best of Swiss film, for free. CHF 3.50/5.00 draft/bottle beers. Free Wi-fi available.

      * There are punks in Geneva! Well, a few anyway, and they all hang out at the bar upstairs at the l'Usine. When you're sick of rubbing elbows with bankers, politicians, and their lackeys, head over to the smoky interior of L'Usine for a cheap beer and interesting people-watching.

      L'Usine also has two large dance/concert halls: One downstairs with an entrance by the river (hard to miss with typically massive lines every weekend) and one upstairs. Prices typically run for 15ch, but entry from upstairs is free (or the bouncers don't care) once Moloko starts kicking people out and closing down after 1AM.

      The two halls are booked by three separate organizations: KAB which books punk rock and rasta, PTR [http://www.ptrnet.ch] which handles slightly bigger name acts, and ZOO which books the best dance hall and electronica music available in Geneva.

      * The Ferblanterie, or Tinsmith would be one of the coolest bars in just about any town, and it happens to be on a street loaded with cool bars. This is very much a student haunt, and a grungy one in all the right ways. Some of the cds in the rack above the cd player are by Paulo Conté, Tom Waits, Fugazi, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Charles Mingus, if that tells you anything.

      * L'Etabli is a great place to go when the Ferblanterie is packed, or perhaps it's the other way around. This super-friendly little café/bar/wine bar is a great place to meet grad students to help with your French, or to help with their English, or just to argue politics or whatever.

    • Dance

      (CLOSED) The SIP is one of the largest and most happening places in Geneva. The music tends toward the mainstream, which does serve to attract a large mixed crowd of locals and expats. The bar is on the first floor and disco on the second floor. i

      * See Moloko Bar under Drink or their homepage.

      * Although it's not the easiest place to get to, Weetamix is able to attract good, mostly local crowds by consistently booking some of the best cutting-edge talent in electronic music from [wiki=0309a6c666a7a803fdb9db95de71cf01]France[/wiki], [wiki=d7324ee53636e346409ca80c084ede70]Britain[/wiki], and the [wiki=1f122dd19db580fd03635dd699fb49de]U.S.[/wiki].

      * This club is known for the wild nights within, thanks to its very strong cocktails served in shaker glasses. The dance floor is imposing, but once on it, well known for romantic encounters. Very popular with English speakers.

      * One of the most modern clubs in Geneva, the Bypass is, for lack of a better word, bling-bling. The dance floor swarms with young professionals and, on occasion, corporate parties and the rooms pound with clean house music, hip-hop and r'n'b. Unfortunately, this club is not near the city center, but still just a short taxi ride from it.

      * Inside the Grand Hotel Kempinski

  • filter_dramaSleep
    There are a lot of hotels in Geneva, but very few of them are actually in anything like the budget range. Hundreds, many right around the central Cornavin train station offer a pretty standard rate of CHF 135 per night for a single. If you arrive late and are willing to spend that it makes sense to look at the automated hotel board in the train station to find the nearest vacancy.

    You will find that, at most times, hotels in the airport area are cheaper than ones that are central. Don't be too put off by this; the hotels are normally quiet and have better facilities than the central hotels, and with public transport being so good it is around 15 minutes to the city centre. However, if you are working at or attending a conference at a location elsewhere in the city, you will need to check that it is walking distance to an airport-area hotel or you may need to go into the city and catch a bus/tram back out to your destination.

    It's hardest to find lodging during large international conferences, and trade shows. The latter, of which the prime example is the Salon d'Auto are usually held at Palexpo. It's worthwhile to do a bit of research to see if your arrival is likely to coincide with one of these events.

    For lower hotel prices, try the outlying French cities of [wiki=23f5d4725d457bc9c8b63b6b3cd1d330]Annemasse[/wiki] or [wiki=387955310581fe2efb67ec352e96c15b]Gaillard[/wiki] which are conveniently accessible via public transit from Gare Cornavin.
    • Budget

      A clean well maintained place. Well placed for access to the bars and restaurants of the Paquis, and only a 15-minute walk from the central station. Floors, lockers, and doors, unfortunately, are all fairly loud, and if staying in a shared room, you must bring ear plugs.

      * A clean and hassle-free, if somewhat soul-less, hostel located near the budget food haven of Paquis and the central train station.

      * A huge dorm space with 500 beds, which means that if all else fails you can probably sleep here and it's cheap. It is a bit far out of the old town though, about 2km south on the bluff of Champel, which overlooks the Arve river across from Carouge. Do remember that, because it is not a hotel, the reception closes at 10PM. If you do stay there check out the tower of Champel in the morning.

      * This charming, clean, and relatively inexpensive family run bed and breakfast shares its tiny street with the cab stand of the Hilton. It is usually full so do book ahead! Note: telephone numbers and email address are unavailable December 2010 - suspect the hotel is no more.

      * Right behind the airport on the French side. Inexpensive but still a good standard since it belongs to the Accor hotel chain.

      * 5 minute walk from Cornavin Station.4 bus stops away from St. Pierre Cathedral.

    • Mid-range

      There are hundreds of quality mid-range hotels in Geneva. Here are a couple of representative examples.

      * The residence is in a quiet and wooded area yet only a stone's throw away from the cultural and cosmopolitan pulse of Geneva. They offers 127 apartments, ranging from studios to one-bedrooms, each has a bathroom with a separate toilet, a separate kitchen area.

      * Hotel Residence St.James [url=http://www.st-james.ch/],]Rue du Versonnex 3 Geneva, 1204 Switzerland. The St-James Residence is in an elegant district in the centre of town on a street parallel with the River Rhone.
      *Residence Studio, Rue de berne 35, (next to Hotel Novotel,infact its part of Novotel hotel), +41 22 909 90 00, Fax +41 22 909 90 01. [url=http://www.novotel.com[/url]]Run by Novotel and the cheapest available in Geneva center. Small room in CHF 125 per night excluding tax. The best part is kitchen, with has two hot plates, fridge, and ample crockery. Kitchen cost is CHF 100 per stay, which means if you stay for two days or two weeks its only CHF 100. The sad part is location of studio which is in red light area.
      *Hotel Strasbourg, Rue Pradier 10, (three minutes by foot from the main train station). +42 22 906 58 00, Fax +41 22 906 58 14. [url=http://www.hotelstrasbourg.ch/[/url]] Run by Best Western, the hotel is very close to the train station as well as tram and bus lines. The desk staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.
      *Hôtel-Résidence du Grand-Saconnex, 175, route de Ferney Genève,CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex (very close to bus stop). [http://www.auberge-gs.ch/index.phtml?page=contact[/url] Cheapest available in Geneva near airport. variety of rooms available, studio or standard rooms.

      * Member of Swiss Quality Hotels Internationanl. Three star hotel located right next to the railway station in the heart of geneva. The airport is 6km away. Single room from CHF 179, double room from CHF 245 (as of April 2009). www.bernina-geneva.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com

      * Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Three star hotel situated 1km away from the railway station, 500m from the city center and only 5km from the airport. Single room from CHF 180, double room from CHF 234 (low season of April 2009). www.hdlge.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com

      * Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Four star hotel situated 1km away from the railway station and 500m from the city center. Single room from CHF 231, double room from CHF 292 (low season of April 2009). www.grandpre.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com
      Currently (January 2013) this hotel is closed due to rebuilding the house. The domain grandpre.ch is for sale.

      * Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Three star superior hotel situated 1km away from the railway station and 1.5km from the city center. Single room from CHF 207, double room from CHF 258 (low season of 2009). www.hmrge.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com

      * Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Three star hotel situated 1km away from the railway station and 200m from the city center. Single room from CHF 163, double room from CHF 213 (low season of April 2009). www.hotelsagitta.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com

      * A typical clean chain hotel, with basic facilities in the rooms. The hotel is centrally located, yet on a quite calm street so it's a great base for weekend sightseeing travelers.

    • Splurge

      It's almost as hard to pick from the huge selection of luxury hotels in Geneva as it is with the mid-range.. that said there are a couple that stand out for their historical importance or excellent locations.

      *Des Bergues [url=http://www.hoteldesbergues.com],]Quai des Bergues 33 (On the river near the old pedestrian Bridge), +41 22 908 70 00 (fax: +41 22 908 70 90). The oldest of Geneva's super-luxury hotels, this palace like space faces the old town from a superb right-bank position just above the pedestrian Pont des Bergues. A favorite among European royalty. CHF 450+ (They do run specials. The price can drop as low as CHF 330 in slow periods, such as over Christmas).
      *Beau Rivage [url=http://www.beau-rivage.ch/[/url],]13, Quai du Mont-Blanc (On the northern border of the lake), +41 (0)22 716 66 66 (fax: +41 (0)22 716 60 60). The interieur of this five star hotel is breath-taking, old european style, beautiful, service is above any doubts, simply high-class, usually you meet there a lot of rich arabian families. reserve best months in advance... CHF 600+ .
      *Swissotel Metropole [url=http://www.swissotel.com/geneva[/url],]34 Quai Général Guisan (On the southern border of the lake), +41 (0)22 318 33 50 (fax: +41 (0)22 318 33 00). Five star hotel with nice old ambiance. Very kind service, in front of it is a park, may be a nice view, but to see much of the lake or the jet d'eau you should take a room on 3rd level or higher (one of the suites). CHF 430+ .
      *Grand Hotel Kempinski [url=http://www.kempinski-geneva.com/en/home/index.htm[/url],]19, Quai du Mont-Blanc, +41 22 908 9081. Formerly known as the Noga-Hilton, this very modern and luxurious hotel is a typical choice for corporate clients. Features a mini-mall, health club and conference rooms. Prices start at CHF 580.
      *Hotel Carmen, by Plainpalais on Rue Dancet. Reportedly excellent in terms of quality, comfort, cleanliness. No pool.
      *Mövenpick Hotel Geneva Airport [http://www.moevenpick-hotels.com/en/europe/switzerland/geneva/hotel-geneva/overview/[/url], Case postale 1906, Route de Pré-Bois 20, +41 22 717 11 11. The 5 star Mövenpick Hotel & Casino Geneva is conveniently located near Geneva airport, railway station and the Palexpo Exhibition Centre. This hotel is an ideal venue for your business ventures or meetings.

  • filter_dramaStay safe
    Geneva is by and large a very safe place. Violent crime is rare but not unheard of, and it's important to keep an eye on your belongings in public, as petty theft is a fairly common occurrence. Do report any such activity to the police, you will probably find them much more interested and helpful than police in many other western cities, especially if you speak a little French. Avoid the area around the main train station after nightfall, as gangs of vagrants often congregate there and can be verbally abusive (or worse) to passersby. Avoid walking alone in the waterfront area near Jonction late at night, especially on weekends. The high concentration of drug dealers serving the cheap clubs in this area coupled with the total absence of police presence creates an unsavory atmosphere and lone travelers have been known to be followed from the area and mugged or assaulted.

    Recently, in the past 5 to 6 years, fights among locals have erupted in and around the Central Railway Station. Tourists are strongly cautioned to report any violence to the nearest police officer and stay away from the fights.

    Unfortunately there is a huge amount of vandalism in the city. On every street you can see bicycles with stolen seats, wheels, everything not locked. Many bicycles are vandalised and destroyed.

    If you see people gambling on the streets (usually along the main city centre bridges) stay away! The modus operandi usually involves a guy playing the classic game of "hiding the ball". This involves covering the ball (or small trinket) with either a bottle cap or a match box and swirling it around with two other bottle caps asking people to guess the position of the ball. The game is set in a way that you can easily see the ball's position. This is done to lure the unsuspecting person into placing a wager. There are usually two main players and, between them, they will lose and win money back and forth to give the appearance that it is a fair game - do not be tricked! They are from the same gang. Once you get greedy and get lured in, you will surely lose your money! The person in control of the bottle caps will remove the ball from their position through sleight of hand and you will never see your money back. Besides the two or three other players involved, there are usually at least two lookouts - one on each side of 'stage'. Similar variations of this scam has been reported in places like Budapest as well.
  • filter_dramaContact
    • Phone

      Local cellphone service is mainly provided by Swisscom [url=http://www.swisscom.ch],]Salt [url=https://www.salt.ch/en/[/url],]and Sunrise [url=http://www.sunrise.ch[/url].]In the second half of 2005, Yallo [url=http://www.yallo.ch[/url],]and Coop [http://www.coop.ch/coopmobile/[/url] have started their own mobile offers. Don't be surprised if you find your phone using a cellular network from France however. If you want to avoid paying roaming fees, block your phone to your "home" cellular network. If you buy one in Switzerland you will have to either just accept the occasional roaming fee, or be prepared to set the phone manually.

      If you are staying for a while you should consider getting a SIM card/and or a phone since it's much cheaper and easier than dealing with payphones. The best deal is with Sunrise SIM cards. These days you do have to register your name and an address to get a SIM card, as Swiss anonymous phone cards have been found on apprehended terror suspects who have never even been to Switzerland!

      Payphones are still fairly common here, but very few of them accept coins, so be prepared to buy a prepaid card or to use a credit card (no surcharge).

      Swisscom has borrowed one neat idea from the French which you might find very useful: the minitel. Every phonebooth is equipped with one of these electronic directory devices. You just need to know the name (in French) of the type of business you are looking for to get a list, with the closest examples highlighted. A fee is charged for using this system.

    • Internet Cafés

      Internet cafés have just begun to really take off in Geneva, and there are now several that stay open fairly late.

      *Internet Café Cornavin, inside the Cornavin train station near the west entrance. Until 10PM every day. This convenient and friendly place offers printing, and laptop stations. If you do plan to use your laptop you need to be able to demonstrate that you have anti-virus software. CHF 6 per hour. (specials for regulars and students).
      *Point6, 12 rue Jean Violette, +41 22 800 26 00. Primarily a gamer internet cafe, but becoming quite popular with casual internet users. Scanning/photocopying/printing, diskettes/CD burning, faxing services available. Manned by a young staff who as a result of being surrounded by snack machines and video games are very friendly. Prices: free for first five minutes, then CHF 5 an hour.

    • Wireless Hotspots

      The city of Geneva provides a very good coverage of Free WiFi network [url=http://www.ville-ge.ch/dsic/wifi].]Just look for the "ville-de-geneve" network.

      *Café de la Gare (see Drink) is a Swisscom [url=http://www.swisscom.ch[/url]]hotspot. To use the service you need to either be a Swisscom Mobile customer (see Phone) or buy access cards sold at any Swisscom office, and at the Montbrillant reception desk. The cards have timed values ranging from a half-hour to 1 month of continuous use.
      *In the Parc des Bastions there is free wi-fi internet access available. Just log on to the ville-de-geneve or Bastions network.
      *The public library of the city is located inside the Parc des Bastions, and the same network listed above is available inside. Search for the reading room (Salle de lecture), on the 1st floor. There is even electricity to plug your notebook. Opening hours of the room: M-F 9AM-10PM; Sa 9AM-5PM. To get there by bus take Bus 3, 5, 36, Tram 12, 17 (stop at Place Neuve); Bus 1, 32, Tram 12, 13, 15, 17 (stop at Plainpalais).
      *La Sphere, 80-82 rue de Lausanne. This cosy pool/billiard place has free wifi, as well as pool tables, darts and delicious pizza. [http://www.lasphere.ch/[/url]

  • filter_dramaCope
    Please note that contrary to popular belief, the Swiss are beyond punctual when it comes to closing hours. So if a museum is supposed to close at 5PM, expect that at 4:45PM you will be asked to leave and if you point out that closing hours are still 15 minutes away you might get expelled. If you arrive after 4:30PM, you'll more than likely be denied entrance. The same applies to shops and pretty much every public activity with a schedule. In the same vein, especially relevant to jet lagged travelers, it is important to note that lunch hour at most restaurants end at 14:00 (and last orders at 13:45 for the more strict ones) with dinner service starting again at 18:00.
    • Consulates

      *

  • filter_dramaGet out
    Swiss destinations are almost all served by the CFF from the central train station (Gare Cornavin) while ski resorts in the French Alps (including Chamonix, Samoens, Flaine and Le Grand Bornand [url=http://skigeneva.co.uk/ski-resorts-near-geneva-airport])]and the Jura can be reached by bus from the central bus station off of Rue de Mont Blanc or from SNCF's Gare des Eaux Vives. The price of the bus ticket often covers ski lift tickets as well, be sure to ask.

    Here are just a few places which make a good day trip from Geneva:

    *[[Lausanne[/url]]
    *[wiki=13708c657f137acd3b2ec03ec45dfb3a]Montreux[/wiki]
    *[wiki=e8b4049f53209acf95ceed1dd1ef2d9e]Gruyeres[/wiki]
    *[wiki=391427b102935d2b1c2f564244cdc118]Chamonix[/wiki]
    *[wiki=8ca50072cb49f324767a637541931075]Evian[/wiki]
    *[wiki=1f1c11e4460ba257bfc7196b2dfe2db2]Annecy[/wiki]
    *[wiki=12ba548db74a49553083b6a205245762]Yvoire[/wiki]
    *[wiki=984d59cb5db21bdabf1358c0694e5fd5]Thonon[/wiki]
    * [wiki=0c463f846f96ab8be22aefa135e50624]Les Diablerets[/wiki]
    • By hitchhiking

      [wiki=4b024db4e58ca08e1449184120a563d8]Hitchhiking[/wiki] is relatively safe and more common in Switzerland than France, for example. The A1 motorway surrounds the city, with connections to the rest of Switzerland and neighbouring France.

      To [wiki=4b024db4e58ca08e1449184120a563d8]hitchhike[/wiki] to the direction of [wiki=2f4d156f29b46c9add9d9337453822fc]Lausanne[/wiki] (North) take bus number 29 towards Gare Zimeysa and step out at stop Blandonnet. Walk back 200m Route de Meyrin towards the center, across the bridge over the highway and you´ll find an on-ramp to highway towards Lausanne. (Another, even better possibility is to take tram 14 or 16 in direction of Meyrin and step out at the Avanchet. Then walk forward 200 m.) Walk down 100m along the on-ramp and hitchhike before the speed gets high. The position is very good, speed of the cars low, visibility good and there´s plenty of space for cars to stop. You should accept a ride at least to Nyon, where you can continue hitchhiking on the on-ramp. (Hitchhiking on the on-ramp is illegal. Your best bet is usually to try and get a ride at one of the gas station/restaurants on the autoroute itself.)

      To hitchhike to the direction of [wiki=391427b102935d2b1c2f564244cdc118]Chamonix[/wiki] and [wiki=42dc29389d6318f0fe5b21396ce73b22]Turin[/wiki] (South-East) take bus 27 towards Thônex-Vallard-Douane and go to the end of the line. Walk through customs to France and stand at the end of the customs just before the cars speed up for the highway. Be sure to have your passport with you when crossing the border. The position is very good, the customs officers are nice, speed is low, there´s space for cars to stop, all the traffic is passing through.

      To hitchhike to the direction of [wiki=debecab907ccabee0bc672b9fa1cab8a]Lyon[/wiki] and [wiki=e20d37a5d7fcc4c35be6fc18a8e71bfa]Paris[/wiki] (South-West, West, North-West) take the bus 29 to stop Blandonnet. Walk about 600m to the next on-ramp in direction of South, the one leading to the highway in the direction of South from Route de Vernier. The position is not very good because the cars speed up and visibility is not really good but there´s place for cars to stop. Take a ride at least 10km South to the Swiss-French border, where there´s a decent spot to continue. Walk through the customs and hitchhike - preferably with a sign - before the cars speed up. There´s not much space for cars to stop but they can, speed is low and all the traffic is passing through the customs.

      [wiki=02d7defbd4fcec50380f86638f7fe570]de:Genf[/wiki]
      [wiki=e2ff613c39591bac5d942a609c56ac6a]es:Ginebra[/wiki]
      [wiki=b455d680adfda68858e30f374959a3fd]fi:Geneve[/wiki]
      [wiki=f0867f5a84744d9a44f38266027fc6fe]fr:Genève[/wiki]
      [wiki=d7b38231c8f3b7127e3174adfd649e2a]it:Ginevra[/wiki]
      [wiki=8d1e9e4f9d5a4cdb26c2546277ddef1e]ja:ジュネーブ[/wiki]
      [wiki=eadc9580b1e787cbaa7e1a9d9ba894a3]nl:Genève[/wiki]
      [wiki=54c333e64d45ff37087bf0db6517c632]pt:Genebra[/wiki]
      [wiki=0be736a3beb191e782ed8a7cf8220aac]wts:Category:Genève[/wiki]

      [[WikiPedia:Geneva]]
      [wiki=7f57f1eeeb758dead129788472a18748]Dmoz:Europe/Switzerland/Cantons/Geneva/[/wiki]
      [wiki=e3b8700071f5ce632a3d0991b510b096]World66:europe/switzerland/geneva[/wiki]
      [wiki=db09faf12aab7bbe549466876350d581]Wikevent:Geneva[/wiki]
      [wiki=5aa1623a34daaf90d59c42e225f1e2ac]extra:Geneva[/wiki]

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