We love a romantic getaway! Julie, one of the fabulous hotel experts based in our London office, fills us in on her recent trip to Switzerland.
I’m the France Product Manager which basically involves working with all our French hotels to make sure we have great deals on offer for our customers.
I’ve worked in a variety of hotel roles in France and London. I love travelling and discovering new places, tasting different cuisines and of course, staying in nice hotels within a reasonable budget 🙂
Are you an ex-pat and if so where are you originally from and what do you miss about your ‘home’?
I’m from France, more precisely Grenoble. The city is located at the foot of the French Alps and is called the “Capital of the Alps”. I used to go hiking in the summer and of course skiing in the winter (my house was only 30 minutes from the nearest ski resort!). This is what I miss the most from home! Of course I do miss my family & my friends as well 😉
Where did this trip take you and why?
This little trip was a romantic weekend with my boyfriend to Switzerland’s second biggest city (after Zurich), Geneva. I’ve visited the city before but he hadn’t so it was a good opportunity to explore it together.
What are the best things about Geneva? Why should travellers go there?
Geneva is a very popular Switzerland destination and quite famous of course as a financial centre.
It’s also a very cultural city thanks to the many museums and art galleries. The Opera House and the Grand Theatre de Genève, for instance, feature opera and dance performances, recitals, concerts and, occasionally, theatre.
One thing to know about Geneva is that it is one of the greenest cities in Europe with more than 20 parks in the city centre offering many opportunities for rest and relaxation.
Park Geneva
Be warned if you’re after a shopping holiday, it does tend to be quite expensive so I wouldn’t recommend you to go there for that purpose alone (unless you’ve got the cash to spend up at one of the luxury shops on say a watch… or you enjoy window shopping 😉 )
Some of the highlights from our trip include:
• The Flower Clock in the English Garden is a tribute to Geneva’s watch industry, harmonizing Swiss ingenuity with the floral bounties of nature.
• The Jet d’Eau sprouting 140 metres into the air is the world’s tallest fountain and symbolizes Geneva’s heritage as a leader in the field of hydraulic power.
• Mini Train: The Parks and Residence mini-train will take you on a journey along the right bank of Lake Geneva to discover beautiful parks and gardens. You will enjoy unforgettable views over the shores of the lake, past famous buildings surrounded by flowers and greenery. It’s a great way to sightsee.
I had booked a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva but unfortunately the weather was terrible on the Saturday night so had to cancel. I would definitely recommend travellers try it as it came highly recommended from friends living in Geneva.
Where did you stay?
We stayed at Le Warwick Geneva I had won two nights accommodation here as a prize at an event last year!
The hotel is very well located in Geneva. When checking-in you are given a free bus/tram pass which covers the full duration of your stay. We didn’t end up using it though, preferring to walk everywhere.
We stayed in a classic room which was quite comfortable, clean and very quiet. Free wifi was also available upon request (love that).
When I booked the room I also specified that this trip was for a special occasion (my boyfriend’s birthday) and upon arrival we received two free welcome drinks that we could use whenever we wanted at the hotel bar. How lovely is that?
Le Warwick Hotel bar
The buffet breakfast each morning definitely hit the spot.
Who did you fly with? Any airport tips?
We flew from London to Geneva with Swiss Air. The service was very good and the flight duration was only around 90 minutes. At the airport you can take either a taxi for to the hotel or you can take a train for free which will deliver you conveniently to a rail station located just in front of the hotel.
What is your best travel tip for visiting Geneva?
Geneva is quite a small city so two or three days is sufficient time to visit everything.
I would say that if you can go during summer you will enjoy all the city has to offer. As you can explore the city on foot, it’s much better to go when the weather is warmer so you can soak everything up.