Geneva and Annecy, August 2018

Well, it is definitely safe to say that Geneva surpassed my expectations. The holiday was booked with my friend on a whim, and it dawned on us just before going that we weren't entirely sure what Geneva would have to offer apart from the obvious: a lake and the prospect of  eating far too much fondue. Now it definitely delivered on both those aspects, and a lot more! The lake is far bigger than I imagined and the jet d'eu is amazingly photogenic. And in regards to the fondue, genuinely debating getting myself a do it at home set...

The first thing everyone said to me when I told them where I was going on holiday was 'isn't it really expensive there?' and I can safely say I didn't feel like it was. Or at least it was no worse than many cities - London for example! This could partially be down to the fact i'm awful at understanding what conversion rates are, but they do also have a lot of things put in place to keep costs down. For example if you are staying in a hotel or apartments they give you a free local public transport card which saves on travel fees, and you can also get a 80 minute free travel card in the baggage area of the airport. Don't get me wrong Geneva is full of designer shops and indulgent looking hotels but you can also make the most of your weekend on a pretty decent budget. I spent roughly £300 spending money for the 4 days we had there, and that included the euros spent on our day trip to France. 



Our favourite area in Geneva for restaurants and bars was near the St Pierre Cathedral, it is a beautiful square full of lovely food (the truffle fondue was even better than you can imagine) in a great location. It is well worth a visit into the Cathedral too, the highlight of which is the Maccabees Chapel which is incredibly detailed. 





Another good way to sightsee around Geneva is to get a boat ride around the lake. It is a relaxing way to see more of the area and a good idea to book around sunset as if you're lucky with the weather (as you can see below, I wasn't that lucky) you'll get some amazing photos. 



The UN building is interesting to visit whilst you're in Geneva. Keep in mind though you are only allowed in by guided tour and they have specific times that you must be there for so make sure you look up in advance... and arrive early as they only have a specific amount of slots. It is impressive seeing all the big meeting rooms although I did think that the tour was relatively basic. It is quite a walk from central Geneva and we opted to take the tram there as it was free and also about 30 degrees out so walking too far would have been too much. Whilst in that area I would recommend a visit to the Botanical Gardens which are pretty, and only about 15 mins from the UN building.



We were able to take advantage of the free bus travel once again when heading to the Salève Mountain. There are hiking routes up the mountain but we opted for the cable car to the top. The cable car actually operates from across the border in France which is pretty cool, and the views from the top are second to none. You could easily spend a day up here as there are so many walking routes and you can even paraglide off the top if you're feeling adventurous!





Now onto our day trip to France, to a place called Annecy. We booked our coach tickets through Flix travel and it only cost is £30pp for the return ticket from Geneva and it only took around an hour to get there. Bargain! We decided to visit on Sunday which is market day in Annecy - it was great to look around all the stalls however it was excessively busy and it made it slow going walking around the narrow streets. For a more relaxing visit, I would avoid market days.





Annecy itself is beautiful full of picturesque looking restaurants and shops. The winding streets and the amazing view of the lake really make it feel like you're in a fairy tale. The best way to enjoy the views of the lake is by hiring a pedalo boat, and the views from the lake are unmatched.