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Switzerland : Geneva - November 2007

Country Code: Dial for Switzerland

Forget the snow and ice, Geneva is at its best in the autumn, when it’s still warm enough to wander around on foot and discover all the city has to offer. Geneva may be small, but as Louise McMullen finds out, it boasts glamorous nightclubs, some of the best shopping around and restaurants to rival any (much larger) metropolis

Getting around

Geneva Cointrin International Airport

Bus: If staying on the left bank, the No 10 will get you to Cornavin Station in 10 minutes and across the river in about 15 minutes
Train: The train from the airport to the city centre takes six minutes. A one-hour Tout Genève pass costs €1,90/CHF 3, which you can also use on buses.
Taxi: Taxis cost €19-25/CHF 30-40 and take about 15 minutes to the centre.
Tourist information: 18 Rue du Mont-Blanc (, www.genevetourism.ch).

Cointrin

Close to the airport, Cointrin has some of the best accommodation and shopping in the city.

Sleep soundly – Ramada Park Hotel (75-77 Avenue Louis Casaï, tel. , ramadaparkhotel.ch, rooms from €175/CHF 291) offers warm, welcoming luxury without breaking the bank. If you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the basic but comfortable Hotel Etap (30 Avenue Louis Casai, tel. , etaphotel.com, rooms from €60).

Shop til you drop – The shops in the airport are open seven days a week, but the real treat here is Balexert (27 Avenue Louis Casai), Switzerland’s second largest shopping centre. Packed with boutiques, it also has a diverse range of restaurants and cafés. In addition to this, it’s got plenty of leisure facilities, including a huge multiplex cinema where you can relax after all that retail therapy.

Eaux Vives

This green and leafy district is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll.

Culture vultures – Take a moment to check out the spectacular Le Corbusier building (2-4 Rue Saint-Laurent). Built entirely out of steel and glass, the all-glass façade allows the maximum amount of sunlight to shine through. It is thanks to this enlightening effect that the house is known as Clarté (light) or Maison de Verre (glass house).

Must eat – Buffet de la Gare des Eaux-Vives (9 Avenue de la Gare des Eaux-Vives, tel. ) is a former train station that has been transformed into a restaurant, which means you can sit on the old station platform, look out over the disused railway tracks and enjoy high quality French gastronomy.

Dance the night away – F.M.R. (34 Avenue de Frontenex) is an ambient lounge bar playing R ’n’ B that’s popular with a young crowd.

Vielle Ville

All charming, cobbled backstreets, Vielle Ville is the perfect place for a great meal or a night out on the tiles.

Sleep soundly – Le Bel’Esperance (1 Rue de la Vallée, tel. , hotel-bel-esperance.ch, rooms from €95) is exquisitely decorated with bright yellow and blue rooms and tiled baths. It also has a spectacular terrace and a graceful Louis Philippe-style salon.

Culture vultures – The old town has some stunning examples of 16th-century architecture, including the town hall, which was home to the first meeting of the League of Nations.

Must eat – Try traditional French food and strong aromatic coffee at Le Mortimer (2 Place du Bourgde-Four, tel. ). The more adventurous might want to try Le Pied de Cochon (4 Place du Bourg-de-Four, tel. ) which offers a menu of meaty Genevois and Lyonnais dishes. Make sure you try the restaurant’s speciality: pigs’ trotters, as the name suggests.

Dance the night away – XS (21 Grand Rue) is a small, intimate nightclub, hidden under the arches in the old town, where you’ll hear everything from hip-hop to disco.

Carouge

There’s a distinctly Mediterranean feel to this district, which is filled with designer boutiques, fashionable bars and trendy restaurants.

Must drink – Le Calm (36 Rue Ancienne) is a little haven of tranquility where you can enjoy mulled wine and sample the famous tarte au chocolat in blissfully peaceful surroundings.

Dance the night away – Chat Noir (13 Rue Vautier) has gained a reputation as one of the best places in Geneva to hear live music and, accordingly, it’s almost always packed to the rafters.

Shop til you drop – Rue de Carouge is a long, lively road that’s packed with bookshops, restaurants and bars. Les Recyclables (53 Rue de Carouge) is a great combination of all three.

Compiled by Louise McMullen