Geneva

Geneva sits at the western tip of its lake, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland — close enough to France that it’s easy to forget you’ve crossed a border, until you need to pay for something.

Getting There

Geneva Airport (GVA) is unusually close to the center, about 5–10 minutes by car — one of the shortest airport-to-city transfers of any major European hub. This makes Geneva a genuinely easy add-on to a France or Alps trip rather than a destination that demands its own dedicated arrival day.

The City

The Jet d’Eau, the 140-meter fountain on the lake, is the city’s best-known landmark and visible from most of the waterfront. The Old Town (Vieille Ville), on a low hill on the lake’s left bank, has the city’s oldest streets and its cathedral, Saint-Pierre. Geneva is also home to a concentration of international organizations — the United Nations’ European headquarters and the International Committee of the Red Cross among them — which shapes the city’s character: quiet, discreet, and used to hosting people who value privacy.

Practical Notes

Switzerland is not in the European Union and uses the Swiss Franc (CHF), not the euro — worth knowing before you arrive, since cards are widely accepted but exchange rates at the airport are rarely the best available. Geneva is also one of the more expensive cities in Europe day-to-day, restaurants included. The French Alps and Chamonix are under an hour’s drive away, which is why Geneva so often works as a one- or two-night lakeside stop bracketing a mountain stay rather than a trip on its own.