Weekend in Geneva - A Guide for Teachers

Read an insider guide with top-tips from Adaptable Travel's, Holly Broadway about her inspection visit to Geneva in February 2024.

‍

I have just returned from a weekend in Geneva and having not visited Switzerland before, the trip has definitely left me with an urge to re-visit!

The Journey & Public Transport

From arrival into Geneva airport, we hopped straight onto the bus directly outside the terminal door. Geneva’s free travel card makes public transport so quick and easy, with a QR code sent to your email inbox in the days before you travel. Not only is the airport bus included, but the whole UNIRESO network, to include unlimited use of buses (TPG), trains (CFF) and even boats (Mouttes Genevoises), for the duration of your stay. It’s great having one less thing to think about! You can’t walk too far without seeing a bus or tram stop, the city is well connected.

All accommodation options we use in Geneva are easily connected by the UNIRESO network. For us, it was just one straight bus (approx. 10 minutes) from the airport to the Guye bus stop, which is a 2-minute walk from the Meininger Hotel, and the bus stop that connects you to the city centre.

Similarly, the Geneva Hostel is the same distance, just via a different route, and the IBIS Budget Hotel is even closer and linked from the Balexert Shopping Centre to the airport, and city centre by tram.

‍

Meininger Hotel

We spent the duration of our stay at the Meininger Hotel, which pride themselves on combining the best elements of a hostel and hotel, with hotels across 26 European cities. Their Geneva hotel is brand-new, with CERN at the forefront of the design with various space-themed decor throughout, so it was brilliant to go and check it out.

The hotels are designed with students in mind. For example, every bed has an exclusive reading light and plug socket meaning you can have control over your own space. The rooming ranges from doubles/twins to 6-bed dorms, which are extremely spacious! With lots of space and a table, the dorms are designed to reduce the need to leave the rooms in the evening, encouraging a safe and comfortable environment for students.

The communal area offers a kitchen, workspace, and a games room to include comfy lounge areas, table tennis, a pool table, and multiple vending machines. Perfect for students!

You can also have peace of mind over the hotel security, as the outside door locks at a specific time every evening, with key-card access only. You also cannot access any floors beyond the reception area without a key card.

To view more of the hotel facilities, you can visit their website here.

After checking in and a quick look around we grabbed a packed lunch, freshly prepared by the hotel, and headed out to explore the city.

‍

Exciting Visits

We hopped straight on the tram to CERN for our first visit of the day. From the Meininger Hotel, it took around 30 minutes to reach CERN via public transport.

CERN

At the forefront of most school trips to Geneva is the largest particle physics laboratory in the World, known as CERN. As physics is not a strong personal interest of mine, I expected this visit to be interesting but not necessarily exciting, however, the visit kept me engaged throughout with interactive displays, helpful staff and a variety of exhibitions to explore.

The centre is set up for group visits, with three large exhibits to explore one by one, without over-crowding. This ensures every student gets a chance to experience every learning opportunity on offer.

I particularly enjoyed the ‘Big Bang Show,’ a video about the origins of the universe, and the ‘Quantum World’ Exhibit, which takes you through 6 different activities to imagine yourself as a tiny particle, including Quantum tennis and karaoke!

After spending a couple of hours exploring CERN and a quick look around the gift shop, we got back on the tram and made our way down to Lake Geneva, for an afternoon lake cruise.

‍

Geneva Lake Cruise

We boarded the lake cruise at Quai du Mont-Blanc, a promenade on the northern side of Lake Geneva. The cruise itself took 1-hour and completed a circular route around the lake providing 360 views, from St Peter’s Cathedral in the Old Town, the impressive United Nations buildings in the city, all the way to the mountains of the Alps – and on a clear day, even Mont-Blanc.

Depending on the weather you can sit both inside, and outside on deck. There is also a refreshment bar on board, where you can purchase various drinks and snacks. I enjoyed a much-needed Cappuccino after the early start!

We were fortunate and got very lucky with the weather. The sun was shining, and the colour of the water was absolutely beautiful. This was the perfect activity to relax after a busy morning of science!

Fondue Evening Meal

For dinner we enjoyed the Swiss tradition of Cheese Fondue. We ate at a traditional, local restaurant La Buvette des Bains, set in the middle of the harbour providing even more stunning lake views.

The Swiss Fondue was served traditionally in a communal pot over a spirit lamp, with bread, meat, and pickles to dip.

‍

Old Town and St Peter’s Cathedral

On Day 2, we had a little more time to explore, so took a visit to the Old Town. Here, you can find lots of shops on windy cobblestone streets, small squares, old historic buildings, museums, and the stunning St Peter’s Cathedral.

Built in the 12th Century, the Cathedral represents the Protestant Reformation. You can climb the 157 steps to the top of both the North and South Tower, to see views across the whole of Geneva and beyond. You can also find an archaeological site in the Cathedral basement.

‍

Alternative Accommodation options:

As well as the Meininger Hotel, other accommodation options include the Geneva Hostel and the IBIS Budget Hotel.

‍

Geneva Hostel

Located in a historical building from the 19th century, Geneva Hostel used to be home to a hospital. Set on a quiet street named after the famous Rothschild family, just 250 meters from Lake Geneva, the hostel is a perfect location to base yourselves if you want to be in the heart of it all.

As previously mentioned with all locations in Geneva, there are transport links close by, with a bus stop around the corner to reach the airport in just 7 minutes.

The hostel offers the biggest room sharing, from ensuite twin rooms to dorms with up to 12 beds, and external shared bathrooms.

You can read more about Geneva Hostel on their website, here.

‍

IBIS

The third hotel option we use in Geneva is the IBIS Budget Hotel, which is in closest proximity to the airport. It’s also opposite a huge shopping centre, Balexert Shopping Centre. As well as an array of shops and restaurants, there is also a cinema and bowling alley, perfect for some evening entertainment!

All rooms here are either single, or double/twin with ensuite bathrooms.

You can view the hotel in more detail, here.

Overall, despite only being a short weekend break, we had plenty of time to explore Geneva and everything the city had to offer. Whether for Science, History, French, or an Extra-curricular trip, Geneva could be the perfect destination for your next school trip!

To view more about Geneva School trips, you can view the dedicated page on our website, CERN school trips page.