What to do for free in Geneva
Might be funny when you think Geneva and free in the same sentence lol. I won’t blame you. What to do for free in a pricey city like Geneva is not the first thing that jumps to mind when planning a boujee trip to the Swiss side but as the french say, on y va!
Geneva is the 2nd biggest city in Switzerland. It is a popular financial hub which houses one of the most important organisations in the world, the United Nations. The gist about Switzerland having one of the highest qualities of life in the world is also 100% accurate!
You know what this means guys? It means we all need to relocate to Geneva asap to live our best lives and stay healthy forever!!! However there is one problem. As a foreigner, unless you are going there for work or you have a sizeable inheritance, it will be difficult to survive in Geneva because you need bare coins to live a relatively comfortable life there.
Anyway, visiting Geneva was really never on our travel itinerary but the thing about travel is that sometimes, you find an irresistible deal and find yourself going to that country you never really thought about. This is where flexibility plays a factor! The travel package was good enough; we booked it and started counting down.
Even though the flights and hotel were relatively cheap, we figured that the day to day cost of the holiday was going to be high. Soooooo what can you do for free in Geneva? because, in case you have not already deduced from my introduction, that city is expensive AF! I mean, we knew it was an expensive city but nothing, I say NOTHING prepared me for the prices I saw!
So What exactly can you do for free in Geneva?
- Start with walking through VIELLE VILLE aka the old town and its cobbled streets. It’s cute and clean and just boujee! Take loads of pictures in front of the store, go in, have a peek around, come back out.
- Go to LAC DE GENEVE aka LAKE GENEVA and see the Jet D’eau. Make sure you hang around to see it sprout into the air. Spectacular!! I managed to catch a rainbow shining through in my photos. How cool!
- Take a walk in PARC DES BASTIONS – It’s serene, there are benches to sit on, you can bring a blanket and have a cute picnic on the grass. Oh! And the Reformation Wall is also situated in Parc des Bastions.
- Visit ST PIERRE CATHEDRAL and light a candle inside the church. Say your prayers people, say your prayers!
- Head to the PALAIS DE NATIONS. If you’re like me, you will go there in the hope of asking why they rejected your job application 9 years ago even though you know you won’t be allowed into the building. A for effort though; you have to try your luck!
- THE BROKEN CHAIR – It is just in front of the United Nations building. At first glance, it looks out of place until you read the inscriptions on the slab next to it and realise its significance. Powerful statement!
- Go to Jardin Anglais and look out for L’HORLOGE FLEURIE. It’s a beautiful flower clock just sitting in the garden. I always say that it is the real flower wall which every flower wall emanated from lol
However, if you’re rich rich or you have some coins to spare...
- Head into the mountains for ski lessons. To be fair, if you’re Kim K rich, you probably already know how to ski so just head to the mountains anyway.
- Go shopping OBVS! You’re spoilt for choice on the plethora of designer stores on Rue du Rhône.
- Eat fondue! This is quite a popular thing to do in Geneva and ok; you don’t need to be a Hilton to eat bread in melted cheese. It just seems extra swiss fancy haha! Check out Les Armures in Vieille Ville for this.
- Walk into one of the swiss watch shops and of course, buy one! I’m talking the likes of Patek Phillipe and Audemars Piguet. Now, you are Jay Z kind of rich if you do this.
- Visit one of the fancy restaurants by the quay; order a bottle of their most expensive champagne and caviar and toast to the good life!
To Eat
For a more affordable place to eat, which is by the quay (because let us face it, YOLO! And you have to enjoy life anyway), try Restaurant Le Lacustre. Le lacustre It is situated by the river Rhône and the Mont-Blanc Bridges and the seafood is delicious! We got terrace seats and watched the ducks in the nearby river with the most polite waiters. Scenery was gorgeous and it was a cute afternoon date!
The beauty of Geneva is that the air is so crisp and blue especially in spring and summer. Its backdrop is so picturesque and quite effortless; almost like the air is cleaned daily. To be honest, I would not be surprised if this was the case!
Travel Details
- Hotel – Hotel Suisse – I recommend. It is just right outside the train station and a few minutes walk to most sites.
- Flights – British Airways
Both booked as a package deal on Expedia
Final Thoughts....
Now, will I ever go back to Geneva? Maybe one day when I have visited all other European countries on my list. I’m definitely not running back or wishing I could go back one day.
From the few days I spent, I got the feeling that there is not much to do in comparison with other European cities. I expected to get some sort of South of France boujee vibe since its level of expense was Monte Carlo/St Tropez-esque but it was very ordinary and almost boring. Perhaps it is different if you work and/or live? But as a holiday destination, it is mehhhh.
Bisous, ‘Bugo x
12 Comments
Mielle
Lovely write up and serene picture of the rainbow.
It’s all good, I’m not looking to visit, just looking to be able live there!! 😂😂
Bugo
hahahahaa YES sis!
I don’t even know if we can actually live there; maybe for a few years and then move to a more interesting city lol
Rume
I feel like I’ve experienced this beautiful city from your write up. Thanks!
Bugo
Hey Rume! You’re welcome.
Although i’ll advise you to visit still tbh. I always feel like as much as people tell the best stories, i love to see things for myself.
That way, when you come back, we can compare experiences hehe xx
Fati
Interesting read but you need to tell me how you went there and there was zero mention of their chocolates!
Bugo
hahahaha!
Hey Fati! I’ll be very honest, I’m not a big fan of chocolates. I’m quite basic when it comes to my chocolates; think Bounty, Maltesers, Snickers etc so I am the wrong person to write on swiss chocolates. i can imagine it is lovely (i had some belgian chocs in Bruges a few weeks ago and they were nice) but just not something I crave or would go looking for.
maybe next time LOL. Thanks for reading 🙂 xx
Temi
Really enjoyed this! Geneva has been on my list simply because I want to visit the UN grounds, but the expense has always put me off. Really great to read things from your perspective, it’s still on the list but I’m in no rush *shrugs* xx
Linda
Great post! Keep up the good work! I love going to Zürich. I have been 4 times so far as my best friend lives there, although it’s expensive, there’s lots to do and every time I go, there is always something new I missed the last time xx
Bugo
I would actually love to go to Zurich. After I told my colleague about Geneva, he suggested I try Zurich instead and thinks i’ll definitely enjoy it better. Maybe one day.
Thank you for reading and your lovely comment, I really appreciate it x
Bugo
Sisssss! the expense is cray cray!
The funny thing is that I found the hotel and flight tickets to be relatively cheap (or at least the equivalent of going to other European cities). It is the food and drinks and just general getting around that were pricey.
I’ll admit that i’m glad I went. It’s one of those cities that I feel like you have to go to at one point in life just to see lol
Thanks for reading and your lovely comment too 🙂 xx
Tife
Very interesting read, sounds like you can pretty much get through everything in a day or a day and a half. I’ve never been, but I pretty much got the vibe that there isn’t much to do from looking at popular European destinations and Switzerland not being on top of most of the lists. It was good to get your perspective and I might consider it for a quick weekend break.
Thanks for posting!
Bugo
Hey Tife
I would say, yes! you can do a lot in one day. Getting around the city is easy as well (tram system is quality).
It is deffo a quick weekend break kinda place – go on friday after work and come back sunday evening.
Thanks for reading ma belle xx