After staying on English soil over the Christmas holidays, by February I was getting restless and the stars were beginning to pull my hair again, to paraphrase Anaïs Nin.

I spent several cold evenings searching the usual suspects of Ryanair, EasyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air and SkyScanner and dates, times and prices kept bringing me back to Geneva, Switzerland, as the most feasible.

This was fine by me as I’d always held a curiosity about Geneva and to spend time at the lake, and besides, Switzerland would be a new country for me (the 31st!). I don’t let this tally dictate where I go as I’ve been to some countries multiple times but it always feels like a nice little novelty bonus when it’s a new country.

I love flying from Liverpool John Lennon Airport as it is such an efficient, chilled and friendly airport. I woke up at 4:30am, was in the pre-booked Uber at 5am, and at the airport for 5:30 for the 7am flight. Security was a breeze, whizzed through and out into Departures in around 10 minutes.

The flight was on time and the pilot informed us there was a strong tailwind so we would be bolting over to Switzerland in 1 hour 20 minutes but he forewarned that this would mean turbulence. Happily, it turned out that there was hardly any turbulence so my white knuckles could relax into the flight, arriving in Geneva at 9:20am.

Yes, Geneva is very expensive, but there are things which offset the cost. If you are staying in any hotel or other accommodation, you will be sent a Free Geneva Transport Card in advance which means you can get from the airport into the city centre for free.

Another blessing about Geneva is the ease of getting into the city after the quick flight with regular trains (almost all stop at Geneva-Cornavin, the city centre station) with a journey time of just 7 minutes!

Geneva is situated in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and the locals are known as the Genevois.

Most people I encountered spoke some English but French is rightly the default language of communication and I was happy to rely on and practise my basic conversational level French when ordering.

My first stop was at the Café Arts on the Rue des Pâquis, a trendy and friendly neighbourhood a few minutes from the central train station. I could see menus daubed in colourful chalk for cocktails and small plates but none for coffee. I asked for une carte de café but the barista looked unimpressed and asked me simply if I wanted café au lait or café noir.

This umbrella-approach to ordering coffee caught me unprepared due to too much time spent in Italy (Naples/ Ischia/ Rome) last year! Café au lait it was, costing 4.30 CHF (Swiss Francs) which, according to my Monzo account, converted to £4.10 in GBP. This makes it easy enough to convert prices when there as roughly the same amount, although things are obviously much pricier here (recalling 1.50 euros espresso in Italy!).

Now adequately caffeinated after the 4:30am start, I walked over to Lake Geneva (known in French as Lac Léman), which of course, is the star of the show in this city being the largest freshwater lake in Western Europe.

The weather was grey, moody and drizzly, and it would surely look far more dazzling in the summer, but I embraced it as it was in the season we were in.

Within seconds, I clocked the Jet d’Eau, a famous landmark which shoots water up 150 metres. It started life 1886 in a functional capacity in a nearby village as a safety valve. Apparently, people loved the spectacle of it so much they moved it to Geneva centre ville where it could be seen by more people.

Jet d’Eau

I walked on towards the Bains des Pâquis, the hub of activity on the lake.

The aroma of essential oils and sauna wood drifted over the crisp air which then gave way to the stronger smell of fondue as staff ferried sharing pots and the associated accoutrements from the serving hatch across the boardwalk to the indoor dining area draped in waterproof plastic screens.

Swans glided elegantly at the lake’s shore while some older male cold-water swimmers clad in Speedos and rubber swimming caps traipsed back out of the water to wrap themselves in their robes after what must be the ultimate refreshment.

The sun was making a grand effort to peek through the gloom clouds alongside the intermittent softest scatterings of rain, which resulted in a day-long rainbow. It is not very clear in the above photo but it became stronger as the day went on. I was struck by how clear the lake water was (which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise really, given the fact it is Switzerland and only an hour away from Evian).

It was now 11:30am and the mournful woodwinds of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake played in my mental radio (which is never not spinning a tune) as I walked on along the banks of the lake, when I glimpsed this vibe of a guy, chilling on the bench with his carafe of wine:

A/S/L? What are you thinking about, babe?

I didn’t disrupt his seemingly serene lakeside contemplations and walked on.

(A little side note about Genevois men is that they were, generally speaking, very smart with their belted woollen coat collars turned upwards leaving a trail of cologne behind as strong as a Spanish man..)

My favourite locals, however, are the Mouettes Genevoises, the cheerful yellow water shuttles that take you across the lake in about 3 minutes each way. Maybe as a Liverpool native, they reminded me of the Yellow Submarine or the iconic Yellow Duckmarine I used to see trundling past my flat on North John Street before it took its passengers into the Albert Dock.

A trip across the lake on one of these Genevan Gulls is free if you have the Geneva Transport Card and it gives you a quick experience of sailing on the lake without the cost and time investment of a proper boat tour.

I imagined Mary Shelley, husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron out rowing in a boat on the lake, making that bet to see who wrote the best Gothic tale, Mary’s ‘Frankenstein’ triumphing, of course. (I’ve since found out that they were all actually trapped inside in their lakeside holiday chalet due to the weather, ‘the year without a summer’.)

Anyway, it seemed that more was happening over the water in the old town so I decided to head there for the afternoon.

Geneva is a very clean, calm and safe city. It is ideal for a first solo trip or specifically for women travelling alone. It may even be a bit boring in a group, actually, with a lack of wildness in its nightlife. That’s ok though, not everywhere serves for that, and I headed to Geneva purely for walking around the lake and spending time outdoors.

The old town (the Vieille Ville) was cute, quaint, quiet and pretty.

Here, you will find commonly recommended restaurants such as Café du Bourg de Four and Chez ma cousine (I didn’t dine at either so couldn’t personally comment but I read plenty of glowing reviews online for both if you are wondering where to eat!).

Just behind the main square, the Place du Bourg-de-Four, you will find the St. Pierre Cathedral. I was surprised to see the Romanesque architecture for a Swiss Protestant place of worship. I didn’t go in but you can climb to the top of the tower for panoramic views across the city for 7 euros which I imagine is very much worth it but I was admittedly tired and felt a bit weak for climbing up loads of stone stairs.

Heading back over to the port to catch the return Mouette over the lake, I spotted something gold gleaming in the light. I am like a fly compelled towards anything sparkly so diverted my route to see what it was, and it became clearer as I got closer that it was the crosses mounted on the cupolas of a Russian Orthodox Church, the Église Russe. This striking building is nestled in a residential area which was quiet in the late afternoon.

Switzerland is of course very famous for its luxury watches with brands such as Rolex, Cartier, Patek Phillippe, and Breitling having either headquarters or flagship stores in Geneva. Watches are not a particular interest of mine but I appreciate their beauty, class, and precision. If you are into your watches, you can visit the Patek Phillipe Museum in Geneva, and you will see these premium watch brands’ shops studded all over the city. Geneva is brimming with luxury but somehow does not feel pretentious.

In the Jardin Anglais, right near the port and by the lake’s edge, you will find the famous Flower Clock which I presumed would not be in bloom in winter but the meticulous Swiss designers ensure different flowers across the four seasons are in their own colours in their own moments throughout the year (around 12,000 of them!).

The clock was first made in 1955 with classic Swiss precision (the time is transmitted via satellite) and the second hand is the world’s longest at 2.5 metres (source: Geneva Tourism).

Over the lake and back to the hotel for a nap after that 4:30am start.

I stayed at Hôtel Suisse which was ideal, opposite the Geneva-Cornavin train station and right in the heart of the city. My room had a tiny balcony which would have been sweet to sit out on in the spring/summer but it had been drizzling so I just opened the windows to see the rainbow from the bed before falling asleep for half an hour. The bed was so comfortable and the room had a mini fridge (perfect for storing the Swiss cheese I’d picked up from the Migros supermarket at the station), and it was a great price in February.

After a hot shower and hair wash (I love washing my hair in Europe because something about the water makes my hair feel cleaner and lighter than at home), I walked out without a plan except for catching dusk at the lakeside.

This is the time of day when Geneva really shows off, with strings of lightbulbs illuminating the promenade while the lake twinkles with the city lights from the other side.

Prior to this trip, I had never heard of Swiss wine but of course, being so close to other wine-making countries such as France, Italy, and Germany, it made obvious sense. The local grape found around town here was Gamaret from the local Lavaux vineyards.

I love impactful red wines from hotter regions such as Primitivo from Puglia but there was a sense of equilibrium tasting this smooth, subtle wine by the lake on a cool February evening. At the Buvette des Bains , a small glass of this local wine will only set you back around £4.50, much cheaper than the equivalent in the UK!

Switzerland is synonymous with cheese and the fondue reigns supreme in this city.

I absolutely love cheese; I’ve written a blog on wines on my travels but I could do the same for cheese. In fact, Gruyére is one of my faves!

Yet, when I smelt the fondue in a couple of restaurants, I was put off from the idea. It smelt cloying and the portions were too big for one, so I bypassed that and instead chose Swiss onion soup which may sound like a mere starter but with bread was enough for me. I had eaten a Swiss version of Paprika Lays and Emmental and bread at the hotel so didn’t feel like much more anyway.

I have always loved French onion soup and recall a supreme one in Bordeaux back in 2019, but I have to say, this Swiss one at Restaurant Edelweiss just had the edge. Don’t laugh- this is serious, grown-up food, and it is hard to think of a dish more comforting in the winter.

I mean, it was the first time I have had dinner serenaded by a Swiss accordion, an Alphorn, and yodelling.

The next morning, after a lovely sleep, I checked out and walked round the corner for a cortado at Café Calico.

It is minimalist and quiet with locals tapping away on their laptops but friendly and again, unpretentious. I am no coffee connoisseur by any means but I think that cortado was the best I have ever had; an almost whipped consistency but with a definite bite. It cost around £5 which ok, is a bit pricier than back home, but this is Switzerland and it was beautiful. It was strong enough to wake up me up but not overtly so to leave me with the caffeine-shakes.

The second day was definitely greyer but it works against the moody grey stonework of the old town.

I follow the Extreme Day Trips Liverpool Facebook group and quite a few members have posted their photos of their EDTs to Geneva over the last few weeks. I was very close to doing an EDT which would have involved landing in Geneva at 10am and flying out at 9pm, giving 11 hours in Geneva (fewer if you consider getting to the airport a couple of hours beforehand).

I booked the return flight for the day after because the hotel was a good price and I just thought it would give that extra time but to be honest, Geneva would be ideal for an EDT.

It is a cool, classy, peaceful and scenic city with a stunning lake I had always wanted to see, but later on in the second day I was becoming a bit bored. I don’t blame Geneva for that; it may likely have been a different case if I was there with company or if it was the summer where hours could have been whiled away sat outside with a book, but a second day would really be for if you were going to continue to Montreaux, or Annecy or Chamonix just over the French border.

They all looked so stunning but I’d decided to keep this trip simple rather than cramming too much into limited time.

The good thing is that now I know about this route and neighbouring locations, I may do this in the future by flying into Geneva and getting straight on the train to one of those places.

So, my experience of Geneva summed up: clean, peaceful, elegant, classy, beautiful, luxurious, expensive, friendly, tasteful, safe, and a short flight from Liverpool.

If you travel solo (particularly if you are a woman), if you are looking to try an EDT, or if you live in Liverpool and are looking to experience another city/country then go- it is definitely possible to go there for a day or two without breaking the bank.

The star of the show is Lake Geneva, and I hope to see her again one time but all her full turquoise summer styling.