Written October 10, 2024. Traveled November 2022.

I’ve got two perfect days lined up for you in Geneva, Switzerland and Chamonix, France. Why these two cities? They are absolutely beautiful in the winter, and they both have such unique experiences to offer.

With this itinerary, you get to experience some of the culture and beauty of both cities in one weekend trip. I would recommend traveling to Geneva and Chamonix during late November or early December to really enjoy the wintery magic without the weather being too harsh.

I did a version of this trip when I was studying abroad in November, 2022. I traveled to Switzerland with my friend Elsa, and we still reminisce about this trip often because we were not expecting to have as much fun as we did. The plans all fell into place last minute, especially our excursion to Chamonix, and it turned out being a great weekend. It was a perfect short trip that kept me busy.

Some of the highlights: We saw the most unreal sunset ever and beautiful snow covered mountains in Chamonix, and ate authentic fondue and went on a chocolate tasting tour in Geneva. I’d recommend this trip to anyone, but it would be even more special if:

• You LOVE winter
• A chocolate tasting tour sounds like something you’d enjoy
• You’ve never been to Switzerland
• You have an interest in paragliding! (Paragliding is big in Switzerland, but I didn’t try it. Not a fan of heights.)

DAY 1: EXPLORING GENEVA

Arrive in Geneva, Switzerland. Check into your hotel and then spend the day getting to know the city. We stayed at the Ruby Claire Hotel and Bar.

My review of the Ruby Claire: Clean, safe, quiet. Dark hallways, a cute bar on the top level of the hotel, and friendly staff. In terms of location, I thought it was great: I felt safe there, and it was very centrally located. The room itself was cozy and comfortable.

During your first day, I would definitely make sure you explore the historic Old Town. When Elsa and I went, we stayed local, enjoyed the city, and did a lot of exploring. We walked up and down the streets taking in the historic architecture. It was very quiet and serene. For us, being in Geneva felt like a peaceful break from taking classes during the week in Madrid and running around during our jam-packed weekend trips with groups of our friends.

In the Old Town, you can sit and enjoy the cozy atmosphere by grabbing a drink at any of the cute cafes in the old square, Place Bourg Du Four. You should also shop around the cute chocolate shops and boutiques, or even venture to an outdoor ice skating rink. There’s also plenty of designer shopping to do in the newer parts of the city, like by the Ruby Claire hotel.

Also, make a visit to Lake Geneva and see the Jet d’Eau, the fountain that sprays up 140 meters. If you want something more active to do, you can hike Le Saleve. This is also the day to plan that paragliding trip if you’re adventurous like that! We saw so many people doing it in both Geneva and Chamonix. It looks incredible, and Elsa almost convinced me to go, but I decided against it. Maybe next time.

Tonight, dinner is at Edelweiss, an authentic fondue restaurant in a cute hotel. We both ordered the French onion soup to start and it was 10/10. It was actually some of the best French onion soup I’ve ever had, and Elsa agreed. For our main course, Elsa and I shared cheese fondue served with bread and potatoes. It was good, but it was very rich to have for an entire meal. And even though we were SO full, we just had to get the chocolate fondue for dessert served with fresh fruit. Absolutely worth it.

DAY 2: CHOCOLATE TOUR & CHAMONIX

Start your day off with something savory for breakfast to balance out all of the chocolate you’re about to eat. Then head over to Quai des Bergues to start your chocolate tasting tour. We booked this tour through Viator. It cost $118, and it was such a cool experience. I mean, where else do you get to walk around a beautiful city trying insanely decadent chocolate treats for three hours?

On this incredibly memorable tour, you’ll visit several Swiss chocolate shops and get to hear about how their chocolate is made, the history behind different shops and specific treats, and you’ll get many samples. And if that wasn’t enticing enough, you ALSO get a historical walking tour of the city led by a well-versed and enthusiastic tour guide.

Not only did I learn about the history of chocolate in Switzerland, or the “food of the Gods” as it was once called, but I also learned about the history of the Old Town, including past leaders, battles and traditions of the city. This tour is incredibly worth it. And for some unexpected bonuses, we got to try an award winning chocolate cake from a local bakery, we reenacted a historic chocolate breaking tradition, and we took a ride on a water taxi across Lake Geneva.

Once the tour is over, you get some coupons to buy chocolate at some of the shops you visited. Their pre-packaged boxes of chocolate make for a great souvenir or gift! Although, you honestly might be so sick of chocolate by the end of it all that you can’t even imagine buying any, even if it is to take home.

Then, head over to the airport by train. You are going to take a bus from the Geneva airport to Chamonix, the cutest ski village right over the French border. I used Omio to find a bus, and I ended up choosing a bus run by AlpyBus. The ride there was a 2:00 PM. It cost 71 Euros, it was incredibly scenic, and it only took 1 hour and 15 minutes. Chamonix is settled right near Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. It is a quaint and cozy town that is so adorable and scenic that it almost doesn’t seem real. The main attractions: the snowy mountain views and the cozy feeling of being in a winter wonderland.

Elsa and I shopped, took photos, and explored before it got dark. Then we stood on this bridge to watch the sunset. It only became more and more beautiful as we stood there watching the sky turn to deep shades of pink and orange. I mean, look at this!

And of course, I found a little hedgehog while in Chamonix. I’m a big fan of hedgehogs, and I love it when I come across anything hedgehog-themed. The stores there had some of cutest crafts and gifts I’ve ever seen. And I got some great postcards there – I’m a big fan of postcards that have a vintage look to them, and there were so many in Chamonix.

You’re going to want to grab some dinner and drinks at a local restaurant to end your visit. We ate at Big Mountain Brewery where we tried their beer and artisan pizza. You’re not going to want to leave Chamonix, but you will have to catch the last bus back to Geneva. We used a bus company called Swiss Tours to get back to Geneva, and this ticket cost 30 Euros. Once back in Geneva, either grab drinks at your hotel like we did, or go out!

THE DETAILS: TRANSPORTATION

There’s a bunch of easy ways to get around the city. Elsa and I first took an Uber from the airport to our hotel, but once we were in the city center, we took the trams and walked a lot. The city was very walkable. We learned on the second day that there was a train that takes you to the airport from the center of town, so we took that train to catch our bus to Chamonix. We took that train to the airport again the next day to catch our flight back to Madrid.

We walked everywhere in Chamonix. The bus dropped us in a very central location. Definitely bundle up, though! It was chilly.

THE DETAILS: $$$

Geneva is incredibly expensive. All of Switzerland is. I mean, it was really shocking, especially compared to Madrid, which was my home-base during study abroad. (Madrid is known for being a very affordable city). I think I paid close to the equivalent of $40 for pasta and an Aperol spritz and that was a lot compared to Madrid! And unlike the majority of other European countries, they use Swiss Francs in Switzerland, and some places only accepted cash. Make sure you are prepared to get money out of an ATM if necessary. Chamonix was less expensive, and they use Euros, which I was used to carrying while living in Madrid.

THE DETAILS: THE LANGUAGE

The majority of people speak French in Geneva, and Elsa and I don’t know a word of French. It was no problem at all – a lot of people speak English – until Elsa got stuck in the bathroom at a cafe right before our chocolate tasting tour. There was a sign about how to use the lock taped to the door…but it was in French. I received her frantic “I’m stuck in the bathroom” text followed by a photo of the sign in French, and looking back it was pretty funny. I was able to get an employee to help us out, though, and we made it to our tour on time!

Overall, this trip is easy and extremely customizable, and you only need a weekend to do it! Where else are you going to go on a chocolate tasting tour, learn about the history of Geneva and get to see an adorable wintery city?