Savvy Spending in Switzerland

Place: Geneva
Dates: April 6-8, 2012
Exchange: 100 USD= 88.6 CHF
Expense Summary:

• Transport to Geneva Center (3.40)
• One day hostel membership (6)
• Soda from machine (2.50)
• Groceries (17.50)
• Hostel locker fee (2)
• H&M handbag (29.90)
• Grande Starbucks Caramel Macchiato (7.60)
• St. Peter’s Museum (4)
• Airport locker (7)
• Airport pastry (2)

Total: 81.90

What I did: relaxed by Lake Geneva, took a self-guided tour of Old Town, investigated the ancient foundations of a city landmark, gate crashed an Easter Saturday Service.


The first day, I arrived mid-day at Geneva Airport and took the RER train to the city center. I had a little trouble figuring out the train and ticket situation at the automated kiosk (I blame massive sleep deprivation), but there was a nice railway representative who came to help at the first sign of confused hesitation. For your information, every train leaving the airport on tracks one to four goes to the center. You need to buy a “city ticket,” which is good for an hour and goes anywhere in “zone 10,” which covers almost all of Geneva proper. If you need to get to the suburbs for any reason, it will cost a little extra. Transportation was not an issue the rest of the trip, as the tourism bureau provides hotels and hostels with free fare cards for their guests, which are valid until the end of their stay.

After a few false starts trying to find my way out of the train station, I headed to the Geneva Youth Hostel, a member of Hostelling International. These hostels are for “members only,” but you can buy a one-day membership, which I did for six francs. The Geneva Youth Hostel was a great place to stay, located very near Lake Geneva in a quiet, ethnic part of town. I was able to walk everywhere I wanted to go without trouble, but the hostel is also located quite close to the tramlines. It is very clean and the mattress was a fabulously comfortable memory-foam or similar. The shower pressure is amazing, but it took some time to get warm and was one of those annoying contraptions where you have to press the button every 30 seconds or so to keep the water going. The price of your stay includes a card-activated locker and breakfast.

After I had settled in a bit, I went for a walk down to the lake and relaxed a while on a bench with a soda (2 CHF). As Geneva is very much an international city, people-watching was second to none. I walked as far as the Pont du Mont Blanc and wandered my way back to the hostel through the “Pâquis” neighborhood, stopping at a cool Eastern Grocery on the way to pick up some dinner and snacks (17.50 CHF). The cashier was super cute and I wish my French had not been so rusty so I could have flirted a little. For the shoestring traveler, I think it is better to buy groceries rather than eat out, as products are cheaper and healthier, plus you can get an impression of local tastes and everyday life. Ok, so maybe that last bit doesn’t pertain to Switzerland so much, but watch out for future posts about Eastern Europe.

On day two, I ate my fill of cereal and tartine (toast with toppings, essentially) at the free continental breakfast bar, and used the hostels free Wi-Fi to plan my day. The Geneva Tourism Bureau has a free iPhone app you can download with maps, a tour, plus restaurant and entertainment recommendations—all available offline. If you connect to a wireless network, you can use GPS to help you follow the tour and find things to do around you.

I walked downtown along the lake and got to watch swans build their nests. I had decided to try the tour of Old Town included on the app, as I didn’t see any other free tour options. However, as soon as I started off, it began to rain and I had to backtrack to get my umbrella from the day-use locker I had rented at the hostel (2 CHF). To both my delight and dismay, I spotted an H&M on the way. I went in “just to see,” but ended up falling in love with everything. I could leave without buying the best little handbag for spring and summer (29.90 CHF). I had planned to use the cash for a nice meal, but I do not regret my decision. Everyone needs a souvenir, right?

When I managed to extract myself, I got my umbrella, changed into boots… and decided to have a little break. I had seen a Starbucks near the quay, so I made a sandwich, ate it on the way, and settled down for a little taste of home. The appallingly high price of a Grande Caramel Macchiato (7.60 CHF) did not occur to me until later in the day.

Finally, I got around to doing the tour. The nice thing was I could stop and start again whenever I wanted. The disappointing thing was almost everything else about the tour. It was hard to stay on course as not all streets are marked and some construction has taken place since the last time it was updated. Also, there is absolutely no commentary about the sights included on the tour, although you can navigate back to the “Discover Geneva” part of the app to read about a few, and some places have their own info placards. I did see plenty of cool spots though, and decided to take a long stop to visit the archaeological museum at the Church of Saint Peter.

Museums are not generally my favorite places to visit, but this one is pretty cool as it shows how the area around Saint Peter’s has changed after two millennia of habitation. The church itself has existed in various stages since the fourth century, and you can see the old baptismal founts, crypt, and the exquisite floor of the bishop’s receiving room circa 1300. Included in the admission price is an audio guide, which could easily result in information inundation, but it is worth it to learn more about the parts that interest you or don’t have accompanying placards. I made a complete tour of the museum in one and a half hours, but there is plenty to interest for a longer visit, and it is small enough for a shorter trip, too.

After the tour, I took my things from the hostel and stashed them at the airport. Then I backtracked to Old Town for an Easter Saturday service at Eglise St. Germain. It was great to get a taste of local culture and some free food. I even got an Easter egg.

I spent my second night at the Geneva Airport, which I absolutely do not recommend. There were few (uncomfortable) seats, outlets were hard to find (not located near seats), and I witnessed police roughing up a possibly homeless guy. Sleeping in airports isn't always miserable, though, and can be a decent way to save on acommodation. More on this later.

All in all, I really enjoyed Geneva and will definately return. It's a beautiful, historical and multicultural city with something for every kind of traveller. Take away points to consider:

• You only need to purchase a one-way "city ticket" to get from the airport to the city center.
• Download the Geneva City Application on your smartphone.
• Don't buy Starbucks here unless you really like overpaying for coffee.
• If you go into an H&M, you risk not be able to get out without buying something.

Come back next week to find out what $100 buys in Poland!