Geneva in November

[BettySweaty]

Booked flights. It's my 50th birthday. Going with dp and another couple for 3 days.

Need to book accommodation and think about what to do. Any ideas or experiences most welcome!

Not a huge budget, will do or try most things
....

Re CERN you just need to arrive as early as possible there to put your name down for the English speaking tours. They no longer accept online individual bookings. There is a tram service from Geneva to CERN.

Would recommend the restaurant at the top of MANOR department store.

@BettySweaty

get tram to courrouge
fab Saturday morning market in place du marche
eat at la bourse there in the evening
fab bistro
book table

geneva is amazing but you need to know where to go.

book hotels now as often very expensive indeed but now all hotels are!

@Tallcurves thank you! Sounds lovely!

I used to live in Geneva and go back there often. Weather-wise it's pretty similar to London. And yes, some things there are more expensive than the UK, but not everything. Public transport is cheaper in Switzerland than London and easy to use (just make sure you buy a ticket BEFORE you board any train or bus, or you could be hit with a hefty fine). Try to avoid taxis as they are very expensive - Uber is better (though not 100% sure they're still running there). Eating out can be expensive, but you don't need to dine out for every meal. There are many supermarkets where you can buy nice fresh bread and cheese, and many cafes (don't got to Starbucks) where you can have nice coffee and pastries for not much more than you would pay in the UK.
For fondue in Geneva, go to Cafe du Soleil.
Also, the top floor of Manor (near the Cornavin train station) has a really nice, reasonably priced restaurant with a huge selection of food options and a lovely view.

Forgot to add that you should book Cafe du Soleil in advance

I'm originally Swiss but now living abroad. Geneva's a fine city, but not that special and I do think it's worth doing an excursion further afield if you have the time. I second the train ride around the lake over to Montreux. Once there I would walk along the lakeside to Chillon castle mentioned above. It's a beautiful quayside promenade with a view of the mountains, about 40 min long, usually full of flowers (although probably less so in November).

Also agree that Manor restaurants are often a good "budget" option in Swiss towns in general (if anything can be called budget there). Also Migros and Coop, which are the other main supermarket chains. And yes, on Sundays most supermarkets and shops are closed, other than in the train stations or airport.

The CFF app is great for getting around. It lets you easily check the timetables and buy tickets for trains, buses, boats. Unlike in the UK where everything uses a different provider, this covers everything. A lot of train tickets are discounted if bought in advance for a specific (off peak) time. Unless you're going to spend a lot of time in transport, I find the Swiss Rail Pass aimed at tourists often costs more than the individual tickets.