Where to stay, how to get around, and where to explore in Geneva and Montreux with only 24 hours
A day trip to Geneva, Switzerland from the United States may seem crazy, and well, maybe it is, but it is possible AND worth every second! My husband is a pilot for United, and with this comes some fun adventures. He was able to fly me to Geneva, Switzerland, at the end of November 2024, and we spent about 24 hours there before flying back to the US. Typically, we fly out of Newark, NJ, but on this particular trip, we went out of IAD, Dulles.
Where to Stay
We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Geneva Hotel. The hotel is currently closed for renovations, but once it is back open, I HIGHLY recommend staying here. Fairmont Geneva Hotel is in a prime location, especially for Christmas markets, which is one of the best times to visit! The hotel is right across the street from the Geneva Christmas Market and only about a 10-minute walk to the train station if you are looking for some day trips from Geneva, and there are TONS of awesome options for this!
What to Do/What to Eat
After we landed in Geneva, we took a quick nap because my husband was working the whole flight, obviously, and then we set out to explore. I did a quick TikTok search of things to do in Geneva and actually found a beautiful-looking town called Montreux. It is only a little over an hour train ride from Geneva to Montreux, and it was worth every second! Montreux has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe, and I feel so blessed to have been able to experience this market in person.
Montreux Noel Christmas Market
Montreux Noel Christmas Market was located right on Lake Geneva, with the shops and stands lining the lake’s edges. There were stunning views everywhere you looked, and the shopping was incredible, as well as the food. Across the lake is an incredible view of the Swiss Alps, so you’re looking at the Alps and Lake Geneva from everywhere you walk at this Christmas market. It truly felt like a real-life fairytale! There are palm trees lining parts of the market too, so you’re looking at the snowy Alps and palm trees at the same time…a DREAM!
There was an incredible variety of food and shopping. Anything from hot dogs to fresh chocolate and woodworking to fine ornaments and everything in between! My husband and I ended up buying a locally made nativity set to have as our family nativity set for our home, and it is so special to have the trip memories to go with this nativity set. I just know it’s going to be a favorite part of Christmas for us forever! The hot chocolate that I got at the market was made right in front of me…and I mean, they literally carved the freshly made chocolate right into my cup before mixing in the warm milk right there. By far the tastiest hot chocolate of my entire life, and I am a HUGE hot chocolate girlie/critic.
The biggest thing this Christmas market is known for is the “flying Santa Claus”. You will have to check the hours for when Santa is “flying,” depending on the season, day of the week, weather, etc., but it is worth basing your trip around. This was what made me want to go see this Christmas market in particular. Santa “flies” in his sleigh over Lake Geneva, and it is so neat and special to see. I loved seeing everyone stop in their tracks to just experience and take in this moment together. And spoiler alert, Santa even sang a few Christmas carols while he was up there, one of the times we saw this!
Geneva Christmas Market
The main Christmas market in Geneva, the one that is right across from the Fairmont, is called Noël au Quai. We could literally see the market from our room, as well as more of Lake Geneva. After we got back from Montreux, we knew we wanted to explore this market as well. The food and shopping were very similar to those of Montreux, but still worth going to both in my opinion.
The gyro was actually really good…and I studied abroad in Greece, so I am PICKY. The stand was called “Oh My Greek”. After my gyro, I got a chimney cake. I had never heard of a chimney cake, but they seemed to be pretty popular, and I understand why! It was a delicious funnel cake-like “chimeny” or shell line with a topping of your choice, I chose Nutella. It is so hot that “steam” is coming out of the “chimney” when it is served. It was delicious and melted right in my mouth! If I am ever able to get back to anywhere that has a chimney cake, I will 10000% be ordering one!
I am eager to go back to Geneva and Montreux, in different seasons, as well as during Christmas again (yes, it was that magical!). This was the first time my husband flew me to Europe since our wedding, and it was oh so special.
Watch my trip!
Want to see the trip on camera? Be sure to check out this mini vlog to see the stunning Christmas markets in Montreux and Geneva, Switzerland!