sassy27

I will be visiting a friend who is living in Geneva, Switzerland for the next couple of years. I have never been to this area before and she has agreed to take some time off from work for us to do a little road trip of about 2-3 days as she had a car. I would like to go some place she hasn’t been to yet and all she has thrown out there is Germany, Switzerland or France. So, I thought maybe South of France even though Italy has been calling me. I don’t want our time to be mostly driving (she will be the only driver) but looking for nice scenery and a town that has enough to do (museums, shopping, sightseeing and decent dining (trying to stay away from fast food places). I just don’t want to pick any town/village so can anyone make any suggestions? Would trying to get to the coast of France be too far? I am also planning on returning a few more times while she’s there so if I can’t get to all suggested, there's always next time.

To give an idea of what I am looking for, when I visited her in Paris, we look a little trip to Bruges, Belgium. This trip ended up giving us less than 24 hours and it rained the whole time. While I was disappointed with how little time we allowed, we did get to take a canal boat ride, have drinks, walk to the Markt and then dinner. We walked around the next morning very early to see the town in the sunlight but left before the market stalls or antique stores opened.

Thank you all in advance.

PalenQ

Look up on mappy.com to see how long it takes from Geneva to southern France where you want to go -probably the French Riviera around Nice - it will probably take a half day of full-speed-ahead on autoroutes to get there but then you'll have a few days in warm weather if going soon.

Nice will fulfill everything on your wish list!

Italy may actually be a lot closer as you go thru the Mont Blanc Tunnel not far from Geneva and come out in Italy - the Italian Alps are nice or you could easily go onto to a place like Turin or even Milan in again probably half a day of speed driving on freeways.

sassy27

Thanks PalenQ. I had mentioned the Milan area or she actually did but Italy wasn't on the list she gave me this time. I think maybe she's been already and the plan was a place that neither of us has been. I could also stick to places in Switzerland too. I've been aiming for along the French coast for sometime but it did look a little far so maybe I'll scratch that.

StCirq

Why not forget the driving and take the TGV to somewhere in the south of France? Faster and probably cheaper than driving.

joannyc

Yvoire, Montreux and Gruyere?

michelhuebeli

I'm with joannyc - closer is better. Lots and lots of great targets near Geneva.

Towards the mountains: Annecy, Chamonix, Mont Blanc, Zermatt / Gornergrat, Rochers de Naye above Montreux), the chocolate and cheesemaking excursions in the Gruyères region (www.la-gruyere.ch/en/cheese-and-chocolate.html), go to the Interlaken region and go up on Niesen or Stockhorm or Niederhorn or Brienzer Rothorn, or splurge on the full-on Jungfraujoch trip.

Or head for the French countryside, Burgundy - Macon, Dijon, Beaune, Autun, Vézelay, or further to Clermont-Ferrand and that region.

Instead of driving, take a cheap flight from GVA to Paris (probably Orly for the best deals) and spend a couple of nights.

sassy27

Thanks everyone. All of your suggestions are seriously being considered. I know my friend has already traveled a bit but I didn't want all the planning to fall on her. As I said, she will be there for the next couple of years and I do plan on returning when I can. What I can't fit in on my trip this year, there is always next time.

spaarne

Ditto michelhuebeli. With a car you can leisurely drive around eastern France from Geneva. Experience Savoie, Burgundy, Alsace, and Lorraine. Get a feel for the real France. Enjoy the food and wine. It is the best.

PalenQ

ttt

Dukey1

Frankly, I don't think your asking this person to be a bit more specific about WHERE in France, Germany, or Switzerland is also asking them to "do all the planning." At least there wouldn't be any confusion as to whether or not they have already been there and you would also get a better idea of exactly what places they might be more interested in.

We already assume that Italy isn't one of them but other than that what do we know?

After the person helps you to narrow things down THEN you can do much better "planning" than asking for suggestions the other person may end up not liking.

PalenQ

Real close to Geneva is Chamonix, France an Alpine wonderland where glaciers plunge nearly down to town - thrilling aerial cable ways like from Aiguille de Midi to Pte Heil bronner in Italy - a very very long small gondola that scoot high above a veritable sea of lice - a glacier and when the cars stop so as folks on either end can get on or off it is a very eeries feeling - dangling here in total silence save for the sounds of the ice cracking below!

And you can take a mountain train up Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak. And you can hike to a glacier and all other neat things and Chamonix is very close to Geneva - a few hours by bus, train or car.

PalenQ

http://www.chamonix.net/english/sigh...le_du_midi.htm

sassy27

Thanks again everyone. I have emailed my friend for a bit more information as to where she would like to go. My friend who I have known almost my whole life is a very well traveled person and has told me Italy has been her playground for the last couple of months. She will go to any place I suggest as I don't pick the usual places her friends and family want to go to. I am planning on going back next Spring to house sit and watch her cats as she is planning a month vacation so even day trip suggestions are welcomed.