Dog-Friendly Geneva, Switzerland
We spent two days in Geneva, Switzerland, in August of 2022. Although it was a short trip, we found some really fun, dog-friendly things to do in this gorgeous city! Geneva is incredibly expensive, even compared to New York. The Starbucks latte I usually get for about $7 in Manhattan was over $9 in Geneva. Eating out at restaurants cost more than I am used to. Because of this, I’m glad we were only there a couple days!
Tourist Attractions
We arrived in Geneva early evening and immediately went for a walk. Our hotel was on the Rhône River, right next to Pont de la Coulouvrenière. We walked along the water and across a bridge, with views of the ferris wheel and La Rade (the lake). Jardin Anglais is a beautiful park along the water. The islands on the Rhône also have nice parks as well as shops and restaurants.
Old Town Tour
On our first fully day in Geneva, we did a tour of old town Geneva on a mini train. It was really fun, and Alice was allowed! The tour costs about $12 and you get to see a lot of the city very quickly.
Wine Tasting Boat Tour
This is a must-do experience if you love wine, views, and being on the water! An adult ticket for the wine tasting tour was about $55. To bring a dog, you have to buy a half-price ticket (I can’t remember exactly how much it was, but I think around $15). Buy the ticket for your dog at the ticket office in Jardin Anglais, which is also where you will board the boat. The boat was not very crowded when I went, and the tour lasted for about two hours. I got to taste four wines, and then purchased a glass from the bartender. The views from the lake are magnificent!
Restaurants & Bars
We loved this fondue place, recommended by a local!
Great Indian food, run by a very kind family.
A really cute place right on the water with good burgers.
Unique, swanky bar inside of Hôtel Métropole - they immediately brought Alice a water bowl!
Also at Hôtel Métropole, the views from this rooftop are stunning! It gets very crowded though, so make a reservation or go right when they open.
In the summer, there are tents set up around this area, selling drinks and snacks.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Hôtel Tourelles. The location was great - right on the river with a nice view and balcony, easy walk to the lake and the touristy things we wanted to do. It was the cheapest option I could find in Geneva, but was more expensive than any of our other accommodations on this month-long trip. Although it was only a ten-minute walk from the train station, finding the hotel was a bit tricky based on the map, but we eventually got there! The office is only open in the morning, but the virtual check-in went pretty smoothly. They also have laundry service, which I desperately needed! The balcony was nice, but it was connected to three other rooms. There is no air conditioning in the hotel, so I desperately needed to keep the windows open at night. I felt a bit unsafe doing this when other guests could easily climb into my room.
