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The best way to spend a hot day in Zurich is lake or river swimming. The state website lists the daily water temperatures and facilities available at each Seebad or Flussbad, and by night many turn into relaxed bars.
www.stadt-zuerich.ch/content/ssd/de/index/sport/schwimmen.html
A glorious spa hotel in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It was almost empty when we were there (early June), meaning we had the entire spa, featuring infinity pool falling away into a valley panorama with snow-capped mountains in the distance, all to ourselves.
We had booked a room without a view, but were upgraded on arrival, and thank goodness we were- the view was breathtaking. Considering it's unlikely to be fully booked in the summer, I would recommend doing the same, and paying for an upgrade if it's not provided.
Not exorbitantly priced- our bill came to just over £200 including decent supper and bar tab.
One other tip- while the map makes it look like the journey from Lake Geneva to the hotel is a quick jaunt, it is actually straight up and down some fairly perilous mountains- the motorway via Bern is far quicker!
When you land at Geneva airport, just before you leave the baggage reclaim area, there is a machine by the door that gives you free travel in Geneva for 90 minutes anywhere in the city.
You have to get it BEFORE you leave baggage reclaim though. Once out the door, turn left in arrivals lounge and go all the way to the end into the Station. Walk in a little way and turn 180 degrees and go up the stairs behind you and come out right at the bus stop and get the number 10 which takes you to Gare Cornavin (the main station in Geneva).
Geneva Airport, in the Baggage Reclaim area just before the doors to leave.
Manor is a huge department store near Cornavin. It has a wonderful food department - akin to M&S or higher quality. The entire floor is taken up with deli counters and wonderful fresh food.
The bakery section is particularly good and you can also watch them make enormous ciabatta sandwiches (1m x 2m) that they then cut up, or roll out croissants to bake on the premises.
If you also go upstairs there is a wonderful cafe/restaurant in a self-service canteen style which is a great place to have breakfast (try the Birchermeusli), lunch (the fried fish is yummy) or tea (coffee and cakes...mmmm). The food is all prepared in front of you, and often cooked for you, but the price is very reasonable, and if you are lucky you can get a seat with a great view across the rooftops to the Saleve.
And then you can do shopping on three more floors filled with everything from beauty products and clothes to electrical items.
Rue de Chantepoulet
Link: <maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Manor+&sll=46.207361,6.146834&sspn=0.001737,0.004533&ie=UTF8&ll=46.20869,6.14464&spn=0.00695,0.018132&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A>
Sip your aperitifs while dangling your feet in the water... and then enjoy your curry supper (or a pizza or anything else that grabs your fancy) while watching the boats slip by...
Open every day from lunchtime onwards. And yes, the ice creams here too are very special. It was banana and lemon for me last night.
Right next to the ''Small Globe'', the wooden theatre in Yverdon, on the lakeside where the canal joins the lake.
This is an open air cafe near the cathedral with amazing salads and the best ice creams. It's difficult to know which is my favourite flavour; curry, vanilla or ginger...
This cafe is owned by a woman and run by women but welcomes all and sundry.
You can read the newspapers for free too.
Metro stop Pont Bessieres and then cross the bridge, Le Petit Bar is on your right.
Rue du Pont Bessieres, number 1.
Open every day
The terraced vineyards of Lavaux, overlooking Lake Geneva, were made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. You'll see why as you ride from Lutry up the Route de la Petite Corniche, the Cote aux Vignes and then the Route de la Corniche before a fabulous descent down to Vevey. Then home, along the lakeshore.
As a hardcore roadie, it was my lunchtime training ride while working in Lausanne. But every variation is possible. You can even take the train up to Chexbres from Montreux and ride the route in reverse, downhill all the way. Stunning vineards, lakes, villages and mountains. You'll taste the effort everytime you drink the local white (with perch from the lake or fondue from nearby Gruyere) and it will have been worth it.
A beautiful vinyard in beautiful surroundings, we just drove up and sampled the local wine. Not bad at all. Stay in Vaduz at the friendly Landhaus Prasch (it has a pool) and enjoy the beautiful capital of Vaduz too.
Reservation is possible either in writing to Schächle's Weinstube, Churer Strasse 263, FL-9485 Nendeln, or by phone 075/373 17 77, fax 075/377 17 78
Landhaus Prasch
Zollstrasse 16, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Phone: +423 (0) 752 324 663
Lake swimming with real diversity. The Swiss shore (north) is clean (blue flag equivalent) with deep cool water interspersed with lakeside pools for the less brave. Free changing cabins and showers at main swimming areas.
Experience swimming in water (reputedly) as deep as the surrounding mountains are high. Summer sunsets enhance the experience. Great for a young family.
Head to Montreux, Switzerland as your starting point and pick up a swimming guide booklet from the Tourist Office. Public Transport (Bus, Train, Boat) will efficiently take you to your chosen lake side swim ,or, just cycle/walk along the dedicated paths.
Just a two minute hop down the hill from Lausanne gare/station, this lovely little Swiss/French-style brasserie/bistro is packed every night (so get there in good time!)
Sumptuous steaks, fantastic veal chunks with mushroom, and good wine list, with a bustling ambience and lovely staff.
+41(0216163822
Rue du Simplon 7, 1006 Lausanne
Absolutely fabulous hotel with old stylish rooms. It is four stars and well worth it. The food is also excellent.
Want a free ski holiday? Try working as peak-week staff for a tour operator. Work hard play hard is the key, but there will usually be the pay off of a few days of free skiing with your new mates that the company has shipped in for you. There are jobs for non-skiers and beginners, usually helping out in the creche or with the younger children. For the more experienced skier, it is possible to work as a ski guide or even an instructor with some companies.
Powder Byrne (www.powderbyrne.com) is the creme de la creme of this arrangement, with increasing numbers of applicants every year, you will need to prove that you are intelligent, hard working and have a great attitude towards customer service.
Try looking at www.natives.co.uk for more great ski resort jobs
Classy, friendly hotel right on the ski slopes just outside the village of Arosa in Switzerland. It's a five minute walk into the centre of the village and the train station (two stops from Zurich airport). Good food - and don't miss the weekly show put on by management and staff. Hilarious.
Waldhotel National
CH-7050 Arosa
www.waldhotel.ch
If you are looking for a typical restaurant in Geneva, you should go to the Café du Soleil. I grew up in Geneva and I always go to Café du Soleil when I’m in town. It’s close to the UN so there are always lot of expats there. It’s the best fondue in town and the staff are extremely friendly. If you don’t like fondue, try the entrecote or the specials. If you’re in Geneva in the summer, they have a great terrace for a dinner al fresco.
6, place du Petit-Saconnex
1209 Geneva
Switzerland
+41 22 733 34 17
www.cafedusoleil.ch
It is beautifully decorated, well run, warm (I went in December) and you get a ticket for all public transport thrown in. My husband and I chose a room for two but dormitories are available too ...
You leave Basel train station through the back entrance and walk ten minutes. Clear direction on the hotel's site. You can also take a tram to get there.
www.baselbackpack.com/
Beautiful chocolate store and cafe. Everything is about or produced with cocoa beans: movies, music, shower gel, soap, candles etc.
Chocomotion, Marktgasse 9, 8001 Zurich.
phone: +41 (0)43 288 09 88
station: tram 4 or 15 until "Rathaus"
We usually choose our ski resort somewhere in France or Switzerland, but for the first time in ages and with toddler in tow, we joined friends in the German speaking resort of Murren.
It was a massive departure from the acres of pistes and vibrant night life of our previous choices but we were met with a very picturesque vehicle-free town, just perfect for our group of mixed ability skiers and boarders and babies.
We rented an apartment in the sports centre which was a rather brutal concrete structure on the edge of the village and quite a counterpoint from the timber shingled charm of the rest of the resort. But it was an enormous balconied apartment with views over the village and with access to the centre's facilities of swimming pool and crèche where little ones over two can be left for a 2.5 hour morning session.
The mixture of runs caters to all abilities and the off-piste run down from the Schilthorn restaurant is an experience to be savoured, again and again. Most of the runs end up back at the ski school which sits in the centre of the village and is a great focus point for absolute beginners.
Anyone looking for a change or a slow down from the piste and bar hammering days of their youth should give Murren some serious consideration.
The Hotel Bolgenschanze is a no-frills snowboarders' hostel with very friendly staff. It doubles as a bar and nightclub with DJs or live bands most nights until late - it also usually offers bunches of tipsy snowboarders moshing energetically to an eclectic mix of hip-hop, indie music and krautrock.
Instead of pool tables, there's a tree trunk, a box full of nails and a hammer - all that you need to play nageln. The purpose of the game is to hammer four nails into the trunk with the fewest blows - the loser buys a round of shots. I ended up buying a lot of shots. Other bars, slightly quieter but with similar clientele are the small and cosy Rotliechtli and the Bolgenplaza where you can drink and watch the crazier snowboarders trying to kill themselves on the floodlit halfpipe.
The Bolgenschanze is situated at the base of the Jakobshorn ski area which is the most popular with boarders as it's all chairlifts (apart from one, long drag that is worth the pain for the off-piste it opens up). With a little bit of hiking, it also has one of the best off-piste rides - an awesome, steep off-piste descent from the top of the Jatzhorn down to Teufi where you can get a bus back into Davos.
This hotel is right by the main railway station. The staff are very pleasant. The rooms are clean and comfortable and have good sound insulation. Buffet breakfast is very good.
Opposite SBB Basel railway station
I spent a very hot weekend in Geneva recently and found the perfect cure to the heat - Les bains des Paquis is a city beach on the shores of Lac Leman. Entry is two CHF for unlimited time. In addition to the pebble beach and the lake, there is a restaurant (which serves an excellent salade Greque), a hammam with massage services and a games area.
Sounds tacky? I thought it would be, but it wasn't! Swimming in the lake in the height of the summer with city views all around, the jet d'eau in the background and the snow-capped mountains in the distance is really something else.
It's on the same side of Lac Leman as the Cornavin station. Walk down to the Quai Mont Blanc and head left (towards the parc mon repos), the bains des Paquis are clear signposted and are accessed via a bridge.
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