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HI Carolyn-
I have spent a fair amount of time in Geneva. On my own, with colleagues who worked there, and even one personalized tour with Snowman as a guide. On that tour, we visited the Reformation Wall.
Google maps says 18 or 19 minutes from the train station ( Cornavin) to the Reformation Wall, a distance of 1.4 to 1.5 km. You would have to walk at a steady and reasonably brisk pace to make that time. It does not pass the flower clock. From the station to the lake is modestly downhill; not steep. No cobblestones. After you cross the river on the bridge that crosses the island ( on the Rue de la Tour-de-l’Ille ) the walk to the Reformation Wall is essentially a level walk. No cobblestones, I recall.
If you want to stop and look at the flower clock, you use a different bridge, the Pont du Mont Blanc and Google Maps says 27 minutes. No stopping to look at anything.
Buses or trams from Cornavin go as far as Place de Neuve in 10 or 15 minutes, and then you have to walk for a coiuple of hundred meters.
It is a fairly level route, because much of the old town is on hill above the wall. That is the hill and steep cobblestone streets that Snowman referred to.
Slowpoke
Hi Snowpoke
Sorry. I thought you meant to take the boat trip on the way back. Looks like it goes close to the fountain, as you say. How long does the boat trip take please? There is nothing listened on the site at all on time. Just say 60 mins one way, but there are 3 different routes…
They seem to go every 10 mins, so would think not very long. Am going to plot that with the other information I have and come up with something in-between.
So there are definitely cobblestones to contend with… After Istanbul I am sure I can cope with anything… Well worth it though. I am hoping my new knees will cope okay with the cobblestones this time.
Thank you once again.
Carolyn
I have now used my Visit a City program to plot out a new plan for Geneva using the information I received above. This is a edited addition to my information above. I do not know if you can access my Visit a City plan, but have emailed the program to see. Thought then someone could use my program choices to edit and change to what they desire:
Geneva Train Station
Grand Hotel Kempinski, Quai du Mont-Blanc, Geneva, Switzerland (this does not come up automatically but I added it as it is near the boarding of the boat trip from Paquis to the Moland end. You just have to type in the restaurant or hotel name where the board ramp is and the program gives you the address)
Restaurant Le Lacustre, Quai du Général-Guisan, Geneva, Switzerland (Where we depart at the Parquis end – beginning for us of the boat trip.)
Place du Moland – put in the Edit Notes part what it is all about eg “Square & Restaurants”. I had to add this like the two items above as it does not come up in the Geneva program. Does not come up automatically but is you type in the name then Geneva it will give you the address.
St Pierre Cathedral – if you look at what it details about the place it tells you the opening times and all about it. If you choose to go there and a place is not open at that time it will indicate to you this. Cost is also detailed, which is very handy.
Treille Promenade Promenade – Edit Notes – Behind Geneva’s city hall is La Treille Park, a lovely and sunny square, whose perimeter is lined by (debatably) the longest wooden bench in the world.
The Old Town – comes in automatically.
The Reformation Wall – add from the program automatically.
Place de Neuve – Add yourself – Edit Notes I added – “Fountain and statue of general Guillaume-Henri Dufour on the horse. Place de Neuve used to be execution place in the past, which was strongly fought against by Henri Dunaut and others, who eventually established Red Cross. As a memory, Henri Dunaut’s sculpture is displayed at the norh-east side of the square, right by the fortification walls”.
Bus or tram 12 or 18 (18 less frequent) back from here to Genova Station to take back to Monreux for the night.
According to Visit a City we can leave Geneva Train Station at 17.30 and be back at the Geneva Train Station by 19.50 pm. Of course this depends on how much time you spend at each place. In our case we don’t take a lot of time… just enough to take pictures and feel the atmosphere.
At the moment train runs at 19.42, 20.12, 20.30 and 21.09 from Geneva Station to Montreux Station.
I have added in the places people mentioned above I hope. Note hubby does not want to do the UN sites so you might want to add this to the above.
Thanks everyone.
Carolyn
Cannot edit my previous work – Emailed the site and the boat trip from Paquis to Molard takes 5 minutes, which is great.
The boat trip Pâquis-Molard takes less than 5 minutes (there is only one boat, shuttling back and forth in 10 minutes). The Pâquis landing is just opposite the Kempinski.
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Hi Carollyn-
Two or three thoughts for your consideration:
This map is useful in the aerial picture mode:
1.- I used to stay at the Kempinski regularly when it was the Noga Hilton Geneva. It is about a 10 minute and modestly down hill fast walk from the station (Cornavin) by the most direct route. Did that many many times. Leave the station by the front entrance, turn left on the Rue de Lausanne passing the Hotel Warwick on the right and go about a block to the Rue de Monthoux. Turn right and walk straight to the lake. Half way to the lake, the red light district is on your right.
If you want to get a flavor of les Paquis, instead take a zig-zag route through the area between Rue de Mont Blanc ( goes straight to the lake in front of the station) and Rue de Monthoux. Nice gardens, Gare Routier (bus terminal) , stores, etc., and you could get a bit of a walk along Quai du Mont-Blanc. Could do it almost as fast as the simple route, but 15 minutes at a brisk walk or 20 at a slower pace is reasonable.
The aerial view in the map linked above shows that option.
2. There is a water-taxi route from les Paquis directly to Jardin Anglais. It passes closer to the jet d’eau than the one to Molard.
A short walk along the Quai Gustav-Ador and the Quai du General- Guisan Jardin past the Jardin Anglais and up the rather notable hill to St. Peter’s is your reward, and the cost is about 500 feet or 150 meters more walking, on level ground. You have a choice of streets up the hill from the lake/ quai to the cathedral. Rue Verdain may be the shortest. Place de Langemalle is the one i used to climb. If you walk far enough along the Quai Guisan before you turn left up the hill, you come to the flower clock.
3. The routes up to the Cathedral and down to La Treille Park are significant hills and will offer cobblestone streets. Snowman can estimate the height, I can not get it from the maps I am using. Old memories suggest about a 75 meter climb.
I am confused about the fitness of your legs for such a walk. If you elect not to take the climb, continue along the Quai Guisan and turn left where you would have landed at Molard. Proceed to the rest of your itinerary.
I think the modifications are within your time frame, but you’ll have to keep moving.
Slowpoke
Hi Carolyn-
In my immediately previous post, I suggested a boat (mouette) that passes closer to the Jet d’Eau than the one to Molard.
I now know the name of that route.
In the link that Snowman provided, it is the M2 route.
http://www.mouettesgenevoises .ch/pw/en/ligne-m2/
There is map . Scroll down.
Slowpoke
Thank you once again, Slowpoke. I have noted your suggested route and will, as soon as possible, change my Google Map walk to reflect your suggestions. I really appreciate your input. I had looked at Route 2 and was going to explore where that would take me in relation to our walk.
I am not sure how my knees will hold though they have to be better than last time, as I now have new knees. I need to do a lot of walking before we leave. With the way they were on our last trip and how I managed Istanbul and others places they have to be better.
Again, many thanks for your tips. I thought I was done with Geneva… but I love perfecting things and all suggestions are most welcome ..
Thank you
Carolyn
<<“I have noted your suggested route and will, as soon as possible, change my Google Map walk to reflect your suggestions. I really appreciate your input. I had looked at Route 2 and was going to explore where that would take me in relation to our walk.”>>
Up to you. I just make suggestions. You are pushing a very tight itinerary, and should be prepared to ease off some of it, if you are tired. Your original plan, and my suggestions, both leave room for not climbing up to St. Peters. Mine offers a bit more walk along the lakefront.
Slowpoke
Agree. I think we need to walk more along the lake. We are staying in Montreux where we stayed last time – had magnificent views of the lake, with the free upgrade they gave us. Guess it will be up to my knees as to how we go. I asked the tourist people in Zurich if I could get a map there of Geneva, but have to wait to get to Geneva, unfortunately. When I get there I want to be up and running. Even in Australia you use to be able to get city maps for around the world, but alas no more.
I need to put another day into planning – unfortunately busy time at the moment. Will let you know when I get home what exactly we did get up to in Geneva.
Hi Carolyn,
>> Even in Australia you use to be able to get city maps for around the world, but alas no more.
There is a Melbourne-based company that sells maps online. Here is a link to a map of Geneva:
There are also countless apps with offline maps of Geneva, but I get the impression you prefer a paper copy.
If using Google Maps on your mobile device, you can also take screenshots for use offline.
Alpenrose
Hi Alpenrose,
You don’t have to rely on screenshots. You can actually download Google Maps for use off-line. support.google.com/map s/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiO S&hl=en
>> You can actually download Google Maps for use off-line
Thanks for the tip, rockoyster!
Alpenrose
Hi Carolyn –
<<“I asked the tourist people in Zurich if I could get a map there of Geneva, but have to wait to get to Geneva, unfortunately. When I get there I want to be up and running. Even in Australia you use to be able to get city maps for around the world, but alas no more.”>>
The tourist office must have thought you wanted a free map? Usually, the local tourist office is the best place for those. There are too many cities in Switzerland for the Zürich office to stock maps for all of them.
You can buy at least some paper maps at many places in Zürich. Unfortunately, most of the bookstores have closed. The one that is still open and useful for a generous selection of maps maps is Barth Bücherei in the main station.
Go down the stairs or escalators from the main level toward track 2 and you will walk right into it. I’ve attached a marked up map. Here is the whole map. Scroll.
http://www.sbb.ch/content/dam /infrastruktur/trafima ge/bahnhofplaene/plan-zuerich-hb-a4.pdf
Geneva-
In passing, I noticed this link, Just FYI.
http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/geneva
Slowpoke
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