Geneva and Lausanne both celebrate the festive season with Christmas markets, illuminated streets and lakeside light trails, and visiting them is easy: Geneva's centre is minutes from the airport, and Lausanne is 61 km and about 45 minutes away. AirportsTransfers.ch can drive you between hotels, markets and the airport, so you see both cities in one festive stay.
- Geneva: a lakeside Christmas market, festive lights and the Escalade tradition
- Lausanne: markets in the old town and a city-wide light trail
- Distance: Lausanne is 61 km, about 45 minutes from GVA
- Best for: short breaks, business travellers and families
- Getting around: transfers or a chauffeur by the hour between the cities
Geneva in December
Geneva's main Christmas market is held by the lake, typically around the Jardin Anglais on the left bank, with chalets, food stalls and festive entertainment beside the water and the Jet d'Eau. Smaller markets and festive stalls appear in other parts of the city, including the old town. In winter, Geneva also hosts a light festival in which artistic light installations are placed along the lakefront and through the city, making evening walks along the quays especially rewarding.
December in Geneva also brings the Escalade, a uniquely Genevan celebration commemorating the failed attack on the city by the Duke of Savoy's troops in 1602. Families mark it by smashing a chocolate marmite, a cooking pot filled with marzipan vegetables, while reciting a traditional phrase, and the old town fills with people in historical costume, processions and a famous run through the streets. If your visit coincides, it is a memorable glimpse of local culture.
Lausanne's festive season
Lausanne, built on steep slopes rising from the lake, has a festive programme that spreads across its old town. Market stalls set up in squares and streets around the centre, from the area near the Place de la Palud to the slopes beneath the cathedral, with food, crafts and mulled wine. The Gothic cathedral overlooks the city, and its night watchman still calls out the hours from the tower each night, a centuries-old tradition.
The city also holds a winter light festival, with installations by artists placed along a route through the old town, so the evening walk becomes part of the experience. Down by the lake, Ouchy has a calmer atmosphere, with views across the water to the French Alps.
- Geneva: lakeside market and the Jet d'Eau
- Geneva: Escalade traditions in the old town
- Lausanne: old town stalls and the cathedral
- Both cities: winter light installations
Food, gifts and things to do
Market stalls in both cities serve fondue, raclette, grilled sausages, roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, along with Swiss chocolate, crafts and decorations. Geneva is a good place to buy watches and chocolate from established shops in the city centre, while Lausanne's old town has small independent stores. Indoor options for cold days include Geneva's Patek Philippe Museum and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, and in Lausanne the Olympic Museum, set in a park by the lake at Ouchy.
Both cities are close to the mountains, so a day in the snow can be added to a festive trip. Montreux, 91 km and around 1 h 05 from GVA, has its own lakeside Christmas market and makes a natural third stop.
Planning your festive stay
Geneva is the logical base if you are flying in, with the airport only a few minutes from the centre. A day in Lausanne fits easily: arrive mid-afternoon, explore the old town in the last of the daylight and stay for the lights. Alternatively, spend a night in each city. Weekday evenings are calmer at the markets, and booking restaurants is wise in December, especially in Geneva, where business events also fill tables.
Winters by the lake are usually cold and damp rather than snowy, and the bise, a cold north-easterly wind, can make Geneva feel very chilly. Dress in warm layers and wear comfortable shoes, as Lausanne's old town involves steep streets and stairs.
Book your festive transfers
AirportsTransfers.ch gives you the fixed price per vehicle before you pay online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your chauffeur meets you at Geneva Airport with a name sign, follows your flight and includes waiting time if it is late. For an evening between the two cities, book a chauffeur by the hour (minimum two hours) or a return transfer. Companies can receive invoices for team outings, child seats are available on request, and a Sprinter minibus carries larger groups. Call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77, at any hour.
