Created in 1945, the Geneva Jewish library has gathered some 35,000 books on all aspects of the Jewish culture and history. The extensive catalogue includes recently published books and rare European volumes dating back to the 16th, 17th and 18th century. Website partly in English.
With several day and overnight summer camps in Geneva and Leysin, ASK fulfill its mission to help each child with special needs find a safe, fun and nurturing environment to develop his or her talents. Camps, for kids age 5 to 19, are bilingual and programmes include creative arts, drama, sports, excursions and more to improve learning and social skills. For specific help with school work, the summer study programme, in Geneva, provides morning tutoring in literacy and numeracy.
All Swiss zipcodes at your fingertips on the Swiss post website (in English), right column. For French postcodes, search the French post office database at laposte.fr (in French).
One of the largest museums in Switzerland, the Art and History museum of Geneva presents its archeology, fine art and applied art collections in four different locations. Archeology, watchmaking and jewelry, paintings, sculptures and other fine arts are on display at the musée d’art et d’histoire; the Middle Ages Maison Tavel focuses on Geneva history and domestic life; the Rath museum hosts only temporary exhibitions; the art and archeology library keeps a large collection of books, catalogues and multimedia resources. Starting in 2012, the musée d’art et d’histoire is rethinking the presentation of its collections: it will gradually change the hanging of its paintings to highlight new trends and exhibit work never seen before, starting with Swiss paintings from the second half of the 19th century. Check the websites for kids’ programmes.
Check the website of the Swiss federation of water ski and wakeboard and select the nearest club to do water sports on Lake Geneva, from Geneva to Montreux. Many clubs offer lessons, competitions, summer camps for kids and friendly gatherings. Most sites are in French only but don’t hesitate to call the club for additional information.
It is a company for all bike-lovers: Bikeswitzerland specializes in high quality bike rentals, organizes guided or a la carte bike tours around Switzerland and the Gran Canaria Island, sells bike accessories and clothing, and runs a store in Geneva where you can not only access all of the above but also join a bike club for free and ride around the area for three hours several times a week and on weekends. Check their websites for a detailed list of their services. Store is at rue des Grottes 22, 1201 Geneva.
If you commute or travel by train but need to drive to the station, chances are you can park for free or reserve a parking spot through the Park+Rail programme of Swiss rail company CFF. Check their website, in English, and enter your station to see what your options are. Unfortunately, not all stations are treated equally: some offer a few free spots (Mies for instance), others have spots for sale on a daily, monthly or yearly base (Nyon, Morges and Geneva, with waiting lists) or a parking lot run by a private company, with hourly rates (Geneva, Lausanne). Parking spaces also available for bicycles, indoor or outdoor.
If you live on the French side of the border and commute by bus or tram, call your local city hall, as each town has its own policy.
The French association Groupement Transfrontalier Européen offers assistance and services to its members living on the French side of the border who are working in Switzerland. Although their website and documentation is in French, some advisers speak English and will answer your questions regarding all aspects of your day-to-day life as cross-border workers, from housing to transportation to various legal, social and tax issues. Other services include job search support, discount prices at selected stores and companies, and a yearly fair. They have several offices along the border, including Annemasse and Saint Genis Pouilly.
The French company UCPA is well-known for its energetic sport oriented summer and winter camps. They’ve been around for nearly five decades and have built an impressive catalogue of activities for kids, teens and adults ages 6 to 39. Specific programmes are also available for handicapped children and young adults. The all-inclusive camps are offered in hundreds of locations in France and abroad. Website is in French with a UK section for the adult programmes only.
Created—and home tested!—by a mother of two, Goodness Gracious is a line of organic baby food available in easy to use pouches that very young children can grab to happily feed themselves. Gluten-free, with no preservatives or added salt or sugar, the line includes three fruit sauces but will expand to more flavors. For kids four months and up. Available at Manor stores around the country and a selection of other stores.
KA International sells fabrics by the yard and furniture and does custom curtains, lamp shades, upholstered furniture and more with its fabrics. The collections can be viewed online but you’ll have to visit a store to place your order or buy a ready-made product. Stores in Geneva, Ferney-Voltaire and Rolle.
The official website of the city of Geneva has a very convenient section in English that offers a complete cultural directory to concerts, shows, exhibitions, movies and more. Scroll down the different sections on the left and find a gold mine of practical information and useful links.
Traffic in and near Geneva can be a nightmarish experience that many commuters, often alone in their cars, can’t avoid when public transportation isn’t an option. Carpooling is a solution to save time and money, and Green Monkeys makes it easy: the company manages all aspects of ride-sharing for daily commuters in the Geneva area and neighboring France who register on their website. Sign up for free, enter your itinerary and time and Green Monkeys finds the ridesharer(s). Costs are fixed by kilometres. The service is also available for long distance trips in Switzerland and France. Website is in English.
With Rent-a-Bike, a few clicks is all you need to rent a bicycle for half a day or several weeks and ride around Switzerland. Enter your dates, choose a pick-up and a drop-off location and select the bike that fits your needs among 14 types, including electric bikes and tandems. The service is available in 180 locations, including Geneva, Morges, Lausanne and Montreux. Second-hand bicycles are for sale as well. Website is in French and German only.
As it celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2012, Rent-a-Bike offers special discounts on weekdays daily rentals, from April to October, in selected locations.
To find a climbing wall near you, a class to improve your climbing skills or a climbing site in Switzerland, check the service section of the Swiss Alpine Club web site (in French). Because nearly half of all climbers show technical weaknesses, the club encourages all climbers to take a class and offers a CHF20 discount coupon. The CAS, as the club is popularly known, is famous for its Alpine huts for climbers and hikers, but it also has a wide range of courses.
If you want to get fit but need more than a few standard gym classes, CrossFit GVA fitness center, in Geneva, is a place for you. The philosophy behind the CrossFit programme is to create a supportive community of people willing to reach the same goal: being fit, strong and healthy. In addition to serious indoor and outdoor workouts, members receive a global education on what it takes to be fit, from appropriate exercise to nutrition and recipes.
Live closer to Gland? There’s another CrossFit center, CrossFit Léman.
Pu’er tea isn’t your average tea. Grown only in the Chinese province of Yunnan, it is dried in the sun then stored for years to allow the long fermentation that gives it its unique flavor. Online shop Rui Teas, which is physically based in canton Vaud, selects Pu’er teas directly from the producers and sells it the traditional way, compressed in the shape of round or square cakes. Other varieties available. Take the time to visit the entire Rui Teas website and you’ll discover a gold mine of details, pictures and even Chinese historic footage on a tea celebrated in China for its taste and medicinal virtues.
Gas is out, electricity is in! m-way sells all you need to move on two or four wheels exclusively powered by electricity. Cars, motorcycles, scooters and bikes are available with their accessories, useful advices and related services, including assistance and maintenance. A test drive will help you find which e-vehicle fits your needs. Visit their online shop or the stores in Geneva and Lausanne. m-way, a Migros company, is expanding in Switzerland; check their website for more locations.
Wouldn’t it be nice to shop for goods or services and know that your purchase makes you happy and supports a humanitarian program? The online store Shop & Help does just that: up to 85% of your shopping cart funds a human rights, education, health or environmental program. A non-profit organization, Shop & Help receives donations that it puts up for sale at a price slightly lower than its market value. The difference goes to your favorite program, since you can select a specific one at the time of purchase. So rent a car, stay in a hotel, buy wines, jewelry and more, and help! Deliveries worldwide, services mostly available in the Lake Geneva area, but will expand with new, and welcomed, donations.
Good Taste grocery and deli in Ferney-Voltaire carries all the dry, frozen and fresh ingredients you need to cook or eat delicious Middle Eastern cuisine. The meat section is certified halal, fruits and vegetables arrive from Lebanon every Tuesday, bread is baked daily and the pastry section is a wonder of sugar and nuts. Salads, kebabs, humus and much more are sold at the deli counter, to eat in or take away (extra tables outside, weather permitting). I am not a meat eater but falafel and tabouleh are very good! Special orders for parties. The place is a little hard to spot, off the rue de Genève near the custom building. 2, chemin sur Grosse, 01210 Ferney-Voltaire. Tel: +33 450 40 85 10.
Two French immersion summer camps for kids and teens are both close to Geneva, but in France. In Megève, International Summer Camps offers three hours of French classes in the morning, including a one-hour drama class, fun activities in the afternoon and field trips on week-ends. When not in class, children are mixed with French kids attending the camp to learn English! For campers age 7 to 17, day camp or boarding camp, from one to six weeks. Transfer can be arranged from Geneva airport.
In Châtel, VSF welcomes a small number of foreign children in each group of campers to guarantee total immersion. No classes but a choice of several programs, from astronomy to gastronomy and sports. Three-week boarding camps for kids 6 to 17.
Frequent long-distance callers based in Switzerland: Swiss company PhoneWorld offers savings on personal and professional phone bills, from 40 percent on landlines up to 70 percent on mobiles, depending on the destination of the call. The company is one of the main phone service providers to the diplomatic community but is also open to businesses and individuals. And if you’re a frequent traveller too, PhoneWorld provides other services such as an international SIM card and a global calling card that allows you to stay away from high long distance costs.
The non-profit organization All Special Kids, ASK, helps families of children with all kinds of special needs, from gifted to attention deficit disorders, autism to dyspraxia or dyslexia. ASK provides seminars, after-school homework support, drama and social skills workshops, kids and teens clubs, spring and summer camps. It also helps parents find the right school for their child, organize assessment sessions and exchange information through the Members section of their website. A newsletter and a list of schools and resources are also available. All services are in English, except bilingual French summer camps, and cover mainly the Geneva, Vaud and Pays de Gex areas, with seminars and resources in Bern and Zurich.
The temptation to ski off-piste is great when the powder is fresh, but skiers, hikers and mountain-lovers should know how to use avalanche victim rescue equipments. Leysin, in canton Vaud, has a popular Avalanche Training Center at the top of the Aï chairlift. Eight markers that are hidden in the snow play avalanche victims and have to be located with the help of the appropriate search and rescue equipment. The Center is open to everyone and is free of charge. It offers a free course for children and young people on the dangers avalanches present.
LAUSANNE / GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The group tensions.ch specilizes in mediation to help individuals, family members, neighbours and co-workers, reach an agreement when involved in what feels like an unsolvable conflict. The group organizes workshops on how to prevent and deal with a violent situation and its aftermath for victims, particularly when violence needs to be addressed within the work environment, for example in companies, administrations and businesses that are at risk, such as banks or gas stations. The web site is in French, but contact the English-speaking manager for more details.
Workshops available in French and English in the Lausanne to Geneva and neighbouring France areas. Mediation, Lausanne area only.
Follow the illustrated fireplace advice of the Swiss energy and environment office to enjoy a perfect fire at home: light it from the top! This limits the bad smoke that pollutes the air you’re breathing. First pile untreated dry wood that has been brought to room temperature, then top it with small sticks of fire starters and light your fire as you would a candle, keeping the flames on top. More advice on the website, in French and German only.
Comparis.ch is a popular Swiss internet comparison service and it’s available in English.
Their latest: weekly food, wine and beer deals at major supermarkets are listed in the Special offers section. A free Smartshopper application is available for your smartphone.
Comparis has long been known for its comparisons of insurances rates for health, home, cars and travel. It also compares banking and financial products, TV and Internet providers, homes and car prices and more to help you to find the best deals.
The Swiss school holiday calendar is posted well in advance by school authorities, and shows the staggered school breaks by canton. Cross it with the French school holiday calendar to avoid traffic and tourist jams, especially for the February snow weeks and Easter vacation.
Fall, Christmas and summer school holidays all happen at the same time in France. But for the two-week winter and spring breaks France is then divided into three zones, each with different dates, so do check the school holiday calendar. The Jura and Alps areas are located in zone A. In winter and spring, one vacation week is shared by two zones, and roads and slopes can then become very crowded. The school calendar can be printed.
Swiss-based Jumbo stores offer a great combination of products to improve your home and garden. Save time and energy and in just one trip, find plants and tools, candles and curtains, storage boxes (a very large selection) and paints, carpets and lamps, even skis, indoor and outdoor bikes and cleaning products, to name a few. As far as services go, some Jumbo stores will custom-cut carpets and glass, frames and curtains. They will also service your skis, bikes and lawn mowers. Two stores near Geneva, in Meyrin and Chavannes-de-Bogis, three more around the north side of Lake Geneva and several others throughout the country (see map of stores).
