Geneva, the home of CERN and the United Nations, a city surrounded by incredible natural beauty with mountains dominating the skyline and sparkling Lake Geneva shimmering its welcome
Geneva
- 3 days
- +1
- Switzerland
- Approx. 1 hrs
- CERN
- United Nations
- History of Science Museum
- Lake Geneva
- Geneva Old Town
For the latest travel advice, including passport and visa information, visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website
Sample itinerary
This sample itinerary is offered as a guideline. The trip focus, length and itinerary/activities can be tailored to meet your learning objectives.
- Day
Day 1 - Fly to Geneva, walking tour
Arrive in Geneva and transfer to your hostel by coach. Meet your local guide and make your way by tram to the international district of Geneva, not far from your accommodation.
All public transportation in Geneva is free if you are staying at a hostel/hotel and you will be given travel passes at reception.
Many of the 37 international institutions in Geneva are located in a concentrated area and your guide will introduce you to the most well known ones. The first stop is likely to be by the Broken Chair monument outside the Palace of Nations, home to the European headquarters of the United Nations. You will also see the World Health Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, the World Meteorological Organisation, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum and UNICEF.
Day 2 - CERN - full day excursion
CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) is a 30 minute tram ride from Geneva's central Cornavin station. You will need to take your passports with you because CERN's site is spread across both Switzerland and France and you will be crossing borders during your visit.
The tram stops right at CERN outside the iconic mushroom-shaped visitor centre housing the permanent exhibition - the Universe of Particles.
A second permanent exhibition, located across the road in the Reception building, is entitled "Microcosm" and takes visitors on a fascinating journey through CERN’s key installations.
The majority of your visit however will be given to a pre-arranged guided tour which can take between 3 and 4 hours depending on group size and the amount of questions you ask! After an introductory film and talk outlining CERN's achievements and aims, you will hop on a bus and transfer into France to visit SM18, a world-leading test facility for superconducting magnets. You will see an exact replica of a section of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel which is 100m underground and 27km in diameter. The LHC is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. You will learn about the magnets, the forces, the physics behind moving particles at high speeds, what experiments have been done and what lies in store for the future.
Then head back into Switzerland to visit the Synchrocyclotron - CERN’s first accelerator, completed in 1957 and decommissioned in 1990.
Day 3 - History of Science Museum
On departure day, following check out, walk along the promenade of Lake Geneva and make your way to the History of Science Museum.
Situated in a pleasant style villa with stunning views over the water, the museum is easily navigable with well conceived exhibitions and displays documenting scientific progress in various subjects such as astronomy, microscopy, meteorology and electricity.
Later on transfer to the airport for your flight home.
What’s included
Full TCBC support from the moment you book until you return home
Full itinerary flexibility to ensure the perfect tour for your students
We'll source the best available flights based on your school's location
You'll have all our necessary contact details to hand should the need arise
Knowledgeable TCBC guide ready to bring your walking tours to life
Detailed itinerary, with all entrance fees included, no hidden costs
Return flights, 1 piece of hold luggage per person, airport taxes and security charges and ATOL Protection Contribution
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure. We can also arrange your UK airport transfers if you wish
Experienced local TCBC guide in Geneva for your included walking tours
Free Geneva public transportation tickets included (trams, busses, ferries)
2 nights' hostel accommodation, with multi rooms for students and single rooms for teachers
Breakfasts and dinners daily at hostel, but we can arrange meals in local restaurants if preferred
Guided walking tour of the international district, CERN and the History of Science Museum
There will be no hidden costs on tour, everything will be clearly explained before departure
24 hour emergency contact details of TCBC's office and your local guide's mobile number
The normal free staff place ratio is 1:10 but this is flexible and we'll work to whichever ratio you require
Please check at school to ensure you are covered by an adequate travel insurance policy which we will need to see a copy of. We can help you source cover if you need
We generally don't include lunches unless requested. We prefer to let the students explore the local options and choose for themselves
If you feel you have received excellent service, then our local guides and drivers will appreciate being tipped. Guidelines will be outlined in your quote
Event availability isn't usually known at the time of booking. We will inform you of options and ticket prices closer to departure
Curriculum Relevance
Whether you teach Physics, Maths or Politics we can design a Geneva itinerary to suit your curriculum requirements.
Together with our Education Advisor Ruth Tarrant, we have compiled useful links that show how the sights visited on your tour specifically relate to your students' studies. These will be very helpful when you come to submit the tour for approval at school.
It's important that your tour meets your learning objectives. Please feel free to download our handy introduction describing all the ways a trip to Geneva can be linked to the curriculum.
We have also prepared much more detailed specifications relating to particular modules. Simply enter your name and email address, select the module you'd like and we'll send it over.
Accommodation
We regularly use the same properties in Geneva who are used to working with our school groups and meet our high standards
Geneva Hostel
A well located hostel, close to all public transportation to take you to the places that matter and a 5 minute walk from the esplanade.
So many rooms, quite functional inside with all the basics needed. Student rooms have shared bathroom facilities in the corridor.
Wifi available throughout. Evening meals surprisingly good, breakfast basic but fine.
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Reasons to travel with us
We honestly believe we are the best in what we do. We'd love the opportunity to show you.
Safety & reliability
The safety of all our travellers is our number 1 priority. We have a robust Safety Management System in place to ensure that our tours are run to the high levels you expect.
Experience & expertise
We have years of experience in planning school tours. Our expertise lies in our organisational skills, attention to detail and an understanding of what you need to make your trip a success.
TCBC local guides
Our guides are our greatest assets and consistently lauded. Highly experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy, most are hand-picked and have worked with us for years.
Complete peace of mind
Our accreditations (ATOL, ABTA, STF, LOtC) provide you with the reliability, assurance and financial security expected from a specialist tour operator.
Customer
service
Our dedicated team is on hand to offer help and advice at every stage. We are positive you will be impressed with the high level of service you receive from us.
Flexibility & customisation
We customise every trip to suit your needs and offer maximum flexibility in planning your itinerary. We won’t rest until we get it right!
The personal touch
Getting to know our clients is very important to us. It’s very likely therefore that you’ll meet one or several of us at some point, either at school before departure or on the tour itself.
Total transparency
We include as much as possible in our quotes and are very transparent about what is and what is not included. There will be no hidden or surprise costs.
Pre-departure support
We understand how much work goes into planning a school trip. You will be dealing with the same people throughout the pre-departure process allowing us to respond quickly and accurately.
Repeat business
99.9% of teachers are so happy with our tours and our service that there is no need to travel with anyone else. We are confident you will feel the same way.
A real opportunity of a lifetime for our pupils to see the inner workings of CERN and experience the real cutting edge of particle physics - it has provided memories which will inspire staff and students for years to come. Many thanks to everyone at TCBC
