In early December 2018 we flew from Barcelona to Geneva for five days with friends who live in Cruseilles, a village in the Haute-Savoie between Geneva and Annecy. Damian was 5 and Marc was 2. It was a spontaneous trip: Damian had a few days off school, we hadn’t travelled for two months, and our friends had been inviting us for ages.
We saw two famous places, Annecy and Geneva, but the days I remember best happened in between: a village with the Alps behind it, deer in the woods, a dairy farm, and Santa’s house. This is the whole trip, day by day, and what I’d tell any family planning a winter break near Geneva.
Quick answers
- Getting there: fly to Geneva. Our four Ryanair returns from Barcelona cost under €200 in 2018. Cruseilles is about 30 km from the airport.
- You need a car. The villages, the farm, the deer and Santa’s village are all by car.
- Best for small kids: Le Hameau du Père Noël (Santa’s village), the lakefront playground in Annecy, and feeding the swans in Geneva.
- Winter warning: the snow isn’t guaranteed in early December. Our ski day was rained off and the resort was closed.
- Three countries in one morning: Spain, Switzerland and France before lunch.
Where to stay in Annecy with kids: our top 3
ibis Styles Annecy Gare Centre – next to the station where the Geneva airport bus stops, a 10-minute walk from the old town.
Best Western Plus Hôtel Carlton – between the station and the canals, so you can walk everywhere.
Impérial Palace – on the lakeshore by the Pâquier, a flat lakeside walk from the old town.
We stayed with friends near Annecy, so we haven’t slept in these. I picked them the way I picked hotels in 14 years of working with them: location first.
Getting there: Barcelona to Geneva with two small kids
We bought Ryanair’s cheapest fares, as usual, and paid under €200 in total for four return tickets. The catch with cheap flights is the time: we landed in Geneva at 8:50, which meant waking two small kids at 4 am. The sunrise over the Alps from the plane window was magical for about 15 minutes, and the rest of the morning was hard work. Our friend picked us up at the airport, and half an hour later we were in Cruseilles: three countries in one morning.
Day 1: a village in the Alps and Annecy at dusk
We started with a French breakfast of croissants and pastries, and took a few hours to rest. Then we walked around the village. Cruseilles is spread out, every house surrounded by its own land (I imagine most of it was farmland once), with the white peaks of the Alps behind it. It looked like a postcard.
In the late afternoon we drove to Annecy, about 20 minutes away, for the lake and the Christmas market. That evening has its own post: Annecy with kids in winter.
One tip from that evening: many people in these villages work in Annecy or Geneva, so the roads back are jammed at rush hour. With tired toddlers, time your return before 17:00 or after 19:00.
Day 2: Geneva’s swans, and deer in the woods
The morning was grey, so we tried to outrun the weather and drove to Geneva, in Switzerland. We only had 2–3 hours before the rain came, but that was enough for the park, the boats and the lake. The highlight was feeding the swans: the kids loved them, and so did we. More in our day in Geneva.
The playground in the woods and the red deer
On the way back, our friends took us to a place their family goes all the time: a big playground in the woods near their daughters’ school, with no cars nearby. It had rained, so the kids didn’t stay long at the playground. Next to it is an enclosure of red deer.
It was late, the enclosure was closed and nobody was working there, so we stayed outside the fence. We’d never seen stags up close. Most of them kept their distance, but a few came over, and we fed them the grass we found around us. I was nervous about touching them, so I went first, and once I saw how gentle they were, the boys did too.
Day 3: the top of the village and a dairy farm
Another sunny morning. We walked up to the highest point of the village for the views (and a lot of photos), and were home by midday.
Visiting a dairy farm with kids
In the evening our friends took us to the farm where they buy their milk and cheese. It isn’t a tourist farm: it sells to local people and at the markets. But when our friends asked, the farmers let us in and left us to take our time with the cows and goats. The kids fed the animals, touched them, and watched how the milk is collected and turned into what ends up in the shops.
My husband and I both spent childhood summers on farms. Our boys, growing up in the middle of Barcelona, don’t have that, so a few hours like these mean a lot to us. If you’re staying in a French village, ask around: many small dairy farms will let a family in, even if they’re not set up for visitors. For a longer stay, there are farm stays (look for accueil à la ferme) with cheese-making and meals.
Day 4: Santa’s village, Le Hameau du Père Noël
After lunch (and an adventure finding a restaurant still serving at 2 pm in France, which is breakfast time for a Spanish stomach), we went to Le Hameau du Père Noël at the Col du Mont-Sion, Santa’s village in the woods. The kids were exhausted and didn’t complain once, because every corner of the hamlet kept them going. Full guide, with 2026 prices: Le Hameau du Père Noël: Santa’s village near Annecy.
Day 5: the ski day that didn’t happen
We had planned to go up to the mountains to ski with both families. It was pouring in the village, and our friends said that meant snow higher up. After an hour’s drive it was still raining, the resort was closed, and nothing was ready for winter. We turned back.
Plan B: swimsuits on, and off to a nearby indoor pool with play areas and separate pools for big and small kids. It was a lovely end to the trip. The next morning we flew home at 8 am.
The lesson for early-December trips: don’t build your plans around snow. Have an indoor plan B ready.
The French countryside with kids: is it worth it?
I don’t think we’d ever have chosen a holiday in the French countryside if our friends didn’t live there. Most people, us included, pick famous places because we don’t want to waste a trip on somewhere that isn’t worth it. This trip changed my mind. The best moments weren’t in Annecy or Geneva: they were the village walks, the deer and the farm. After Barcelona’s traffic, the kids slept better than they do at home, and so did we.
If you’re planning a winter break near Geneva, I’d base yourself in a village between Geneva and Annecy rather than in either city: cheaper, quieter, and 20–30 minutes from both. You’ll need a car.
Where to stay near Geneva and Annecy with kids
We stayed with friends. If you’re booking, either stay in Annecy (the three hotels in the box at the top) or rent a house or apartment in one of the villages around Cruseilles. With kids, the extra space and the garden are worth the drive.
More winter trips with kids: 4 days in Switzerland in winter, Turin at Christmas and our southern France road trip.
Haute-Savoie with kids: FAQ
How far is Annecy from Geneva airport?
About 45 km, or around 45 minutes by car. The village of Cruseilles, where we stayed, is about 30 km from the airport and about 20 minutes from Annecy.
Do you need a car in Haute-Savoie?
Yes, for anything outside Annecy and Geneva. The villages, farms, the deer and Le Hameau du Père Noël are all by car.
What can you do with kids near Geneva in December?
Le Hameau du Père Noël at the Col du Mont-Sion, the Christmas market and lakefront playground in Annecy, feeding the swans on Lake Geneva, and a farm visit if you’re staying in a village.
Is there snow near Geneva in early December?
Not reliably. On our trip in early December 2018 it rained even in the mountains and the ski resort we drove to was closed, so have an indoor plan B.
Can you visit a farm with kids in France?
Yes. Many small dairy farms let families in to see and feed the animals if you ask, even when they aren’t set up for tourists. For a longer visit, look for farm stays (accueil à la ferme).
Great Experience! Wonderful places!