What to do this weekend as a family in French-speaking Switzerland?

Friday evening, and the question lands: what are we doing tomorrow? Here is our method for deciding in two minutes, and our best leads depending on the weather, the ages and the time you have.

Three questions to decide quickly

1. Is the weather good or not? That is filter number one, and the only one to check the evening before.
2. How much time do you have? Two hours and a full day call for completely different ideas.
3. What ages, what energy? Siblings of 3 and 9 need a venue with several levels, not a soggy compromise.

If the weather is good

Outdoors, French-speaking Switzerland delivers. Depending on the mood of the day: Lake Geneva beaches, outdoor pools, gorges and waterfalls, treetop courses, summer toboggan runs, minigolf, pedalos or castles.

For the youngest, a stroller-friendly walk or a themed nature trail remains the safe bet: plenty of fresh air, not too many kilometres.

If it rains

You move under cover without losing anything: indoor play parks, interactive museums, aquariums and vivariums, water parks and thermal baths or caves and mines.

Our full selection: what to do when it rains.

If the budget is tight

Many of the finest outings here are free: playgrounds, lakeshores, forests, free-entry museums. See our free ideas in Lausanne, in Geneva and in Valais, as well as our picnic ideas by Lake Geneva.

If you only have two hours

Aim short and close: a playground your children don’t know yet, a small museum, a late-afternoon swim. Wednesday afternoon inspired a whole selection of short formats, which works just as well on a Saturday.

If you are going without a car

The journey can become the attraction: panoramic trains, little tourist trains, water taxis and boats. See our train and boat outings and our little tourist trains.

Depending on your children’s ages

• 0–3 years
• 3–5 years
• 6–9 years
• 12–16 years

Our tips for a weekend that goes well

• Decide the evening before, not on the morning itself: Saturday morning bookings go on Friday evening.
• One outing a day, not two: a packed programme is the surest way to end the day in tears.
• Check the opening hours: many museums close on Mondays, and seasonal sites have variable opening dates.
• Let them choose between two options you have preselected: buy-in is much better, and you stay in control.
• Keep an indoor plan B: here, Saturday’s weather doesn’t always match what was forecast on Thursday.

Need an idea near you? Explore our activities by category: Nature & Animals, Culture & Shows, Playgrounds, Museums, Sports & Leisure and Escapes.

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