Champagne genevoise

From Geneva, tpg buses serve Confignon and then Avully, connecting with the tram terminus at Bernex for the western half. Allow around twenty minutes from the centre, a little more on Sundays when services thin out. By car, leave the motorway at Bernex and follow the country roads. The Rhône closes the region off to the north and there are few bridges, so it pays to check your route before setting off rather than following the bank and hoping.

Good to know: shops close early and many farms only sell on certain days. Pack a picnic, or call ahead if you are counting on buying something locally.

The villages are flat and easy with a pushchair, drinking fountains included. The farm tracks are another matter: bare earth that turns muddy fast after rain, so an all-terrain pushchair or a carrier makes a real difference in spring and autumn. Under the age of four, farmyards, tractors and animals are plenty on their own, as long as you ask before walking onto someone's land. There is no large facility out here, so keep the plan simple: a one-hour loop, one clear destination and a snack in the bag.

This region is best explored on foot and for free. The Laire, a small protected river that flows into the Rhône, can be followed along a shaded path where children will happily spend a long time hunting for flat stones. The tracks between the fields open onto the Alps in clear weather, and local orchards sell their fruit directly once summer arrives. A map, a water bottle and two spare hours are enough for a good afternoon.