Raisingkids' Clair Watson and her daughter Georgia were invited by Thomson holidays to take a trip to Switzerland to see what it can offer in the way of a family holiday. And while there wasn't a lederhosen in sight, every other Swiss stereotype was accounted for: alpine cows with bells, trains that run on time, mountain views to die for, and most importantly, mountains of chocolate! Here's her travel diary.

Wednesday 22 Aug
After a long journey by car, coach, plane and train, I arrived at the pretty little town of Vevey, on the north side of Lake Geneva with my 12-year-old daughter, Georgia. We unpacked quickly and then arranged to meet the party of four other parents, who had flown with us, each with a child in tow.
After all that travel, our first day wound down with an evening meal at the market place close to the lake and a stroll by the water’s edge. It's really beautiful here.

Thursday 23 Aug
We're off to Montreux, just five minutes away, heading for the cogwheel train for the journey up to Rochers-de-Naye at an altitude of 2,045m. In under sixty minutes we're on top of world. It's a strange feeling to be looking down on the clouds beneath us. We are taken to see the Marmots Paradise, an enclosure that looks after marmots from around the world. They're also bred here so we get to see some of the babies at close quarters. So cute!

Some of us hike up the last few remaining metres to the viewing platform at the summit where you can see all of Switzerland’s main peaks and Mont Blanc glimmering in the distance. Our hike made us peckish, so we're led through a long, cave-like tunnel which opens out into a panoramic restaurant, carved out from the side of the mountain with staggering views of the landscape below.

Back down the mountain, we head for our next form of transport – a paddle-wheel steam ship - to take us to 11th century fortress of Chillon Castle. The boat's definitely a hit with the youngest members of our group.

By the time we get back to the hotel for dinner, I could crash out on the bed but there isn’t much time. We are off to a posh venue for dinner, the Majestic Hotel. It's not quite warm enough to sit outside on the terrace, but the hotel is very elegant and our guide for the evening is really welcoming. I am pathetically grateful for her ability to take charge of complex menus in French and to persuade Georgia to try new things!

Friday 24 Aug
Today we're going to Montreux again, but this time to board the special Chocolate train to Gruyeres, and onward. The train looks like something out of the Orient Express and is very comfortable. We are met by another guide, who is keen to regale us with various anecdotes and statistics about the trip and Swiss life in general. Not for the first time I fantasise about the possibility of emigrating here!

Our first stop is Gruyeres where we're shown around the cheese factory and the ancient village of Gruyere. It is a medieval delight and greatly enhanced by the absence of cars. The chateau here dates from the tenth century and has many attractions including dungeons, outdoor sculptures and a beautiful walled garden.

At lunch we're served with a variety of different cheese fondues. Not all of this goes down well with the children and Georgia makes do with bread and grapes!

And so to the chocolate factory, the highlight of the visit for many of us. The tour is interesting, but we're impatient to arrive at the chocolate tasting part. There is a long glass counter upon which sit rows and rows of single chocolates of just about every variety, shape and type, you could imagine. Georgia makes it up to six and then announces she feels sick.

Fortified, we hotfoot it down to the shop and load up our baskets with enough of the stuff to last a year or more.

Saturday 25 Aug
It's our last day here and the final trip is to the Parc-aventure, When we arrive I realise I should have worn shorts, or trousers and sensible footwear (although they do hire out boots). It's a tree-top adventure course – mainly aimed at the over 5s, although there is a child’s mini-course which an adult has to supervise. I must admit I felt quite envious as I watched the others wobbling over swaying bridges and being catapulted on the zip wire through the trees, like a family of monkeys! Georgia had a brilliant time, not even panicking when she fell off her tightrope and was dangling by her harness!

Our verdict:
Well we would definitely want to come back here again, it is a very family-friendly nation and not as expensive as you might expect. The Swiss Pass that we were given for our travel not only covered all our extra trips on the cogwheel and chocolate train, but also entry for museums too. There's just one word of warning: suspend any diets you're on until you return home!

Information
Thomson Lakes & Mountains (tel 0870 403 0544, www.thomsonlakes.co.uk) offers a week of Lake Geneva Heights & Sights from £449 per person including return flights from Gatwick to Geneva, transfers, 7 nights half board in the 3 star Hotel Famille in Vevey on Lake Geneva, all excursions detailed in the itinerary, 2nd class Family Swiss Rail Card (children up to 16 years travel free) Riviera Card giving free travel on some buses and reductions on museums tickets. Child reductions apply if accommodation is shared with adults.

For further information on the Lake Geneva Region please visit www.lake-geneva-region.ch or for general information on Switzerland, please visit www.MySwitzerland.com

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