Possible day trip to Geneva anyone.....?

[michael69]

Just an idea starting to form in my head.....

I know Geneva pretty well, and have visited all the cigar establishments (I think!)

Given that the prices are much cheaper than in the UK, one can take an early flight (fleasyjet or whathaveyou), be in Geneva before lunchtime, walk round and buy from the cigar shops (they're all close together), have a bit of a herf and a drink etc etc......

then get a late-ish flight home.

I know quite a few people do this from time to time.

It's a long day, but could be fun and very rewarding in terms of cigar purchasing (3rd to half UK prices).

With the added benefit of service from real bricks and mortar places in one of the best places to buy cubans in the world.

I'm sure if a suitable date were found far enough in advance, then everyone could arrange to meet at a convenient spot in Geneva (we wouldn't all need to get the same flights) and go from there.

Would anybody be interested in this?

[Pantomimehorse]

Id be on for this

[michael69]

I reckon a good day could be had by all!

Obviously, those from various areas could, if they wanted, arrange to travel together. I'm not sure, but I wonder if there are discounts available for group travel?

If anyone has experience in arranging things like this, they'd be the one's to chime in.....

[Deano]

I might be up for it, will have to consider holiday etc

[Lascaux]

yeah id be up for this:rock:

[michael69]

I think the best thing would be to compile a list of those interested in principal, then pick a timeframe (of a particlar month for example), then run a poll or something to find everybody's preferred date.

From that, some sort of consensus should be possible.

Weekend travel is normally cheapest (particularly early am flights), and I have found that Swiss Air are often the best way to go (no more expensive than easyJet, and way way WAY more pleasant!) plus, they fly from city airport.

Something like this, it doesn't matter how many or how few can make it I suppose.

here's a link to Nino's site where Tom blogs about such a trip:

http://www.flyingcigar.de/friends/2007_01_cigar_hunting_in_geneva_with_tom_bolivar.p hp

[Ryan]

I went to Geneva last October for three days for some cigar shopping.
One day would be a push to see everything you want to see, although it could be done.
There are cheap enough hotels to be found in downtown Geneva with a bit of looking. Smoking is still allowed just about everywhere so it's not a bad place for a sit down. I'd recommend at least one night there if it can be done.
There are lunch cruises to be had on the lake, great place for a cigar.
One piece of advice, get the train from the airport to downtown (Cornavin train station, all the main cigar shops are walkable from here, 30-40 mins to the furthest.) The train takes 7 minutes, runs every 15 mins or so and you get a free ticket that is valid for over 1 hour when you land at the airport.
The airport train station is in the basement. A ticket back to the airport from the city costs 3 chf, a taxi can cost 80chf. Taxis are not cheap in Geneva.
Spring Cigars (LCDH), Tabac Rhein, Raffi Cigars, Davidoff and Gerard are all within an easy walk.
Gerard has some nice stuff, aged cigars to be found here, no singles though, boxes and packs only. Interesting humidor setup. Vahé himself is an interesting guy.
Raffi's reminds me of Sautters, as does Rhein but Rhein's a little bigger.
Spring cigars is a little "new" but has a new smoking lounge upstairs, not that that is too important as you can smoke basically everywhere anyway.
Davidoff, not very friendly staff, pretentious and was selling overpriced fakes when I was there. Zino must be spinning.
Boxes with an "Intertabac" sticker on the bottom are fine, those with "Sauberli", be careful.
If you are in Geneva for lunch, try Brasserie Lipp, it's near the shops, just off Rue Du Marché, decent prices, great food and wine, very nice service and large smoking section.
There are a few walk in humidors at the airport, slight discount on downtown prices and some interesting aged boxes. When I was there the temp in the biggest humidor was off the scale, it must have been 85F, so not the best place to buy. There is a fantastic smoking area in depatures, best I've ever seen in an airport, good place to spend the last hour or so waiting for the plane.
Geneva is a great place for cigar shopping, there are better prices to be found elsewhere but not the selection of shops.
Here are some pictures.
http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/AnRyan_photos/Geneva_08/

Remember, only 50 cigars allowed back into the EU from Switzerland, so you take your chances.

[Pantomimehorse]

that was a good read, I really fancy doing this now, gotta love ninos site eh? got some great tips off there for when I was in Madrid

[michael69]

Davidoff, not very friendly staff, pretentious and was selling overpriced fakes when I was there. Zino must be spinning.
Boxes with an "Intertabac" sticker on the bottom are fine, those with "Sauberli", be careful.


Seriously? that's extremely concerrning to me! can you expand on this?

Did you find Gestocigars (the "apartment" on the fifth floor)?

they are the cheapest, and certainly seemed genuine to me; anyone?

[Ryan]

Seriously? that's extremely concerrning to me! can you expand on this?

Did you find Gestocigars (the "apartment" on the fifth floor)?

they are the cheapest, and certainly seemed genuine to me; anyone?


There are pictures there of Joann from Gesto, she brought us out to lunch one of the days too. Great shop and great prices. Authentic cigars. If you see her say Hi from Andy in Dublin. They have expanded their humidor recently I believe. Joann is lovely, a pleasure to deal with.
As for Davidoff, they had a pile of 12-15 boxes of Partagas Piramides EL with a box code of POS JUN 00 (impossible) and a warranty seal code beginning with an "I", also not possible. These boxes were supplied by Sauberli. They were selling them at 1000 chf each, that's higher than Dublin prices (for real ones). POS was not used as a factory code until about 2006. The decision to make ELs was not made in Havana until July 2000 and the first boxes left the factories (and are dated) in OCT 00. The cigars looked ok but they are fake.
I know that other Geneva shops were taken in by these as well but others made good with returns and replacements when they realised the mistake. Davidoff was still selling them as of last year. I'm sure other cigars they have are real, just not those ones. Staff were not helpful or friendly either, so I didn't bother raising the issue.

[snooky]

Interesting reading, though i'd be up for a trip, couple of days sounds good

[Big_T_UK]

Up for this, unless the Cuba trip comes off, no need for both. Def interested though.

T.

[Jimmeh]

Was looking at doing this a while ago - how much are flights with swiss air roughly?

[Ramon]

A good idea, or there's always Gibraltar. Everything centralised so not much walking to be done, excellent prices and good stock, all EMS as well.

[Ryan]

A good idea, or there's always Gibraltar. Everything centralised so not much walking to be done, excellent prices and good stock, all EMS as well.


Gibraltar has great prices and any of you guys in London truly are lucky with cheap flights there. Very good prices on Barrel Proof rum too.
I don't mean to be a picky b&stard but boxes in Gibraltar do not have the EMS stamp on them, they have the old style green H&F stamp only. Same as Ireland. No health stickers though, I like that.
Good selection, well stored and Loren in the LCDH is really nice to deal with.

[Seriesteve]

Can I ask what Customs allow coming in from Swiss ?
Are they part of EU ?
SS

[michael69]

There are pictures there of Joann from Gesto, she brought us out to lunch one of the days too. Great shop and great prices. Authentic cigars. If you see her say Hi from Andy in Dublin. They have expanded their humidor recently I believe. Joann is lovely, a pleasure to deal with.
As for Davidoff, they had a pile of 12-15 boxes of Partagas Piramides EL with a box code of POS JUN 00 (impossible) and a warranty seal code beginning with an "I", also not possible. These boxes were supplied by Sauberli. They were selling them at 1000 chf each, that's higher than Dublin prices (for real ones). POS was not used as a factory code until about 2006. The decision to make ELs was not made in Havana until July 2000 and the first boxes left the factories (and are dated) in OCT 00. The cigars looked ok but they are fake.
I know that other Geneva shops were taken in by these as well but others made good with returns and replacements when they realised the mistake. Davidoff was still selling them as of last year. I'm sure other cigars they have are real, just not those ones. Staff were not helpful or friendly either, so I didn't bother raising the issue.

So glad to hear this about Gesto! it's my favorite Geneva shop, and I'd HATE to think they were dodgy in ANY WAY!!!!! I think I was served on each occasion by Joann (she was the only person in the "shop"?) she did seem really nice.....

Do you happen to know the details of how they get the prices they do (cheap!); are they supplied by Intertabak?

[Ryan]

So glad to hear this about Gesto! it's my favorite Geneva shop, and I'd HATE to think they were dodgy in ANY WAY!!!!! I think I was served on each occasion by Joann (she was the only person in the "shop"?) she did seem really nice.....

Do you happen to know the details of how they get the prices they do (cheap!); are they supplied by Intertabak?

Joann, as far as I know, is the only english speaker there, she's from the philipines originally. There's another girl, whose name I can't remember who spoke Italian and French. Jean Charles himself has very little English.
They don't use Intertabak, they basically explain on their homepage what they do.

[michael69]

They don't use Intertabak, they basically explain on their homepage what they do.

Yes, but me being entirely thick :der:, I found that a little confusing!......

[Ryan]

Yes, but me being entirely thick :der:, I found that a little confusing!......


They import their own directly.
I know this will raise alarm bells for many here and rightly so but I have never had an issue and I have bought maybe 100 boxes from them over the years. I've seen the Habanos SA mastercases come in to the shop.
They also (re)freeze all of their stock.
Sorry for the somewhat cryptic reply earlier but I really don't like discussing online retailers on the web.
B&M shops, fine.

[Ryan]

Can I ask what Customs allow coming in from Swiss ?
Are they part of EU ?
SS


http://tinyurl.com/ydpkfsq

http://tinyurl.com/ycvhtmg


I like playing with that site. :smile:
Quick answer, 50 and no.

[Seriesteve]

http://tinyurl.com/ydpkfsq

http://tinyurl.com/ycvhtmg


I like playing with that site. :smile:
Quick answer, 50 and no.


Bit to expensive a trip for me sorry, especially when I can go to Madrid and get a good few more boxes.
Enjoy, love to see the place and smoke a few stogies with you's :41:

[Deano]

I thought the cigars in Geneva would be much cheaper though? And prices for flights seem comparable.

[PoohBore]

Are CoH based in Geneva - Now their humi must be MASSIVE !

Perhaps a forum visit and tour could be arranaged ?

[Deano]

I think they have a warehouse. But I could always ask!

[PoohBore]

Isn't a warehouse just a size of humidor that we would all like to have :biggrin1:

[Ryan]

I thought the cigars in Geneva would be much cheaper though? And prices for flights seem comparable.

Typical shop prices in Geneva are quite a bit more expensive than Gibraltar with the odd exception.
Online prices are a different matter.
Flights to Gibraltar are much more expensive for me rather than Geneva as there are no direct flights from Dublin to Gibraltar, I'd have to go through London. That's what I meant when I said you guys are lucky to have cheap flights.
Having said all that, Geneva is a much nicer place to see for a day or too.
Gibraltar is basically a big duty free shop with some military installations.

[sam12]

I love such kind kind of luxurious life.I want to try once.I want to feel that time of purchasing cigar from other country.

[Lascaux]

aww 50 cigar limit is tiny. i thought it was 200 but i guess as non-EU its different. if i was gonna go id at least like to take 100-200 back

[Ryan]

Bad news guys.
http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnews/geneva-smoking-ban-back-at-months-end.shtml?16218

If you're going to go, go quick.

[whisky77]

Thanks for the update Ryan.First class thread mate.:41:

[Fat1]

Hi

Did anyone ever get round to doing this in a day? It looks like a hell of long haul, definately worth it I would say though.

[verlioka]

Excellent thread about Geneva cigar scene, esp. Ryan's.