Como or Geneva?

Neither is a beach destination, and both lakes warm to about 23°C at the height of summer. Geneva makes more of its water. The Bains des Pâquis jetty in the harbour and the lawns of Genève-Plage are right in the city, and the lake is clean enough for the whole town to swim in it.

At Como the water at the city end is less inviting, so the lido by Villa Olmo is the main option in town. The better swimming is from pebble strands and jetties in Moltrasio or the Tremezzina, usually reached by ferry.

Geneva has the deeper table. French cooking, fondue and raclette brasseries, the canton's own Chasselas and Gamay, and a wide spread of international kitchens and fine dining in Carouge and the Old Town give far more choice, at a high price.

Como's cooking is narrower and more regional: perch risotto, missoltini and polenta from the valleys, with the aperitivo around the cathedral as its best habit. Lake perch appears on menus in both cities, but Como's best meals tend to be found up the lake or in the hills rather than in town.

Geneva has the broader set of sights, and they tell a story Como cannot. Calvin's St Pierre Cathedral and the Reformation Wall come first, then the Palais des Nations, the Red Cross museum and CERN, enough for two or three days.

Como has fewer sights, but they are fine ones: the marble cathedral, the Romanesque San Fedele and Sant'Abbondio, and Terragni's Casa del Fascio for anyone interested in modern architecture. You can see Como in a day, while Geneva gives you more to come back to.

Neither is a nightlife city, but Geneva at least has a little. The Pâquis bars stay busy late, Carouge has wine terraces, and the alternative centres around Plainpalais and Jonction put on club nights. In Como the evening means the aperitivo, dinner and a walk along the lakefront, with a few bars around Piazza Duomo, no clubs, and the train to Milan for anyone wanting more.

Both are excellent bases for the outdoors, but the landscapes differ. Como is a narrow lake between steep wooded slopes. The funicular climbs to Brunate for ridge walks to the Volta lighthouse, the Greenway links the villages, and cyclists ride up to Madonna del Ghisallo, with kayaking and sailing on the water below.

Geneva sits in a wider basin and looks out at bigger mountains, with Mont Blanc in view on clear days. The Salève cable car leads to paragliding and cliff-top walks, and the Jura has forest hikes and cross-country skiing. With Chamonix and the ski resorts within reach, Geneva is the stronger choice for winter.

Como has the edge, mostly because of Milan forty minutes away and a lake of famous villages on its doorstep. Bellagio, Varenna, Villa Carlotta and Balbianello are all reached by boat, Lugano is half an hour off and Bergamo is easily done in a day.

Geneva's list is also long and spans two countries, from Lausanne, the Lavaux terraces and Chillon to Yvoire and Annecy. Some of its best outings, though, such as Gruyères and Bern, take about two hours each way.

Geneva copes better with children. The dioramas at the Natural History Museum can fill a morning, the small animal enclosures at the Bois de la Bâtie make a short outing, and trams take pushchairs easily.

Como has the funicular, boat rides and a summer lido, which children enjoy, but little else made for them. Neither city has a zoo or a theme park, so in both a day on the lake or in the mountains fills the gaps.

Geneva is far easier to get around. Trams, buses and the yellow harbour boats run as one punctual network, and the airport is a few minutes by train from the centre.

Como's old town is just as walkable, and the trains to Milan and Lugano are simple to use. Going up the lake is slow, though: ferries take their time, the shore roads clog in summer and parking in the centre is hard.

Geneva is worth a trip for watches and jewellery alone, with the flagship boutiques of the Swiss watch houses along the Rue du Rhône. Carouge's design workshops and the Plainpalais flea market add a less polished side.

Como has one thing to buy and does it well: silk, from specialist shops in the old town and mill outlets on the edge of the city. Beyond that its boutique street is short, and serious shoppers go to Milan.

Neither is cheap, but Como is the lighter bill. Rooms away from the lake, old-town trattorias and cheap trains and ferries keep costs in check, and spring and autumn are kinder still.

Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit, with costly rooms all year and simple meals priced well above most of Europe. Free museums, free local transport for hotel guests and staying across the border in France are the usual ways to soften it.

Geneva has much the stronger stage. There is a full opera and ballet season at the Grand Théâtre, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande plays in Victoria Hall, the playhouses stage French-language theatre, and there are concerts in a former pumping station in the middle of the Rhône.

Como's Teatro Sociale offers opera, concerts and ballet, with summer performances in its open-air Arena and chamber music in churches and villas, but many nights are quiet. Its real asset is La Scala, a short train ride away in Milan.

Como's wellness is mostly the spas of its grand villa hotels, with no bathing tradition behind them. What restores you there is the setting: slow ferries, gardens running down to the water and villages that go quiet early.

Geneva goes further. In winter the Bains des Pâquis turns into a sauna and hammam, with regulars plunging straight into the cold lake, and the spa towns of Évian and Divonne are an easy trip across the French border.