Getting Around Geneva: An Overview
Geneva is the transport hub for French-speaking Switzerland and the western gateway to the Swiss Alps, so visitors arriving by air, rail or road will find the city well connected. Within the city itself, the network is compact and integrated: trams, buses, trains and even the yellow lake boats all share the same ticketing system, which makes moving between modes simple once you understand the basics.
Public Transport: Trams, Buses and Trains
Geneva's public transport is run by the TPG (Transports publics genevois), and the network is built around an integrated fare system. That means a single ticket is valid across trains, buses and the yellow shuttle boats, and it covers not just the city but the surrounding suburbs too. A standard ticket is valid for one hour and lets you travel as far as CERN, Anières or Veyrier on the same fare.
Tickets can be bought from machines at bus stops and in the train station. If you are staying in a hotel, hostel or campground, you are entitled to a free transit pass for the duration of your stay — ask at reception if you were not given one at check-in. Some accommodation providers also email a free transport ticket in advance that can be used for your trip in from the airport, so it is worth checking your inbox before you travel.
The main railway station, Genève-Cornavin, is the heart of the network. City tram and bus routes converge at a stop directly outside its front doors, making the switch from train to local transit very easy. The station also has a basement-level shopping concourse and an underground passage that connects to the south side of the main street, so you can avoid crossing busy roads on arrival; that passage also leads to an open-air pedestrianised shopping street running down towards the lake.
Beyond the city, the Swiss Federal Railway (CFF in French) runs frequent direct services from Cornavin to destinations across Switzerland, with regional trains along the northern shore of Lake Geneva and inter-regional trains towards Lausanne and beyond. Most trains arriving in Geneva from elsewhere in Switzerland continue on to Genève-Aéroport as their final stop, which means you often do not need a tram or bus to reach the airport. A separate station, Gare des Eaux-Vives on the south-eastern side of the lake, handles French bus services to and from Evian, Chamonix and Annecy.
For planning, the SBB CFF FFS website and mobile app include local bus and tram services alongside rail, and can plan a journey from any address; the app can also be used to buy train tickets, though you need to set up an account with a valid credit card beforehand.
Buses and International Connections
As well as the city buses that share the integrated ticket, Geneva is served by a number of regular international bus routes, and the TPG runs services from neighbouring French towns including Saint-Julien, Archamps, Thoiry, Ferney-Voltaire and Moillesulaz. This makes the cross-border area relatively easy to navigate without a car.
Boats on the Lake
Regular boat services run from ports around Lake Geneva, operated mainly with paddle steamers built in the early 20th century. All boats arrive at the Pâquis port after docking briefly at Parc des Eaux-Vives and the Jardin Anglais. The yellow shuttle boats are covered by the same integrated ticket as the rest of the network.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available, and a ride from the airport into town costs approximately Fr. 30. For most journeys within the city, though, the integrated public transport network is the cheaper and often quicker option, particularly given how easily the modes connect at Cornavin.
Walking
Geneva is fairly walkable, and the old town in particular is best explored on foot. A classic route starts anywhere around the tour boat dock on Lake Geneva, or from Cornavin station: walk down to Bel-Air island and continue straight uphill to the old town. Crossing the Pont du Mont Blanc brings you to the English Garden with its famous flower clock and sculpted bronze water fountain; from there you can cross the Quai du Général-Guisan and climb via Place du Port and Rue de la Fontaine, up the long stair passage, to arrive behind Saint Peter's Cathedral. After visiting the cathedral — Geneva's best-known landmark — you can exit the courtyard to find yourself in front of the City Hall, and from there walk down to Bastions Park, home of the Reformation Wall memorial. The park is quiet and romantic, especially in early autumn when the leaves begin to fall.
One practical caution: although the city is walkable, street names change frequently along a single route, which can make navigation confusing. The street running from Bel-Air square to the Rive roundabout, for example, carries several different names over a short stretch.
Cycling
Geneva is a great city to get around by bicycle. Apart from the old town, it is fairly flat, and although some streets are dangerous to ride, there is almost always a safe, fast alternative route to your destination. For the best routes, pick up a copy of the Velo-Love plan de ville, available at bike shops in Geneva. Electric bikes can also be rented, and a social organisation called Genèveroule lends bicycles free of charge for four hours (with a small fee per extra hour) between the end of April and the end of October; you need to show a passport or identity card and leave a refundable deposit. Genèveroule stations are located along the lake, behind the railway station, in Eaux-Vives (Terrassière), on the Plaine de Plainpalais and at Carouge.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Geneva Airport (GVA), also known as Geneva Cointrin, is served by major European carriers and has good connections from several North African and Middle Eastern airports, with a few daily direct flights from North America. It is also a hub for the low-cost carrier easyJet, which serves a wide range of European destinations. In the arrivals area you will find a UBS bank with ATMs and exchange machines, and there is a change machine next to the UBS ATM; an American Express office sits just beyond passport control in the departure lounge, and several cafés and duty-free shops are open through the day and evening.
The fastest way into town is by train. All trains leaving the airport station stop at the main train and bus station in roughly seven minutes, and because the fare network is integrated, you can take any departing train — the same ticket applies to all of them. Train and bus tickets cost around Fr. 3.00 and are valid for one hour; buy them from the machines at the bus stop or in the train station. These tickets are valid anywhere in Geneva and its suburbs across trains, buses and the yellow boats.
Two bus routes also connect the airport with the centre. The number 10 bus leaves every 15 minutes from early morning until late evening and stops at 22-Cantons for the train station. Bus 5 also runs to the central railway station but by a different route, passing close to the UN building and stopping at Rue de Lausanne. Both buses then continue to the southern side of the city.
Taxis from the airport cost approximately Fr. 30. A good alternative, especially if you have booked accommodation in the city, is to use the free public transport ticket — check your email for it — then hop on any train into Geneva and either take a taxi from there or continue on the public transport system.