Geneva is the transportation hub for the French-speaking Switzerland and the western access point to the Swiss Alps.

By plane

1 Geneva Airport (GVA IATA also called Geneva Cointrin). It is served by several major European carriers and has good connections from several major Northern African and Middle Eastern airports. From North America there are a couple of daily direct flights from New York, Washington D.C. and Montreal. Geneva is a hub for the low-cost carrier easyJet serving a vast number of destinations in Europe including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Edinburgh, London, Madrid, Manchester and Paris.

The airport has a UBS bank with ATMs and exchange machines in the arrival area. There is an American Express office just beyond passport control in the departure lounge. There are several cafés and duty free shopping as well, open 08:00-23:00.

To get into town from the airport, taxis cost approximately Fr. 30. The fastest way is by train which is the same price/tickets as with the buses as it is an integrated tarif network. The number 10 bus leaves every 15 minutes from 06:00 to 23:00. Get off at the 22-Cantons stop for train station. Bus 5 also goes to the central railway station but along a different route passing close by the UN building and stopping at rue de Lausanne. Both buses then continue to the southern side of the city. All trains leaving Geneva Airport train station stop at the main train/bus station within approx. 7 minutes, you can take every departing train as the same tarif applies to all of them. Train/bus tickets are around Fr. 3.00 (valid for one hour) and can be purchased at machines at the bus stop and in the train station. These tickets are valid anywhere in Geneva and suburbs, for trains, buses and yellow boats (with this ticket you can go as far as CERN, Anières or Veyrier). There is a change machine next to the UBS ATM. The best alternative is to take the free public transport ticket, hop on any train to Geneva (5 minutes) and either take a taxi from there or continue on the public transport system. If you have booked accommodations in the city, check your email for a free transport ticket that can be used for your trip to the city.

By train

The Swiss Federal Railway, abbreviated CFF in French, serves Geneva's main railway station (simply called Genève, but traditionally also called 2 Gare de Genève-Cornavin, or simply Cornavin) with direct trains to and from Neuchâtel, Biel/Bienne, Luzern, Winterthur, St. Gallen every hour, and Berne and Zürich every half-hour. Regional trains heading to Nyon, Morges and many other villages along the northern shore of Lake Geneva, and inter-regional trains heading to Lausanne leave every 15 minutes, and further to Vevey, Montreux, Martigny, Sion, and further to the back of the mountainous Valais in Visp and Brig at least every half-hour. Normally they depart from Genève-Aéroport.

The Gare des Eaux-Vives is another public transport station and it is situated on the south-eastern side of the lake on the other side of the river Rhône. It has French bus services with the SNCF to and from Evian, Chamonix and Annecy. It's being renovated, since a new rail line has been built to link Cornavin to this train station.

International trains leaving from Genève include the French (SNCF) and Swiss National Railways (SBB CFF FFS) coorporating high-speed TGV-Lyria service. There is a direct service from Geneva to Paris (570 km) with a journey time of three hours seven times per day, as well as a direct service to Lyon (2 hr), Avignon (3 hr), Marseille (3.5 hr) and Nice (6.5 hr). There is a direct connection between Milan and Geneva, traversing the Alps through the Simplon massif four times a day. Once a day this EuroCity (EC) service directly connects Geneva with Venice via Milan.

For more information:

Swiss Federal Railway (SBB CFF FFS) website, ☏ +41 900 300 300. Provides a useful on-line travel planner, which includes information about local bus and tram services, as well as rail services and can plan your journey from any address to Geneva. The mobile app can also be used to buy train tickets, an account with a valid credit card has to be set-up beforehand.

Unless otherwise announced, most trains arriving in Genève will usually have the Genève-Aéroport as their final destination (if they come from elsewhere in Switzerland), which means you do not have to use the TPG (transport publis genevois, or Geneva's Public Transport company) tram or bus to get there.

Geneva's main railway station is well designed, and a key part of Geneva's public transport network. City tram and bus routes converge at a stop located directly outside the front doors of the station, called Gare Cornavin and making transition from train to public transit extremely easy. If you're staying in a hotel, hostel or campground, do not buy more than a single ticket. Geneva provides free transit passes to any tourist staying in one of these types of accommodation. Ask the reception if you did not receive it at check-in. The station also features a basement-level shopping concourse, along with an underground passage which connects to the south side of the busy main street, permitting new arrivals to avoid crossing busy roads. The passage also connects to an open-air pedestrianized shopping street, leading down to the lake.

By car

The motorway network brings you right into Geneva, only 40 km from Annecy and 80 km from Chamonix with customs at Bardonnex - Saint-Julien. You need the compulsory motorway sticker (single annual Fr. 40 fee) to come through this customs office. Purchase of the motorway tax sticker (aka Vignette) at one of the customs is obligatory in order to drive on Swiss motorways.

To avoid the purchase of a vignette, you can enter Geneva through other crossing points at Thônex-Vallard or Moillesulaz, for example. If, however, you decide later to drive on the motorway, you will need to purchase a vignette — you can generally purchase the vignette at Petrol Stations, Post Offices or at Tourist Offices.

By bus

Geneva is served by a number of regular international bus routes (Bus station: ☏ +41 22 732-0230). Additionally, the TPG (Geneva Public Transport) provide regular services from the neighbouring French towns of Saint-Julien, Archamps, Thoiry, Ferney-Voltaire, Moillesulaz (☏ +41 22 308-3434).

By boat

Regular boat services are provided, mainly in paddle steamers built between 1904 and 1927, from ports all around Lake Geneva by Compagnie Générale de Navigation. All boats arrive at the Paquis port after docking briefly at Parc des Eaux Vives and the Jardin Anglais.