A large slate of airplanes at Geneva International Airport, (c) Geneva Tourism
Geneva Transportation
Airports
Geneva Cointrin International Airport (GVA) is quite busy with long-distance flights. The city is served by the Geneva Airport. It is connected by the Geneva Airport railway station (French: Gare de Genève-Aéroport) to both the Swiss Federal Railways network and the French SNCF network.
Pick up a free bus or train ticket from the machine in the baggage claims area on the GVA arrival level. The ticket, offered by Geneva International Airport, allows free travel on the public transportation system in Geneva for 80 minutes.
Geneva Airport Railway Station is located within GVA Airport. Like France, Gare means Train Station in Switzerland. The train ride from GVA Airport to Gare Carnavin in the heart of Geneva only takes 6 minutes. The ride costs about 12 Swiss Francs. Every daytime hour finds several trains going between GVA Airport and Gare Cornavin.
A suburban or regional train stopped at Secheron Station in Geneva; credit NAepli
Train Stations
Several train stations are a hub for millions of visitors coming in and out of Geneva every year. At Gare de Lyon in Paris, many tourists take the TGV Lyria high-speed train to Geneva.
Trains operated by Swiss Federal Railways include high-speed, regional train services that serve Switzerland. Gare Cornavin is conveniently located in the city center close to here – Paquis, des Grottes area, plenty of hotels all around includes frequent suburban (commuter) train service that Switzerland is lauded for. Lake and Rhone River are one street away, behind which are the main shopping streets and the historic old town.
Gare Cornavin also connects Geneva with the Swiss Railway Network (CFF or SBB) to the rest of Switzerland (Montreux, Basel, Bern) and with France (Dijon, Lyon, Paris, Nice). It is a hub of public transport in Geneva too. Many trams and buses stop here, making it easy to start your journey to any corner of the city. There are shops, cafes, coffeehouses, a flower shop, and a transport tickets store.
Gare Chêne-Bourg conveniently lets you reach southern Italy or eastern France, start your journey from Chêne-Bourg Railway Station via Gare de Annemasse. Preferred tourist destinations from here are Annecy, Evian, Chamonix, Grenoble and Chambery.
Gare Secheron is a much less frequently used station located north of Gare Cornavin in Geneva’s international district. Most of the trains between Nyon and Geneva also stop here. Gare Secheron’s main advantage to Gare Cornavin is its immediate proximity to the whole Geneva International District.
The train stations connect to Paris, Lyon, and Marseille by TGV.
Tram riding through Carouge District of Geneva; credit Sdnegel/UNSPLASH
Transit & Taxis
Geneva Public Transport network is named UNIRESO. It is an interconnected system of trams, buses (TPG), mouettes (yello transport boats), and trains (CFF) in the city of Geneva.
The whole system uses the same tickets. The single UNIRESO ticket is also valid for the Cornavin-Airport train. The ticket is valid for 60 minutes and is transferable. Tickets are bought at the ticket machines, located at every bus or tram stop in the city, and inside the buses going outside of the city.
Though many locals ride buses, tourists prefer the extensive Geneva Tram System with stops within a few blocks of every activity center.
Given the popularity of Trams, taxis in Geneva can be difficult to find. It’s wise to book them in advance in advance in the early morning or evening. Or you can book Uber rides.
Take a delightful cruise across Lake Geneva; (c) Geneva Tourism
Cruises
Public ferries by boat are provided by the Mouettes Genevoises, which link the two banks of the lake within the city, and by the Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman.
Cruises also serve more distant destinations such as Nyon, Yvoire, Thonon, Évian, Lausanne, and Montreux using both modern diesel vessels and vintage paddle steamers.