GENEVA - GETTING AROUND
Geneva is compact and easy to explore on foot and the most practical form of transportation in the city. It`s also the most advantageous from a tourist`s point of view allowing you to browse the shops and take in the atmosphere of Geneva.
By TrainSuburban trains to outskirts run every half hour during the day and every hour after 8 PM. The last train to the eastern terminus, (Coppet), leaves at 12:03 AM. Though these `Regios` mostly serve commuters, at least two of their station stops, Versoix and Coppet, have several good restaurants and historic main streets. There is also another suburban rail line: the RER Genève, which goes from Cornavin to La Plaine, sometimes continuing to France (2 stops from La Plaine). As with buses and trams, tickets must be bought before boarding the train. If you are only travelling with the canton of Geneva, a bus/tram ticket is valid on the train and vice versa; travelling further will cost more unless you buy a so-called regional ticket, which also includes parts of Vaud and France.
By TramGeneva has an expanding network of very frequent trams. Many lines have their hub at the Cornavin train station, a few others at Place Bel-Air on the old-town side of the river. If you did not receive a TPG / Unireso card from your hotel, you will need to buy a ticket from one of the ticket machines located at every stop before boarding the transport. Tickets cover both trams and buses.
By Public Transportation
Public transport
in Geneva (and all of Switzerland) is extensive, reliable, safe and easy to
use. It is simple to get around without a car. Enjoy significant savings when
you are staying in a Geneva hotel/hostel as you are entitled to a free daily
travel pass for the local Transport TPG. This is provided by the hotel.
TPG is the public
transport provider in Geneva that operates trains, trams, buses and boats
throughout the city and bordering France. The
local bus and tram system covers virtually every square meter of the city and
is highly efficient.
Night buses
(known as Noctambus) run afterhours (about
midnight to 2:00 am) on Fridays and Saturdays on major routes. These buses are
marked by the letter `N` on their displays. Some routes cross into France as
well. Unlike other Swiss cities there is no additional tariff for night buses
in Geneva. A regular Unireso ticket (CHF 3.50) is sufficient.
If you are purchasing tickets, the tickets will cover both trams and
buses and must be bought from ticket machines (located at every stop) before
boarding the transport. Some bus stops do not have a ticket machine, but in
that case you can buy a ticket on board the bus itself.
Tickets cost about 2CHF for a short hop (three stops or less, or a
one-way crossing of the lake). Tickets are about 3CHF for one hour with
unlimited changes on tram, bus, boat, and rail within greater Geneva, around 8CHF
for a day pass valid from 9 AM to midnight, and around 10.80CHF for an extended
day pass valid from the time it is purchased until 5 AM the next morning (it is
valid for 2 people during Saturday or Sunday, but only for 1 person during
weekdays).
Regular boat service
is 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.
Lake Boats: Part of the local TPG system includes ferry
shuttles connecting the right and left banks of the city. The service operates
year round during daylight hours and is a cheap way to see the city from a new
perspective. Departures every 10-30 minutes. The costs is around 2.00CHF for
adults.
The meter on whatever
cab you take in Geneva will automatically begin calculating your fare at about 7CHF,
and then add between 3CHF and 3.50CHF for every kilometer you travel, depending
on the time of day or night. The fare from the airport to the center of town
ranges from 30CHF to 40CHF. No tipping is required, but extra baggage may cost around
1.50CHF. To call for a taxi, call
tel. 022/331-41-33 or 022/320-20-20.
Uber is available in
Geneva as an additional transportation option.
Driving is not recommended; parking is difficult and the many one-way
streets make navigation complicated. However, should you wish to rent a car and
tour Lake Geneva, the mountainous countryside or go sking in one of the ski
resorts in the Alps, getting a car is a better option.
If you do have a car, and if your hotel doesn`t offer parking facilities
and valet parking, the best bet for parking within the city limits tends to be
within any of the many underground parking garages, whose presence is indicated
with large blue-and-white signs designated with a letter `P.` Rates for
underground parking typically average between 1.50CHF and 2CHF per hour.