Geneva Hotels

Geneva: Arriving and Getting Around

Perhaps unsurprisingly, getting from Geneva’s Cointrin Airport to the centre of the city is an efficient and trouble-free experience.

• Firstly, the airport is less than 3km from the city centre so journey times, both to and from the airport, are short and uncomplicated.
• Secondly, there’s only one airport terminal which is furnished with plenty of English language signing making navigation very simple.

To the left of the easily locatable tourist information desk in the main concourse there is a revolving door, giving access into the adjacent train station (“Gare CFF”). Trains depart every 6 minutes for Geneva’s main station, Gare de Cornavin (which, in turn, is only 300 metres north of the lake.) However, just inside the revolving door, at the top of the escalators, you’ll also find the departure point for the city bus – the simplest onward transport. This can drop you 15 minutes later in the centre of town on the Rue du Mont-Blanc (for the Rive Droite, north of the Rhône) or Place Bel-Air (for the Rive Gauche, south of the Rhône.) Tickets can be bought at the “unireso” information desk (also in the main concourse – “unireso” is Geneva’s main transport company). Buses depart every 10 minutes. If neither of these options appeals to you, you could also take a taxi, but they charge between 30 and 35 francs to take you into the city centre.

General Transport

Once in Geneva itself you’ll mostly find yourself walking, since everything is accessible on foot – even slightly further flung attractions like Carouge and the Palais des Nations. However, Geneva’s trams and buses are – again unsurprisingly – fast, clean and efficient. Those running within the city are identified with numbers; those running into the suburbs are marked with letters. There are “unireso” ticket machines at every stop, but they accept coins only (Swiss francs and Euros.) The central Zone 11 covers the city centre, from Place des Nations in the north to the borders of Carouge in the south and from Jonction east to Eaux-Vives west. The outer Zone 12 includes Carouges and the airport and there are more zones further out.

Eating & Drinking

French restaurants do tend to dominate in Geneva, influenced in particular by the world-renowned gastronomy of Lyon to the west. But there are plenty of excellent Swiss restaurants as well, and Geneva holds its own cooking traditions very dear. Look out for dishes like pork fricassée or beef casserole, as well as an array of lake fish, such as perch and trout. There are also the Swiss staples, such as fondue or raclette, both served with that Genevois twist, and accompanied by some of the fine wines grown in the nearby countryside. The best place to sample these specialities is in the atmospheric Swiss eateries of the Old Town, though they tend not to be cheap. As with many cities, a less expensive, but still tasty option is to go ethnic. The Eaux-Vives district has some inexpensive but decent trattorias, while Les Pâquis has establishments offering authentic Arabic, East Asian, South African and African cuisine.