Geneva Airport to City Centre: Train, Bus, Taxi Prices 2026

The quickest and cheapest way from Geneva Airport to the city centre is the train: every train from Genève-Aéroport station stops at Genève-Cornavin, the main station, about 7 minutes away, and a unireso zone 10 ticket costs CHF 3.00 (about €3.20). A taxi costs a flat CHF 50 to the right bank or CHF 60 to the left bank of the city centre (about €53–€64). If you would rather have a driver waiting in arrivals, compare operators on our Geneva Airport transfers page.

Geneva Airport to city centre: quick comparison

Option	Price	Journey time	Runs	Best for
Train to Genève-Cornavin	CHF 3.00 (≈ €3.20), zone 10 ticket	About 7 min	Up to 7 trains an hour at peak times	Almost everyone
tpg city bus (5, 10 and others)	CHF 3.00 (same ticket)	Longer than the train, depends on traffic	Every 8–15 min at rush hour on urban lines	Nations, Palexpo, Rive, Meyrin
Taxi (flat fare)	CHF 50 right bank, CHF 60 left bank (≈ €53–€64)	Around 15–25 min, traffic permitting	24/7 from the arrivals rank	Heavy luggage, door-to-door
Uber and other ride-hailing apps	Price shown in the app	As taxi	24/7, supply varies	App users
Pre-booked private transfer	Fixed price agreed in advance	As taxi in town; longer to resorts	24/7	Groups, ski resorts, child seats

Train and bus fares are per person; taxi and transfer prices are per vehicle. Switzerland uses the Swiss franc (CHF), not the euro. Euros are accepted in most airport shops, but euro figures here are only approximate conversions.

Is there still a free transport ticket at Geneva Airport?

Many older guides mention a free unireso ticket that arriving passengers could print from a machine in the baggage hall. That ticket no longer exists: the airport ended it on 1 January 2022, and the machines were removed. Today everyone pays for a ticket, with two exceptions:

• Geneva Transport Card: if you are staying in a hotel, youth hostel or campsite in Geneva, your accommodation gives you this card, which covers public transport in zone 10 for your whole stay, including the train between Genève-Cornavin and the airport. It is usually sent by email before arrival; it does not cover the trip from the airport to the hotel unless you already have it on your phone.
• Early-morning tpgAérobus: special buses to the airport are free for passengers flying out between about 04:30 and 06:30 who show a same-day flight ticket or boarding pass. This helps on departure, not on arrival.

Geneva Airport train to Cornavin

Genève-Aéroport railway station sits directly beneath the terminal, about a five-minute walk from both Arrivals and Departures. Follow the CFF/SBB signs once you leave the baggage hall. Every train that leaves the airport stops at Genève-Cornavin, so you can simply board the first one. The trip takes about 7 minutes, with up to seven trains an hour at peak times, and there is no change needed.

Geneva Airport train ticket price

The airport and the city are both in unireso zone 10 (Tout Genève). A single ticket costs CHF 3.00 in 2nd class (CHF 2.00 reduced for children aged 6–15) and is valid for 60 minutes on trains, trams, buses and the yellow Mouettes lake boats. If you will ride around town later the same day, a zone 10 day pass costs CHF 10.00 (CHF 8.00 from 09:00).

You can buy tickets at the machine in the baggage reclaim area, at SBB machines and counters in the station (CHF or EUR), in the SBB Mobile app, or at the tpg machines at the airport bus stops. Buy before boarding: Swiss trains are checked regularly and there is no one selling tickets on board. Full tpg fares are on the tpg ticket fares page.

CHF 10 airport train discount

Genève Aéroport runs a promotional offer, valid until the end of 2026, that gives CHF 10 off each SBB train journey to or from the airport for flight passengers. It covers more than 380 stations in the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Jura, Neuchâtel and Valais, so it is useful for trips to places such as Sion or Fribourg, but not for the short ride into Geneva or for Lausanne and the rest of Vaud. You request a personal code on the airport website before buying your ticket.

Geneva Airport bus to the city (lines 5, 10, 23 and 28)

The tpg bus stops are on the Check-in level, just in front of or next to the railway station. The same CHF 3.00 zone 10 ticket is valid, and machines at the stops sell it. The lines that matter most to visitors are:

• Line 5: Airport – Palexpo – Nations – Gare Cornavin – Bel-Air – Hôpital – Thônex-Vallard. Useful for the UN, the international organisations and the hospital.
• Line 10: Airport – Charmilles – Gare Cornavin – Bel-Air – Rive. A direct ride to the left-bank shopping streets around Rive.
• Line 23: Airport – Blandonnet – Grand-Lancy – Lancy-Bachet-Gare – Carouge-Tours, for the southern districts without crossing the centre.
• Line 28: Airport – Blandonnet – Lignon – Pont-Butin – Les Esserts.

Urban lines run every 8–15 minutes at rush hour. The bus is slower than the train to Cornavin but can save a change if your hotel is near Nations, Rive or Carouge. Regional lines also link the airport with Ferney-Voltaire and other towns across the French border; for those you need the right cross-border ticket.

Geneva Airport taxi price

Geneva taxis are regulated by the canton, and since 1 November 2022 trips from the airport have used fixed fares:

• CHF 25: areas next to the airport.
• CHF 35: the international organisations (UN, Nations district).
• CHF 50: city centre, right bank – the Cornavin, Pâquis and lakeside hotel side.
• CHF 60: city centre, left bank – the Old Town, Plainpalais and Eaux-Vives side.

Other destinations are charged by the regulated price per kilometre, which adds up fast: a taxi to Lausanne or a ski resort is very expensive compared with the train or a pre-booked transfer. The taxi rank is outside the Arrivals level. Taxis generally take cash and cards, but this can vary by car, so check before you set off. Details are on the airport’s taxi page.

Uber at Geneva Airport

Ride-hailing (VTC) services are allowed at Geneva Airport and must meet the airport’s access rules, with fares set by each platform. Uber is available 24/7 and offers several ride types, from UberX and Comfort to vans and Black cars; the app shows the exact pickup point after you request a ride. Waiting times can be longer for very early or late flights, and Uber Reserve lets you book ahead.

Leaving through the French sector

Geneva Airport has a French sector on the far side of the terminal, used for flights to and from France and by travellers heading straight into the Pays de Gex, Divonne-les-Bains or the French Jura. If you arrive on an international flight, you collect your bags and clear Swiss customs first, then go up to the Check-in level and follow the “France Sector” signs. Only passengers with a flight ticket for the same day (give or take one day) can pass between the two sides on foot. Some taxi firms based in France serve the French sector, and some car hire desks are there, which can be cheaper for driving into France. If you have booked a transfer to a French resort, check with the company which side it will meet you on.

Pre-booked private transfers from Geneva Airport

For a short trip into Geneva itself, the train is hard to beat. A pre-booked transfer becomes worth considering when:

• You are going to a ski resort in Switzerland or France and do not want to change trains with skis and suitcases.
• You are a family or group: one fixed price for a minivan can compare well with several train tickets plus a taxi at the other end.
• You need child seats fitted in advance, or are carrying bulky items such as ski bags, golf clubs or a pram.
• You land late, when trains thin out, or need to be collected from the French sector.
• You want meet and greet in arrivals, flight tracking and a price agreed before you travel.

Compare the companies serving the airport on our Geneva Airport (GVA) transfers hub, or browse drivers based in town on the Geneva transfers page. Companies listed in our directory include Taxiphone Genève, TaxiGVA, Swiss Limousine Service, GetTaxi Lausanne, Alpine Fleet and AlpyBus. You book directly with the company, so confirm the price, vehicle size, child seats, included waiting time and pickup point in writing.

Geneva Airport to Lausanne, Chamonix, Verbier and the Alps

Because the airport has its own railway station, many trips start straight from the terminal without going into Geneva first. Timetables are on the SBB website and app.

Geneva Airport to Lausanne

Direct trains run several times an hour from Genève-Aéroport to Lausanne, taking roughly 45–55 minutes depending on the service. This is a normal SBB fare, not covered by the zone 10 ticket. Drivers based in the city are listed on our Lausanne transfers page.

Geneva Airport to Chamonix

Chamonix is in France, about 88 km from the airport and around 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by road in normal traffic. FlixBus coaches, shared ski shuttles and private transfers cover the route; the rail alternative takes much longer with changes. Our full Geneva Airport to Chamonix guide compares the options, and local operators are on the Chamonix transfers page.

Geneva Airport to Verbier

Verbier is reached by train via Martigny and Le Châble, then the gondola or a bus up to the resort. In the ski season the Verbier Express train runs from the airport on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. With a lot of ski kit, many visitors book a car instead; see Verbier transfers.

Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens

The big French ski areas of the Tarentaise valley are a longer road trip from Geneva, especially on busy winter Saturdays. Our Geneva Airport to Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens guide covers coaches, shuttles and transfers.

Tips for arriving at Geneva Airport

• Night arrivals: the latest trains leave the airport around midnight to 01:00, mostly towards Lausanne, and early trains run from about 06:00. Outside those hours, the taxi rank, Uber or a pre-booked car are the realistic options.
• Buy a ticket before boarding: there is no free arrivals ticket any more, and fare checks on trains and buses are common.
• Use official taxis: take a car from the marked rank outside Arrivals, or a car you have booked or ordered through an app, rather than accepting offers inside the terminal.
• Right or left bank: the taxi fare is CHF 50 for the right bank and CHF 60 for the left bank, so tell the driver your address and agree the zone before you set off.
• Paying: cards work almost everywhere, including ticket machines, apps and most taxis. Euros are often accepted, but change comes in francs.
• Tipping: service is included in Swiss prices. Rounding up a taxi fare is a courtesy, not an obligation.
• Peak traffic: the roads around the airport and the Palexpo exhibition centre get very busy at rush hour and during big trade fairs, when the 7-minute train is far quicker than any car.