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Geneva is tucked away in the southwestern corner of the almost-French Swiss Alps. Its city centre hugs the shore of Lake Geneva and is split down the middle by the westward-flowing Rhône River. The main train station is conveniently located in the centre of town on the northern side of the river, as are most international organisations. Geneva's most visible landmark, the Jet d'Eau giant fountain, is on the southern shore. The south bank is also home to most of the city's museums and the vieille ville , the old part of town, with the pedestrian-only Grand-Rue running through it. To the east of the Old Town is Gare des Eaux-Vives, where you can catch trains running southeast into France.
Getting There
Geneva International Airport is an important transport hub and has frequent connections to every major European city and many other cities worldwide.
Trains run to most Swiss towns including Zürich (3hrs) and Interlaken (3hrs). There are regular international trains running daily to Paris (by TGV, 3.5hrs), Hamburg (10hrs), Milan (4hrs) and Barcelona (9hrs). The train trip into Geneva pays homage to the motto 'half the fun is getting there', with superb service and stunning Alpine vistas.
International buses depart from Place Dorcière (tel: 022 732 02 30; Place Dorciére), off Rue des Alpes. Services include buses to London (17hrs) and Barcelona (10hrs).
By car, an autoroute bypass skirts Geneva, with major routes intersecting southwest of the city: the N1 from Lausanne joins with the E62 to Lyon (130km/80mi) and the E25 heading southeast towards Chamonix.
Getting Around
Getting yourself around Geneva is pretty breezy, considering the range of transport at your disposal. The city is efficiently serviced by buses, trolley buses and trams (including night buses at weekends). Tickets are available from dispensers at stops. Week-long passes do represent good value if you are staying longer than a few days.
Getting from the airport is easy with regular trains making the six-minute trip into Gare de Cornavin. Bus 10 does the same 5km (3mi) trip, as do taxis.
If you choose to drive in Geneva, you will be greeted by pretty restricted parking, so catch a taxi instead. Rates are cheaper within the city limits, and you can find a taxi either outside the station or by phoning for one. You can take the healthy option and hire a bike for a day or half-day. If you want to save some dough you can borrow a bike, carrying publicity, for free (only from May to October) from Genève Roule.
By boat, CGN offers daytime excursions hourly on the lake when the weather is good. There are also full-day, half-day and evening cruises. Ticket offices and departures are on Quai du Mont-Blanc and by Jardin Anglais. Smaller companies operate many similar excursions and small boats (mouettes) cross between Geneva's two shores.
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