Transport Geneva airport

How do the shuttles work at Geneva airport?

Navette aéroport Genève

Getting to Geneva airport can sometimes be complex, especially when you’re looking for the most suitable transport solution. We’ve gone into great detail about the options available when you have your own vehicle, for short-term parking or long-term on a private parking lot or official parking.

However, there are many other possibilities. How do you choose between the different shuttles to reach the airport quickly and efficiently? This article explores Geneva airport shuttle services in detail, as well as train, bike and cab services, to show you all the practical and economical solutions available.

Geneva airport shuttle services

A shuttle is a transport service that provides regular connections between two points more or less close together. From and to Geneva airport, you can choose from several types of shuttle, each with its own advantages, to meet your travel needs.

First of all, the city buses of Geneva’s public transport system (TPG) offer an economical and practical option. The unireso zone 10 ticket gives access to 60 minutes of transport. If you’re staying in Swiss accommodation, the Geneva Transport Card even entitles you to free use of public transport, a considerable advantage for tourists and business travelers alike.

Secondly, the TPG Aérobus morning service is ideal for those with an early morning flight. Free of charge and operating between 3am and 6am, it provides access to the airport at no extra cost.

In addition, Swiss and French hotels operate private shuttles offering comfort and convenience.

Finally, regional coaches are an economical option for those traveling from the main French cities and some Swiss towns. With departures every 20-30 minutes at peak times, they offer an alternative that deserves attention.

Each shuttle service has its own particular advantages. Let’s take a look at them, down to the last detail.

City bus shuttles

These are the Geneva public transport bus routes between the airport and Geneva. The unireso zone 10 ticket (CHF 3.00) gives access to Geneva’s public transport network for 60 minutes. It can be purchased directly from the vending machines located at the “Genève Aéroport” and “WTC” bus stops and at the Genève-Aéroport SBB train station.

However, if you are staying in Swiss accommodation (hotel, youth hostel or campsite), the “Geneva Transport Card allows free use of public transport in Geneva (zone 10).

Bus routes to Geneva airport

City buses TPG have a total of 12 lines serving the airport. Here is the list:

Table 1
Line number Course
Line 5 Airport – Palexpo – Nations – Vidollet – Cornavin Station – Bel-Air – Hospital – Museum – Malagnou – Thônex-Vallard
Line 10 Airport – Bouchet – Charmilles – Cornavin Station – Bel-Air – Rive
Line 23 Aéroport-P47 – Airport – Blandonnet – Les Esserts – Grand-Lancy-Place – Palettes – Lancy-Bachet-Gare – Carouge-Tours
Line 28 Airport – Blandonnet – Lignon-Tours – Pont-Butin – Les Esserts
Line 50 Airport – Grand-Saconnex-Place – Colovrex – Genthod-village – Versoix GARE – Pont-Céard – Versoix-Centre sportif
Line 54 Airport – Freight – Crest-d’El – Collex-École – Versoix-Gare – Pont-Céard – Versoix-Centre Sportif
Line 56 Airport – Blandonnet – Meyrin-Gare – Zimeysa-Gare – Hôpital de la Tour
Line 57 Airport – Blandonnet – Vernier-Gare-Croisette – Vernier-École – Meyrin – Hôpital de la Tour – ZIMEYSA-Gare
Line 59 Airport – Arena-Halle 7 – Palexpo – Grand-Saconnex – Chambésy – Plage du Vengeron

Geneva airport bus stops

Given the number of lines, there are also many stops. They are located on the Registration level, in front of or to the side of the SBB station. Here’s a map to help you find them quickly:

Les arrêts de bus à l'aéroport de Genève

Timetables

You can obtain all the information on the timetable :

  • directly at the airport information desk located in the Arrivals hall, opposite the customs control exit.
  • on the TPG.

TPG city buses generally serve the airport every 8 to 15 minutes at peak times.

TPG Aérobus morning service

Need to get to the airport early in the morning? The morning shuttle is free of charge. This service is entirely financed by Geneva airport, on presentation of your plane ticket or boarding pass. Here are the characteristics of this shuttle:

  • It runs between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the morning.
  • It concerns the A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 lines.
  • Exact timetables can be downloaded from the TPG.
  • Groups of 10 or more must register at least 5 days before departure at mobilite@gva.ch.

Please note: two changes between December 10, 2023 and August 26, 2024:

  • Miremont stop (line A6) not served.
  • In Crêts-de-Champel, pick up at bus stop 11, direction Jardin Botanique.

For stops with several sites, here are the Aérobus waiting points. Stops are identified by the tpg aérobus logo.

Le logo TPG Aerobus pour identifier le service matinal
Table 1
  • Acacias, line 15 towards Nations
  • Blandonnet, line 23 towards Aéroport
  • Bois-des-Frères: Aérobus A1 and A6, line 6 towards Vernier
  • Bois-des-Frères: Aérobus A4, line 28 towards Aéroport
  • Bouchet, line 10 towards Aéroport
  • Charmilles, line 6 towards Vernier
  • Carouge-Rondeau, line 42 towards P+R Bernex
  • Carouge-Tours, line 42 towards P+R Bernex
  • Chemin du Bac, line 2 towards Genève-Plage
  • Crêts-de-Champel, line 21 towards Gare des Eaux-Vives
  • Epinettes, line 11 towards Jardin Botanique
  • Ferney-Mairie, line 66 towards Aéroport
  • Cornavin station, line 15 towards Palettes
  • Hospital, line 7 towards Lignon
  • Hôpital de la Tour, line 18 towards Bachet-de-Pesay
  • Jardin-Alpin-Vivarium, line 57 towards Aéroport
  • Junction, line 2 towards Onex
  • Les Esserts, Line 21 towards Genève-Eaux-Vives-Gare
  • Meyrin-Gravière, line 57 towards Aéroport
  • Meyrin-Village, line 57 towards Aéroport
  • Plainpalais, line 1 towards Jardin Botanique
  • Vernier-Gare/Renfile, line 23 towards Aéroport
  • Uni-Mail, line 35 towards Sainte Clotilde

Let’s take a look at private shuttles.

Private shuttles to the airport from Geneva

These shuttles are operated by certain hotels, which we recommend you contact directly for further information. They are to and from the airport.

Here is an indicative list of hotels that offer this service.

Swiss hotel shuttles

French hotel shuttles

They are payingThey circulate daily and are located outside the “Arrivals” level for these hotels:

Regional buses are another option for getting to the airport.

Regional buses

From regular routes serve :

  • The main French cities in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region (Annecy, Chambéry, Grenoble and Lyon).
  • Some Swiss towns, like Verbier.
  • Ski resorts.

They run every 20-30 minutes during rush hour. The various companies (Swisstours, Alpytransfer, Blablabus, Flixbus, Alpbus) each charge their own rates. For further information, please contact the airport by telephone (+41 22 307 11 30) or e-mail(info@gvatransport.ch).

How much do Geneva airport shuttles cost?

As we’ve just seen, fares vary, depending on the means of transport used and your situation. Let’s summarize the main points.

Pay-per-use shuttles

Paid services include :

  • French hotels’ private shuttlesIn France, you can expect to pay around 7 euros.
  • Unireso public transport in zone 10including city bus, streetcar, train and boat: consult the unireso fares. As a guide, the “Saut de puce” ticket (3 stops) costs CHF 2.00 (approx. 2.02 euros) and the “Billet zone 10” (valid for 60 minutes) costs CHF 3.00 (approx. 3.14 euros).
  • Unireso public transport outside zone 10 You need a Léman Pass. We don’t mention a specific fare, as it depends too much on your destination.
  • Regional buses: similarly, given the diversity of destinations, it is difficult to provide fares.
Unireso et Léman Pass _ plan des zones tarifaires

Free shuttles

They concern the following travellers:

  • Those who take the tgp Aérobus shuttle.
  • Geneva Transport Card holders, only for people staying in Swiss accommodation.
  • Those staying in Swiss hotels offering private shuttles.

Other means of transport to and from Geneva airport

If shuttles aren’t for you, there are other options, including trains, cabs and even bicycles.

The train

The Geneva Airport train station is directly accessible from the check-in and arrival levels of the airport.

Cities served

For travel in Switzerland, all trains to and from Geneva Airport station :

  • stop in downtown Geneva Geneva-Cornavin station (7 minutes between the two stations, maximum frequency of 7 trains per hour during peak periods). An unireso zone 10 ticket costs CHF 3.00 and takes you from the airport to the city center by train.
  • with no change at Genève-Cornavin, most of Switzerland’s major cities Berne, Biel, Fribourg, Lausanne, Lucerne, Montreux, Neuchâtel, Sion, Vevey, Zürich, etc.

To travel in France :

  • From and to Geneva Airport station, many TER and direct TGV trains serve most cities in the cities in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region (Aix-les-Bains, Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry, Grenoble, Lyon, Valence, etc.). You can also take the TGV to Paris and Marseille.
  • To and from the Geneva-Cornavin train station, the Léman Express” services are available.” Léman Express” services several towns in Haute-Savoie (Annecy, Annemasse, Bonneville, Cluses, Evian-les-Bains, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Le Fayet).

Buy tickets

Swiss train tickets can be purchased in several ways:

  • SBB Mobile application
  • the SBB website
  • station vending machines
  • the vending machine located in the airport’s baggage reclaim area (accessible only to arriving passengers),
  • the counters of the SBB Passenger Center at Geneva Airport station.
  • For foreign guests, the Swiss Travel Pass allows you to travel on the entire Swiss rail network for 3, 4, 8 or 15 days.

Train tickets for France can be purchased online on the SNCF or the CFF, but also from ticket machines in stations, or from the various counters at the SBB Passenger Center at Geneva Airport station.

💡 Our tip: Take advantage of a CHF 10 discount per passenger on your train ticket purchase. This promotion is supported by Geneva Airport and is valid until the end of 2024 on an experimental basis. To take advantage of this offer, make sure your departure or arrival station is participating. If eligible, complete the necessary form to obtain a promotional code by e-mail. You can then apply this code when booking on the website or via the SBB mobile app.

Cabs

There are 3 ways to hire a cab at Geneva airport:

  • Book it by phone.
  • Call him on the street.
  • Find it in a parking lot.

And there are no surprises when it comes to cab fares. The activities of cabs and VTCs in the canton of Geneva are governed by a law that allows the definition of fixed prices for departure from the airport depending on the destination:

  • CHF 25 for a trip in the area adjacent to the airport.
  • CHF 35 for travel to international organizations.
  • CHF 50 for a trip to the downtown right bank.
  • 60 CHF to downtown left bank.

Other destinations are billed at the regulated rate per kilometer traveled.

Last but not least, here’s the most ecological option of all: cycling.

Self-service bicycles

The self-service bicycle network VéloPartage allows you to rent a traditional or electric bike, every day, at any time, at one of the 500 stations throughout the canton of Geneva. All you need is dedicated application.

You have several stations at the airport (GVA Airport, Pré-bois, P50, WTC and Fret). the main one is just outside the main terminal.

It takes about 20 minutes to reach the airport from downtown Geneva.

To find the best route to the airport, use the website or app Géovélo app.

In conclusion, we hope you’ve found all the information you need! As you can see, Geneva airport offers a variety of shuttle services to suit all types of travelers. From economical city buses to comfortable private shuttles and convenient regional coaches, each option offers unique advantages.

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