Flights from Luton to Geneva

Destination Geneva

Geneva is in the French speaking part of Switzerland very close to France making it suitable for day trips to France. This international city is an interesting mix of sophistication and history.

Best time to travel and what to do

The best time to travel to Geneva is between May and October, although winters here are relatively mild for Switzerland. The Geneva Marathon takes place in May. In June the Regatta "Bol d'Or" occurs which involves over 500 boats. During August the historical "Fêtes de Genève" summer festival happens on Lake Geneva, which involves parades, fireworks, aerial and water shows as well as concerts. Around the 12th December the "L'Escalade" takes place with parades, processions and road running, which celebrates the defeat of the attack by troops sent by the Duke of Savoy.

Information prior to travelling

Hire cars are the most practical way of exploring the mountains. A local speciality in the area is "Longeole", a type of raw sausage. Geneva is quite costly and counted as one of the most expensive cities worldwide. A meal in a restaurant can go from about 20 CHF upwards, with a beer costing 7.50 CHF or so.

Transport and accommodation in Geneva

There is free public transport from Aéroport International de Genève to central Geneva. This ticket is valid for 80 minutes (only with valid boarding pass, tickets available from machines by the baggage reclaim). The fastest train to the main station (Gare Cornavin) takes around 7 minutes, without the free ticket it costs 3 CHF. The bus (Line 5) and trolley bus (number 10) are slower (taking ca. 30 min), and also cost 3 CHF without the free ticket. A taxi costs ca. 35-45 CHF. There is a free shuttle-bus to some hotels.

Once in Geneva, hostel accommodation costs from around 25 CHF pp/night. 3 star hotels near the train station for example can cost around 135 CHF and upwards per night.

To get around Geneva, use the Geneva Transport Card which allows free use of public transport of trams, buses and trolley buses. These are given to hotel, youth hostel and campsite guests. Approximate fares for other users are: single 3 CHF, short journey 2 CHF, day pass 8-10 CHF and a weekly pass 38 CHF. Taxi fares are quite high, but taking taxis is not normally necessary. Cycling is easy except in the old town centre due to the steep hills. During the summer bike hire is free with ID and a refundable deposit of around 20 CHF (provided by Genèveroule).