Getting Around Geneva by Public Transport

Geneva packs trams, trolleybuses, little yellow lake-shuttle boats and cross-border regional trains into a compact, lakeside network. Many visitors ride it all for free.

The network in one minute

Geneva’s network is small and easy: trams and trolleybuses handle the city, the famous yellow mouettes shuttle across the harbour, and the cross-border regional trains connect the suburbs and reach into neighbouring France.

Trams — fast lines through the centre and out to the suburbs.
Buses & trolleybuses — dense coverage of the old town and the lake shore.
Mouettes — short, scenic boat hops across the lake, covered by normal tickets.
Regional trains — the cross-border train spine, useful for the airport and trips into France.

The free transport card

Geneva does something rare: every overnight guest gets a free Geneva Transport Card. Hotels, hostels and campsites hand it over at check-in, and it covers unlimited buses, trams and mouettes for the length of your stay. Don’t buy tickets before you’ve asked for it.

From the airport

Genève-Aéroport is one train stop from the main station (Gare Cornavin) — about 6 minutes. There’s also a free ticket machine in baggage claim that prints an 80-minute public-transport ticket to get you into town.

See it live

The Swiss Transport app shows live departures and platforms for trams, trains and the mouettes from your current location — handy when you’re deciding between a tram and a boat to cross the city.