Geneva travel guide
Geneva Tourism | Geneva Guide
You're Going to Love Geneva
With a population of 183,981, Geneva is the largest city in Geneve, Switzerland by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Geneva deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
When to visit Geneva
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Geneva in July, when the average temperature is 20 °C, and the highest can go up to 27 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as -1 °C, with an average temperature of 2 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 105 mm. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Geneva, with an average rainfall of 68 mm.
How to Get to Geneva
Plane
When flying to Geneva, you’ll arrive at Geneva Airport (GVA), which is located 4 km from the city centre The shortest flight to Geneva from Canada departs from Montreal and takes around 7h 30m.
Train
SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Geneva, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Geneva to Lyon takes 1h 57m and costs around C$ 51 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Zurich, expect to pay about C$ 75 for a 2h 46m trip. The train station in Geneva is called Geneva, and is located 0.3 km from the city centre.
Car
Another option to get to Geneva is to pick up a car rental from Zurich, which is about 224 km from Geneva. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Zurich.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Geneva, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and Regiojet. From Annecy, the bus ride to Geneva takes 80 km and will cost you around C$ 8. From Chambéry, the ticket costs about C$ 11 for a journey of 169 km. The most popular bus station is Geneva Bus, located 0.3 km from downtown Geneva. Geneva Charmilles is also a commonly used station, and is 1.2 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Geneva
Where to stay in Geneva
From 5-star hotels such as the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva to great affordable options like the Hotel Sagitta, Geneva offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around C$ 239 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 1,277 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hotel St. Gervais and Hotel Les Arcades. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Geneva, with prices from C$ 44 to C$ 2,074 per night. Pâquis is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Geneva are about 16% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Grottes et Saint-Gervais - In Geneva’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Rotary Geneva - MGallery, The Ritz-Carlton, Hotel de la Paix, Geneva and Hotel Cristal Design.
Eaux-Vives - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Hotel Century, Calvy and Hotel Churchill. The average nightly price for a double room in Eaux-Vives is C$ 172.
Pâquis - Jade Manotel, Hotel Eden and 9hotel Paquis have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Pâquis will cost you about C$ 161 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Geneva
Most booked hotels in Geneva
Renting a car in Geneva
Renting a car in Geneva costs C$ 61 per day, on average, or C$ 122 if you want to rent it for 2 days. Europcar, Alamo and Sixt are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Geneva is the Alamo branch at Geneva Airport Swiss Side, which is 4 km from the downtown.
You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 1% more expensive than at Geneva Geneve-Cointrin.
Expect to pay C$ 2.84 per litre in Geneva (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 33.99 and C$ 45.31. Compact (Seat Leon or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Geneva, while also 63% cheaper than other types, on average.