Cheap Genève Public Buses to Geneva Airport (GVA)

Public buses are the cheapest and often most convenient public transportation to Geneva Airport (GVA) when traveling from downtown Genève city and other suburbs.

Getting to Geneva International Airport (GVA) is often the cheapest and easiest on Genève’s public bus system. Buses run directly from the airport to downtown Genève Cornavin train station, the international organizations, several suburbs of Geneva, and nearby towns in France. The regular train is the fastest option if heading to Geneva’s main train station (also referred to as Genève-Cornavin station) or further into other parts of Switzerland.

Taxis in Geneva are very expensive and surcharges are made for luggage. Compare prices and reserve online for private transfers to any destination in Switzerland and France – for small groups, the prices may be competitive with public transportation. Taxis to the airport are considerably cheaper than taxis from the airport. Gettransfer gives online quotations. In the winter season, especially winter weekends, book transfer services to Alpine ski resorts well in advance.

Geneva Airport Bus Tickets in 2025

The price of the standard Tout Geneve public transportation ticket is currently CHF3 and covers all buses, trains, trams, and mouette boats on Lake Geneva in the larger Genève area. Buy from a ticket machine or by app. Tickets may only be bought from the machines on the bus if there are no vending machines at the bus stop — contactless cards and payments only. (The ticket covers the Unireso network in the canton of Geneva but not transport to nearby French cities.)

The free Tout Genève public transportation tickets are no longer dispensed for free in the baggage claim area of the arrivals hall. Buy tickets from the vending machines at the bus stops before boarding the bus. Most destinations are in Unireso Zone 10 / Tout Genève.

Overnight guests sleeping in hotels in Geneva should receive a free digital version of a public transportation card for the duration of their stay in Genève and may use this for free public transportation from the airport.

Genève Public Buses to Geneva Airport (GVA)

The following Genève public transportation buses stop at Geneva Airport (Genève Aéroport Terminal). Bus lines 10 and 5 are generally the most useful to visitors and run every 8-15 minutes. Travel times depend on travel but should be around 20 minutes.

Public Buses from Geneva Airport to the City Center:

Bus 10 connects Geneva Airport and Rive in the old town via Balexert and Geneva train station – use the Gare Cornavin K stop when heading to the airport but Gare Cornavin L stop when arriving from the airport.
Bus 5 connects Geneva Airport and Thônex-Vallard via Palexpo, Nations (International Organizations), Geneva-Cornavin station, Bel Air, Hôpital, Muséum, and Malagnou. At Gare Cornavin, use stop J in front of the large TPG ticket store on Place Montbrilliant when heading for the airport and stop B on Place de Cornavin directly in front of the station’s main entrance when arriving from the airport.

Other Public Buses from Geneva Airport:

Other urban buses stopping at Geneva Airport are of lesser use to most foreign visitors and do not pass through the city center of Genève:

Bus 23 connects Geneva Airport and Carouge via Lancy (bus 23 does not pass through the center of Geneva)
Bus 28 connects Geneva Airport and Les Esserts via Blandonnet, Lignon-Tours, and Pont-Butin. It no longer provides the service to the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN), Red Cross (ICRC), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) — use bus service 5 and change at Nations.
Bus 50 and bus 54 connect Geneva Airport with Versoix-Centre Sportif – it does not pass through the city centre.
Bus 56 connects Geneva Airport with Hôpital de la Tour via Blandonnnet, Meyrin-Gare and Zimeysa-Gare. It does not pass through the city center.
Bus 57 connects Geneva Airport with Zimeysa and Vernier/Meyrin stations – it does not pass through the city center.
Bus 59 connected Geneva Airport with Plage du Vengeron via Palexpo and Grand Saconnex. It does not pass through the city center.
Bus 66 connects the airport with Thoiry via Ferney in France. (The Tout Genève ticket is valid for travel only while bus Y is inside Switzerland.)

Bus Stops at Geneva Airport

All buses stop at the Swiss / International side of Geneva Airport usually near the railway station and never at the French sector. Consult the posted maps — not all buses use the same stopping points at the airport station. Bus 10 usually departs from stop A — closest to the airport terminal building — and bus 5 from stop C, around the corner behind the main entrance to the station. It is usually not necessary to cross any roads to catch bus 5 or 10.

By Train from Genève Gare Cornavin to Geneva Airport

The fastest connection between downtown Geneva and Geneva Airport is by train. The train journey takes only six minutes from Geneva Airport to Geneva Gare. This train connection is covered by the Tout Genève ticket (Unireso Zone 10), which is CHF3. If added to a regular Swiss Railways train ticket, the cost is CHF6.

Gare Cornavin has excellent connections with Geneva’s public transportation buses and trams. Most buses and trams pass by the station. Many buses use stops K and L (sometimes also referred to as Place 22 Cantons), which are a block to the west of the station stops.

Walking and cycling to the airport are also possible but do consult maps in advance as finding the safe crossing points of the highway (Autoroute A1) is not all that easy.