Destination guides > Europe > Switzerland > Geneva (Genève)
Geneva (Genève)
Cosmopolitan Geneva is home to a large number of international organisations including the Red Cross and the World Health Organisation. Switzerland's main French-speaking city, and the country's third-largest is a little too polished and lacks the atmosphere found elsewhere in Switzerland but it is still worth stopping here for a day or two if you're in the region. The Red Cross Museum is the main attraction but there are also several other good free museums.
Practical information
INFORMATION CENTRES & USEFUL NUMBERS
Arcade d'Information de la Ville de Genève
Port de la Maehine, Genéve
Tel (022) 311 9970
Website www.geneve-tourisme.ch
Open Mon noon-6pm, Tue-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm
Centre d'Accueil et de Reseignements
Rue du Mont-Blanc, Genève
Tel (022) 731 4647
Open mid Jun-31 Aug 9am-11pm daily
Police
Tel 117
Fire
Tel 118
Ambulance
Tel 144
LAUNDRY
Lavseul
29, rue de Monthoux, Genève
Tel (022) 735 9051
Coming & going
AIR
Geneva International Airport handles flights within Europe, including some budget airlines. The airport is 5km from the city centre and it is served by frequent trains (SFR 3). Another option are buses 5 and 10, which also cost SFR 3 and run between the airport and Gare Cornavin every 10 minutes.
BUS
Gare Routière on Place Dorcière is the city's bus terminal with Eurolines buses to London and Barcelona.
TRAIN
Geneva's main train station, Gare du Cornavin, has frequent ttrains to destinations throughout Switzerland as well as international trains to Barcelona, Hamburg, Milan and the TGV to Paris.
FERRY
Between May and September Compagnie Général de Navigation (tel (022) 312 5223) operates boats to destinations on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) including Lausanne and Montreux. Ferries depart from Quai du Mont-Blanc. Eurail passes are valid on these ferries.
Local transport
Geneva's public transport system is made up of buses, trolley buses and trams. A short bus ride (up to three stops) costs SFR 2 and a longer bus, tram or train trip in the Geneva area costs SFR 3. A day pass SFR 10 and a weekly pass costs SFR 35.
There is a machine in the baggage collection area of Geneva Airport that dispenses free public transport tickets and hotels and hostels are also able to give free transport passes.
Hostel accommodation
City Hostel Geneva
2, rue Ferrier, 1202 Geneva
Tel (022) 901 15 00
Youth Hostel Geneva GE
Rue Rothschild, 1202 Genève
Bus 1, 13 (stop: Butini)
Tel (022) 732 62 60
Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions
Cathédrale de St Pierre
This cathedral, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, dominates Geneva's old town. The cathedral's tower offers good views of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Cour Saint-Pierre, Genève
Admission SFR 3
Open Jan-May Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun noon-6.30pm; Jun-Sep Mon-Sat 9.30am-6.30pm, Sun noon-6.30pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun noon-6.30pm
CERN
Over 7,000 scientists work at the world's largest particle physics laboratory and it is here that Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. Although it won't appeal to most travellers, physics students should get a kick from the 27km-long particle accelerator. There is a science exhibit here but you should book a tour in advance if you want to see more of the complex. Space on guided tours is limited and advance booking is essential. Visitors are required to bring their passport as part of the centre is in France.
Route de Meyrin, Meyrin
Bus 9, Y
Tel (022) 767 8484
Website www.cern.ch
Admission free
Tours Wed 2pm, Sat 9am, 2pm
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire
Geneva's Museum of Art & History is an important museum by Swiss standards. It's not that popular with international visitors though, as the big museums in Barcelona, Paris and Milan are only a train ride away.
17, avenue de la Paix, Genève
Website www.ville-ge.ch/mah/
Bus 8, F
Admission free; temporary exhibits SFR 5
Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Musée d'Histoire Naturelle
Geneva's natural history museum featuers an aquarium as well as dioramas and dinosaurs.
1, route de Malagnou, Genève
Bus 1, 8, 12, 16, 20, 27
Website www.ville-ge.ch/mhng/
Admission free
Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Musée d'Histoire des Sciences Genevois
This science museum concentrates on the city's history of scientific research and it is a more serious museum in stark contrast to the user-friendly hands-on science museums elsewhere in Europe that are more geared towards kids.
Ville Bartholoni, 128, rue de Lausanne, Genève
Bus 4
Tel (022) 418 5060
Website www.ville-ge.ch/mhs/
Admission free
Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
Red Cross Museum
This excellent museum has exhibits that detail the work carried out by the Red Cross from the organisation's inception to the present day.
17, avenue de la Paix, Genève
Bus 8 (stop: Appia)
Tel (022) 748 9525
Website www.micr.ch
Admission SFR 10
Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
United Nations
Although it's no more than a big office building, a lot of travellers want to take a peek at the European headquarters of the UN.
Avenue de la Paix, Genève
Website www.unog.ch
Admission SFR 10; students SFR 8
Open Jan-Mar Mon-Fri 10am-noon & 2pm-4pm; Apr-Oct 10am-noon & 2pm-4pm daily; Nov-Dec Mon-Fri 10am-noon & 2pm-4pm
