Transports in Geneva
People who live in the centre of Geneva either walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work. But because rent is expensive in Geneva, it is likely that you will need to commute in from neighbouring towns.
Cycling in Geneva
Cycling is a trendy way to travel around Geneva. There are lots of bike racks and places to store your bikes around the city, including a big pay-by-the-hour secure storage behind the Cornavin train station designed to help inter-city commuters. (Note, you will need to purchase an extra 'bike ticket' for your bike if you bring it on the train.)
Public transport in Geneva
The city centre is well serviced by public transport called UNIRESO. It is a network of trams, buses, mouettes (yellow city taxi boats that go across the lake) and local trains.
Public transport runs fairly regularly - and largely on schedule - especially in peak commuter hours. Of course, some areas outside of the main city will have reduced access to public transport. A map of the transport links can be found on the TPG website.
One ticket will allow you to access the entire transport network in Geneva. You can make an unlimited number of journeys on all modes of transport for CHF3 for 60 minutes. Day tickets - carte journalière - are also available for CHF8 for 9 hours or CHF10 for 24 hours if you intend to 'hop-on and hop-off' regularly throughout the day.
Monthly tickets - abonnements - are available for people who frequently use public transport to commute to work for CHF70 per month or CHF500 per year. To access this ticket, you will need to collect a UNIRESO ID card from the TPG offices at the Cornavin train station.
Tickets are also available for 'regional' transport outside of the main city. More information can be found on the UNIRESO website.
You can reduce the cost of public transport with a demi-tarif, which can be purchased from the train station and give you a 50% discount on all public transport.
Good to know:
Ticket inspectors frequently board the vehicles to check passengers' tickets. Travelling without a valid ticket is taken very seriously by transport authorities in Geneva. You can expect a fine of CHF120 for the first offence - and increases every time you are caught.
Driving in Geneva
Driving to work from within the city is not common. But people who commute by car to work from outside of the city, be prepared for terrible motorway traffic in peak rush hours.
P R parking is a popular way for people living out of the city to commute to work. For roughly CHF110 a month, you can park your car and get free public transport in the canton of Geneva. But there are strict conditions: you must live and work more than 2 km from the carpark and not have easy access to public transport near your house.
Some offices like the UN have dedicated parking spots for employees, but it is best to ask your employer about those arrangements beforehand.
If you commute from France, public transport can be infrequent and the journey time is long. Options such as Blach Blah car - a ridesharing app where people post their journeys and offer people a ride in the spare passenger seats - are a cheap and eco-friendly alternative to owning a car. And who knows, you might even make a new friend or work acquaintance en route! The only downside is that you are not always guaranteed a ride, and you are subject to the driver's schedule.
