Swiss Transport

The general stereotype of Switzerland is their organization and their efficiency in terms of Transport. I do not usually agree with stereotypes (Yes I am british and I love tea.. but I know many British people that don’t! ), however when it comes to transport here in Geneva the stereotype couldn’t be more accurate. Not only they make things very easy for locals but they also think of their fellow tourists.

For the Locals:

1. There are ticket machines at every single tram stop, and ticket machines inside all buses so that it makes buying a ticket super easy for everyone.
2. You can renew your travel pass in any Tabac.
3. It is also possible now to send an SMS for an immediate ticket if you happen to forget to renew it or have no cash in hand to buy one! Just text “TPG1 or TPG2 if you’re a half-fare travel card” to 788 – however this is strictly for locals as you must have a Swiss number.

For the Tourists:

1. In the luggage collection at the airport you will be able to take a Free Travel pass Zone 10 (toute Geneve) and it will last 60 minutes. You can use this to travel home without needing to buy any tickets.
2. If you are staying in a hotel, most will give you a free travel pass for the amount of days you’re checked in!

If you do need to buy tickets however you can buy them for the machines at the tram stops:

1 Hour tickets cost 3 CHF

Day ticket : 10 CHF

Day ticket from 9 AM : 8 CHF

* No change is given from these machines.

Transport by Boat:

The taxi boats in Geneva city are alled Mouettes, and these little boats travel to and from four harbors in the city centre. They are in interesting way to cross the lake in a quick and scenic way. Its a must for tourists as you get a very beautiful view of the city with the mountains in the background. If you have a tout Genève ticket, then it is also valid on the Mouettes, if you do not then a ticket costs 2 CHF one way or 3. 50 CHF for 60 minutes. The lines M1 and M2 go every 10 minutes and the M3 and M4 go every half hour.

The lines are:

M1: Pâquis – Molard – Pâquis

M2: Pâquis – Eaux Vives – Pâquis

M3: Pâquis – Genève-plage – Pâquis

M4: Genève-plage – Perle du Lac – Genève-plage

Travel by bicycle:

During warmer seasons, Geneva encourages the use of bicycles therefore you can rent them for free for a duration of four hours. This will be from the 24th April - 22nd October 2017.

What shoked me about the transport?

Ticket inspectors do not show up on many journeys, I think in about 3 months of living in Switzerland I only had to show my pass once! But I find very inspiring how about 99% of people on buses and trams will always have their tickets up to date! Also by each tram stop there is an electronic tablet that tells you exactly in how long the bus/tram will arrive - I find this super useful because if it's a long wait I can look for an alternative route home!

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