My family and I (with two younger children) will be spending 12 days in Switzerland. We are visiting Lucerne, Wengen, and Lausanne for sure. We depart from the Geneva Airport at 2:00 on a weekday. I am wondering if we should spend the night in Geneva to make getting to the airport easier or a near by town. If so, what are your favorite family friendly hotels and areas in Geneva? How long does it take to get to the airport if staying in Geneva area. We will be relying on public transportation.
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
The first time flying out of Geneva we stayed in the center, and weren't wild about the city. The next 2 times we stayed in Segny, in France, which is about a 15 minute drive from the airport (we had a car both times). There is pretty frequent bus service from Segny to the airport with a change in Ferney-Voltaire (see http://www.tpg.ch/en/web/site-international/network-status), or presumably there is taxi service. Segny is a small, quiet suburban village that happens to have a great inn (http://www.labonneaubergesegny.com/) and a terrific restaurant (http://www.chez-arno.fr/). I believe there is at least one other place to stay in the town, and another restaurant or 2. Across from the inn is one of the best cheese shops I've ever been to, and a great bakery.
Posted by
USA
291 posts
The airport is a 10 minute train ride from Geneva's main train station, Cornavin. It is free to ride the train from the airport to that train station. If you stay in a hotel in Geneva, request at the front desk a free ticket to go from Cornavin to the airport.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16379 posts
We stayed in Morges the night before flying outof Geneva airport. There is a direct train from this and other lakeside villages right into the airport. A lot of commuters use it so it can be crowded in the morning, but not so bad you cannot find a seat. I recall our ride being 30 minutes or less.
Morges is best known as the place Audrey Hepburn lived. It has a pretty lakefront promenade and a good selection of hotels. I can look up where we stayed---it was right on the lake.
Posted by
Montreux, Switzerland
262 posts
Since your flight departs at 2pm, you do not have the pressure to stay close to the airport to make your flight. Geneva is an easy airport. I never arrive earlier than 2 hours before my flights to the US, but since you are traveling with children, you may need a little more time. If you can, schedule your visit to the Lausanne area last as this is closest to Geneva. Consider staying in Vevey instead of Lausanne. It's family friendly, charming, right on the lake and has all public transport to the area attractions. There are quite a few hotels within walking distance to the train, which will take you directly to the airport in just over an hour.