Airport Name
Geneva International Airport
Airport Location
The airport is located 3 miles north of Geneva
Terminals
1 (with Swiss and French sectors)
IATA Code
GVA
Telephone
+46 (0)22 717 7111
Airport Overview
Located just 2.5 miles from the center of Geneva, Geneva Cointrin International Airport (GVA) offers excellent rail and bus connections. A quirk of its location on the French-Swiss border is the separate French and Swiss sectors of the airport, each of which maintains their own customs channel.
Queues for check-in and security are notoriously long and frustrating, especially at peak periods. However, Geneva Airport announced in June 2016 that upgrades will begin on terminal 1, adding over 10,000 square feet to the check-in area. However, once you get past it there isn’t currently much to do, as there are only a couple of shops and restaurants.
Flights to Geneva Cointrin International Airport are easy to find from destinations all over Europe and the Middle East, including London, Glasgow, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Moscow, Rome, Casablanca, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, Amsterdam, Athens and Lisbon. There are also a handful of inter-continental flights to Montreal and Washington, D.C.
Terminal Transfer
Terminal transfers are easily walkable. The only hassle comes if you transfer from the Swiss to the French sector, which is a long walk without clear signage.
Getting into Town
Train: There is a train station with direct access to both the arrivals and departures areas, with a train to downtown Geneva every 12 minutes at peak times. You can pick up a Unireso ticket from the information center in the arrivals hall that will entitle you to free public transport via train, bus, tram or boat for a period of 80 minutes. Many hotels, hostels and campsites in Geneva also offer these cards.
Bus: There are several public buses that service the airport, stopping at the check-in level near the train station. Bus No. 10 goes to the Geneva city center. A Unireso ticket (free public transport for 80 minutes) can be picked up from the information center in the arrivals hall. Many hotels, hostels and campsites in Geneva also distribute these cards.
Taxi: Taxis are located outside the arrivals area. There are often additional charges for nights and public holidays, luggage, animals, long-distance fares and for more than four passengers. Basic fares to Geneva are about CHF 30-35 ($30-36 USD).
Car Parking
There are several parking options at Geneva Cointrin including hourly parking, daily parking, weekly parking and covered long-term parking in both the Swiss and French Sectors.
Information Desks
There are information desks throughout the airport.
Airport Facilities
Money and communications: The airport has banks, ATMs, currency exchange facilities, a post office, Internet kiosks and telephones available to travelers.
Luggage: There are left luggage facilities on the railway level and luggage porters available to help passengers.
Conference and business: Business facilities such as photocopying, fax and Internet are available in the terminal. The Altitude Lounge offers conference facilities for up to 300 people with catering and audio-visual facilities.
Shopping: There are many shops available to passengers, selling perfume, jewelry, toys, books, music, souvenirs and fresh flowers.
Food and drink: Cuisines from all over the world are represented, from Japanese bento boxes to Burger King. The Montreux Jazz Café screens live music and has a selection of albums available for a relaxing ambiance. There are also many coffee bars, sandwich shops and vending machines if you’re in a hurry.
Other facilities: Other airport facilities include a smoking lounge, dry cleaning, beauty salon, hot showers, tanning beds, travel agencies, pharmacies, mother and child rooms and a mediation room.
Wi-Fi: Geneva Cointrin has free Wi-Fi.
Back to all Airports in Geneva
Back to all Airports in Switzerland
Back to all Airports in Europe
Back to all Airport Guides
Find Cheap Flights to Geneve-Cointrin (GVA)
