The main train station in Geneva, Switzerland, might as well be the unofficial welcoming party for your Swiss vacation.
Geneva Airport is a popular landing spot for international visitors thanks to its airstrip along the French border and instant connection to rail lines running to everywhere from Zürich to Zermatt—and Swiss cities that don’t start with the letter ‘z’.
Your guide to Geneva train station begins long before you arrive. Remember, in a city renowned for its watchmaking, it’s important to be on time, but time is but a meaningless construct if you’ve walked into the wrong train station.
Image Credit: Getty Images, RudyMareel. Image Location: Geneva train station, Geneva, Switzerland
Everything you need to know about Geneva train station
The trains departing Geneva’s train stations always run on time (except when they don’t, which is why we’ve also created this handy guide for what to do when train strikes occur).
How many train stations in Geneva?
There are several train stations in Geneva, some of which handle mostly regional commuter routes, some of which are on high-speed intercity lines. The primary station in the center of the city is Geneva Cornavin. If you're catching a train to France or one of the other big cities in Switzerland, this is most likely the station you're looking for. There are another three stations that you might also want to be aware of: north of Cornavin near the United Nations you’ll find Genève-Sécheron, south of the city center is Genève-Champel, and to the east is Genève-Eaux-Vives.
What is the main train station in Geneva?
Geneva’s main train station is simply referred to as "Geneva train station" by most. If we’re getting technical about it, Geneva Cornavin is its official name, and this being the French-speaking side of Switzerland, you’ll also see it written as Gare de Genève.
How far is Geneva airport from train station?
Geneva Airport (GVA) is roughly 3 miles from the Geneva Cornavin train station. An hour’s walk will get you there, so will a 20-minute car ride or a 15-minute bike ride. But if you want to get from Geneva airport to the train station or vice versa with as little time and effort as possible, take the train—it's less than 10 mins.
Does Geneva airport have a train station?
Yes, Geneva Airport (GVA) has a train station: it’s called Genève Aéroport and is directly across from the terminals. Trains run up to seven times an hour at a travel time of seven minutes between Geneva Airport and Geneve Cornavin. You’ll spend less than $5 on a ticket which we’re pretty sure is a whole lot of francs cheaper than a taxi.
Does Geneva Cornavin have luggage storage?
Yes, Geneva Cornavin train station has luggage storage facilities on site, starting at CHF 5.00 for the first six hours. Imagine all of the chocolate and cheese you can eat in six hours without having to lug your luggage from chocolaterie to fromagerie.
Image Credit: Getty Images, GlobalVision Communication/GlobalVision 360. Image Location: Geneva train station, Geneva, Switzerland
Your guide to the main train station in Geneva
Got time in Gare Cornavin? Here’s how to spend it.
Services
The Geneva main train station has most of the standard services: bike rental, luggage drop-off, a mail center, lost and found, toilets, etcetera, etcetera. It also has a currency exchange, which is nothing of note unless you’ve forgotten that Switzerland doesn’t use the euro. It uses the Swiss franc, or CHF. You’ll need to make a cash swap if you want some money in your pocket.
Shopping
Similar to the services, the shopping scene in Geneva train station has the usual suspects lined up, at least categorically speaking. Snipes is your go-to for sole soothing; The Body Shop presumably handles everything else from head to toe. Tekoe sells a bunch of parapher-tea-lia from cups and pots to bags and leaves.
Dining
If you’re not planning on gorging on the chocolates from A. Pougnier, there’s always a chocolate cream cold brew from Starbucks or chocolate covered pretzel from Brezelkönig for your chocolate fix. Greens keeps their menu healthy, Pinhto Thai keeps it tight with the Thai, and Burger King will bring the beef.
Image Credit: Getty Images, omersukrugoksu. Image Location: Geneva train station, Geneva, Switzerland
What’s near Geneva, Switzerland, train station
First thing’s first: if you’re not departing from Geneva’s train station, you’ll need a place to stay. Hôtel Cornavin and Hôtel Les Arcades are right by the door if you’re afraid of missing your train. Warwick Geneva is also super close and will even do your laundry for you if you need fresh clothes before heading to the Geneva airport by train.
Hanging out in Geneva for a few hours? Make your first stop the Monument Brunswick at the Quai du Mont Blanc for a wonderful view of the water (and a great Christmas market during December). Then, head up to where the UN is to see the neoclassical art at Musée Ariana and International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Switzerland by train
Making your way to other scenic Swiss cities? Download the Trainline app so you can grab train tickets in Switzerland for the lowest price available. You can view dozens of routes departing Geneva train station, including:
Geneva to Lausanne: ~ 40m
Geneva to Bern: ~ 2h
Geneva to Zürich: ~ 2h 45m
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Lyn Holly Coorg. Image Location: Geneva train station, Geneva, Switzerland