Geneva is compact and easy to explore on foot and the most practical form of transportation in the city. It`s also the most advantageous from a tourist`s point of view allowing you to browse the shops and take in the atmosphere of Geneva.

Suburban trains to outskirts run every half hour during the day and every hour after 8 PM. The last train to the eastern terminus, (Coppet), leaves at 12:03 AM. Though these `Regios` mostly serve commuters, at least two of their station stops, Versoix and Coppet, have several good restaurants and historic main streets. There is also another suburban rail line: the RER Genève, which goes from Cornavin to La Plaine, sometimes continuing to France (2 stops from La Plaine). As with buses and trams, tickets must be bought before boarding the train. If you are only travelling with the canton of Geneva, a bus/tram ticket is valid on the train and vice versa; travelling further will cost more unless you buy a so-called regional ticket, which also includes parts of Vaud and France.

Geneva has an expanding network of very frequent trams. Many lines have their hub at the Cornavin train station, a few others at Place Bel-Air on the old-town side of the river. If you did not receive a TPG / Unireso card from your hotel, you will need to buy a ticket from one of the ticket machines located at every stop before boarding the transport. Tickets cover both trams and buses.

Public transport in Geneva (and all of Switzerland) is extensive, reliable, safe and easy to use. It is simple to get around without a car. Enjoy significant savings when you are staying in a Geneva hotel/hostel as you are entitled to a free daily travel pass for the local Transport TPG. This is provided by the hotel.

TPG is the public transport provider in Geneva that operates trains, trams, buses and boats throughout the city and bordering France. The local bus and tram system covers virtually every square meter of the city and is highly efficient.

Night buses (known as Noctambus) run afterhours (about midnight to 2:00 am) on Fridays and Saturdays on major routes. These buses are marked by the letter `N` on their displays. Some routes cross into France as well. Unlike other Swiss cities there is no additional tariff for night buses in Geneva. A regular Unireso ticket (CHF 3.50) is sufficient.

If you are purchasing tickets, the tickets will cover both trams and buses and must be bought from ticket machines (located at every stop) before boarding the transport. Some bus stops do not have a ticket machine, but in that case you can buy a ticket on board the bus itself.

Tickets cost about 2CHF for a short hop (three stops or less, or a one-way crossing of the lake). Tickets are about 3CHF for one hour with unlimited changes on tram, bus, boat, and rail within greater Geneva, around 8CHF for a day pass valid from 9 AM to midnight, and around 10.80CHF for an extended day pass valid from the time it is purchased until 5 AM the next morning (it is valid for 2 people during Saturday or Sunday, but only for 1 person during weekdays).

Regular boat service is provided, mainly in paddle steamers built between 1904 and 1927, from ports all around Lake Geneva by Compagnie Générale de Navigation. All boats arrive at the Paquis port after docking briefly at Parc des Eaux Vives and the Jardin Anglais.

Lake Boats: Part of the local TPG system includes ferry shuttles connecting the right and left banks of the city. The service operates year round during daylight hours and is a cheap way to see the city from a new perspective. Departures every 10-30 minutes. The costs is around 2.00CHF for adults.

The meter on whatever cab you take in Geneva will automatically begin calculating your fare at about 7CHF, and then add between 3CHF and 3.50CHF for every kilometer you travel, depending on the time of day or night. The fare from the airport to the center of town ranges from 30CHF to 40CHF. No tipping is required, but extra baggage may cost around 1.50CHF. To call for a taxi, call tel. 022/331-41-33 or 022/320-20-20.

Uber is available in Geneva as an additional transportation option.