The complete guide to Geneva Airport.
One terminal, two countries, and a railway station under the arrivals hall. Everything Geneva Airport expects you to already know — terminals, the 7-minute train, security timing, parking, the French sector and the ski season — in one page.
Geneva Airport at a glance
The eight things that decide how your day goes. Each one links to the page that explains it properly.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Code | GVA / LSGG — one airport, sitting on the Swiss–French border |
| Terminals | T1 all year; T2 only on winter weekends, 300 m away opposite P51 |
| Into Geneva | Train, 7 minutes to Cornavin, from a station under the terminal |
| Security | One central checkpoint — usually under 10 minutes, 30–45 on winter Saturdays |
| Opening hours | Terminal 1 runs 04:00–00:00 — you cannot stay inside overnight |
| Parking | P1 at the door, P26 and P51 cheaper with a walk — compared here |
| France | A separate French sector with its own road access, reachable only airside |
| Live boards | Arrivals and departures, in real time |
The train is under the building
Genève-Aéroport has its own CFF/SBB station built into the terminal, directly below the arrivals level — a covered indoor walk of five to seven minutes from the baggage hall, escalators and lifts the whole way. It is a full mainline station, not a tram stop: Cornavin in seven minutes, several departures an hour, and direct InterCity trains to Lausanne, Montreux, Bern and Zurich without changing. Because the airport is the first stop on the line, you usually get a seat with luggage space. Trains run roughly 05:00 to 00:30 — see the train guide.
Outside those hours, or if you would rather not carry skis through a station, there are buses, taxis, car rental and private transfers — the last of which runs to Chamonix, Verbier, Courchevel, Val Thorens, Zermatt and some sixty other destinations on both sides of the border. One warning about the free ticket everyone remembers: the 80-minute Unireso ticket that used to be dispensed in baggage reclaim is no longer published by the airport. What does still exist is the Geneva Transport Card, issued by your hotel, hostel or campsite, and the tpgAérobus, free on presentation of an air ticket for arrival between 03:30 and 06:00.
One terminal does almost everything
Geneva is compact. Terminal 1 handles more than 90 % of flights all year, split into Schengen (T1A) and non-Schengen (T1B) zones behind a single central security control. Terminal 2 is auxiliary: it opens only on weekends during the winter period, for selected arriving flights, and sits about 300 metres away on foot, opposite car park P51. If your boarding pass says T2, allow the walk. easyJet has its own check-in arrangement, and the airport map puts the whole thing in one picture.
How early to arrive
Most of the day, security takes under ten minutes. It spikes three times: early-morning business departures between 06:00 and 08:00, the late-afternoon European wave, and above all winter Saturdays, when resort-bound passengers arrive together and the queue reaches thirty to forty-five minutes. If you are flying on a peak Saturday, add a buffer or buy priority lane access. Non-Schengen flights add border control, and what you may carry is on customs and baggage.
The French sector, and the trap in it
Geneva Airport sits on the border, and part of it is French. The French sector has its own road access from near Ferney-Voltaire and clears French customs, which makes it the natural exit for Haute-Savoie — Chamonix, Annecy, Megève. The trap: the two sectors are connected only airside, past security. Without a boarding pass you cannot cross between them inside the building; you go round by road and cross the border, which costs up to about CHF 40 by taxi. If you are hiring a car, check which side the desk is on before you book.
Price follows distance
Five car parks, and the only variable that matters is how far you walk with your luggage. P1 has direct terminal access at CHF 38 a day; P26 and P51 are ten to fifteen minutes away at CHF 30 a day and CHF 132 a week. P20 serves the French sector. Rather than reason from a headline daily rate, put your actual dates into the parking calculator; the full comparison, with heights, EV bays and accessible spaces, is on parking, and valet parking is the version where you hand over the keys at the door. Figures published by Genève Aéroport, last checked 13 August 2026.
Lounges, food, shops, and a whole city
There are six lounges in T1, reachable by ticket, status, card or by paying at the door. The airport lists twenty-eight bars and restaurants: the earliest opens at 04:00, the latest closes at 00:30, and none runs around the clock — see restaurants and opening hours. Shopping is split by category, from duty-free to watches; the overview is on shops. Drinking water is free from the fountains, and Wi-Fi covers the terminal.
With four hours or more, leave. Cornavin is seven minutes away, the lake and the Old Town are walkable from it, and left-luggage lockers mean you do not drag a suitcase around — the layover guide sets out what fits in the time you have. Overnight is a different question, because the terminal closes: see hotels near the airport.
Bags, borders and the things people lose
Baggage covers allowances airline by airline and what to do when a bag does not appear; lost and found covers everything else. Luggage storage is for the bag you want to leave rather than collect. Reclaiming Swiss VAT — 8.1 %, from CHF 300 of purchases in the same shop on the same day — has to happen before the goods are checked in, and the procedure is on VAT refund. Travelling with an animal has its own rules, on pets. If you would rather be met than navigate, that is meet and greet, and accessibility explains assistance and how to book it in advance.
The ski airport
For a large part of the year Geneva is the gateway to two mountain ranges at once: the French Alps to the south-west and the Valais to the east. That is why security queues on a January Saturday behave nothing like a Tuesday, why Terminal 2 exists, and why the transfer destination list reads like a piste map — Chamonix, Megève, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Les Arcs, Verbier, Crans-Montana, Saas-Fee and dozens more.
The rest of it
Who flies where is on airlines and direct flights. Practical odds and ends — prayer and quiet rooms, emergency numbers, smoking areas, check-in — are on airport info and airport services. There is a VIP service for those who want the airport to happen to someone else.
Geneva Airport guide — FAQ
How many terminals does Geneva Airport have?
Two. Terminal 1 handles more than 90 % of flights all year and is split into Schengen and non-Schengen zones. Terminal 2 is auxiliary and opens only on weekends during the winter period, about 300 metres from T1, opposite car park P51.
How long does the train take from Geneva Airport to the city centre?
Seven minutes to Genève-Cornavin, from a CFF/SBB station built into the terminal below the arrivals level. The indoor walk from the baggage hall to the platform takes five to seven minutes, and trains run roughly from 05:00 to 00:30.
Is the free transport ticket still available at Geneva Airport?
The 80-minute Unireso ticket that used to be dispensed in baggage reclaim is no longer published by Genève Aéroport. What still exists is the Geneva Transport Card, issued by your hotel, hostel or campsite, and the tpgAérobus, free on presentation of an air ticket for arrival between 03:30 and 06:00.
How early should I arrive at Geneva Airport?
Security is usually under ten minutes, but it spikes between 06:00 and 08:00, in the late afternoon, and above all on winter Saturdays when it can reach thirty to forty-five minutes. Add a buffer on a peak Saturday, and allow extra for border control on a non-Schengen flight.
Can I walk between the Swiss and French sectors at Geneva Airport?
Only airside, past security, and only with a valid boarding pass. Without one you have to go round by road and cross the France–Switzerland border, which costs up to about CHF 40 by taxi. Check which side your car-rental desk is on before you book.
Is Geneva Airport open 24 hours?
No. Genève Aéroport states that Terminal 1 is open from 04:00 to 00:00 and that for security reasons you cannot remain inside during the overnight closure. If your flight is at the edge of the day, plan a hotel rather than a night in the terminal.
What is the cheapest parking at Geneva Airport?
P26 and P51 at CHF 30 a day and CHF 132 a week, ten to fifteen minutes from the terminal, against CHF 38 a day for P1 with direct access. Figures published by Genève Aéroport and checked on 13 August 2026 — put your own dates into the parking calculator rather than reasoning from a daily rate.
Is a four-hour layover enough to see Geneva?
Yes, comfortably. Cornavin is seven minutes away by train, the lake and the Old Town are walkable from the station, and left-luggage lockers at the airport mean you are not dragging a suitcase. Plan to be back about two hours before a Schengen departure, three for non-Schengen.
Skip the queue at arrivals
A fixed-price car with a driver waiting in arrivals, tracking your flight — no meter, no walk from P51.
Book a transfer →