What budget to travel Geneva? Money and currency

What budget for activities and outings Geneva?

Geneva is often considered an expensive city to discover. But many of its sights are accessible and even free. All you have to do is plan your stay accordingly.

Good ideas for free discoveries. Every first Sunday of the month, paying museums are free. The city's twelve museums open their doors free of charge to temporary exhibitions normally subject to a fee, as well as private museums such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum.

Many concerts are also free on Sundays.

In summer, the parks become open-air cinemas: Ciné Transat (www.cinetransat.com). Access is free, with the only charge being for deckchair hire.

The new public beach is open to all, and the Bains des Pâquis (a mythical spot) is available at the derisory price of CHF 2 admission.

The parks are all freely accessible, as are the Botanical Garden and its animal park. Free visits are often organized.

For more great deals, check out the Geneva Tourism website (www.geneve.com), the Genève pas cher website (genevepascher.com) and the city's website (www.geneve.ch).

Culture Passes and interesting attractions. For museum visits, the Pass Musées (https://museesdegeneve.ch/pass-musees) brings together sixteen Geneva museums at a price of CHF 40, with no time limit.

The Geneva City Pass (www.geneve.com) gives you free access to all museums, around 30 free attractions and free public transport. It's the best way to save money on your visits. It quickly pays for itself, as some museums are only CHF 13. It costs CHF 30 for 24 hours, CHF 40 for 48 hours and CHF 50 for 72 hours.

For people with disabilities, the Cédille association has developed the Culture accessible Genève website (https://culture-accessible.ch) to promote cultural events accessible to people with sensory, physical or mental disabilities.

Lake Geneva gives another dimension to Geneva. It is this river that makes Geneva unique, stretching out in an exceptional setting enhanced by the Jura on one bank and the Mont Blanc massif on the other. Geneva is also a hymn to nature and sport. On sunny days, it is a real pleasure to swim in the clear waters of the lake - even in winter. You will be spoilt for choice between the beaches along its shores, from morning to night. The Eaux Vives beach, extended by Genève Plage, the Pâquis bath, and all the beaches along the shores near the city in Versoix, Coppet and as far as Nyon, offer an escape and a vacation before its time. Moreover, few Genevans leave in the summer because Geneva offers a plethora of free cultural and musical events. From morning to night, concerts are organized, such as the Aubes concert at sunrise in the summer at the Pâquis baths, an exceptional musical event.

Almost all water sports are practiced: swimming, sailing, paddle windsurfing, diving, not forgetting of course the famous crossing of the lake which takes place every year and is exceptional for its participants.

The parks are beautiful and many activities are organized: yoga classes, concerts, outdoor cinema... In summer, you can even borrow a book, a game and a deckchair for a break. The Botanical Garden organizes free thematic tours of the park, check the dates: www.ville-ge.ch/cjb

Inline skating and cycling have their place around the harbor and the Geneva countryside offers bucolic paths for bike rides: www.geneve.ch/fr/thèmes/mobilité-transport/vélos

Regular clothes in department stores like H&M and C&A are competitive. Ready-to-wear is generally more expensive than in France. You'll find thrift shops selling off-price luxury goods. This is one of the city's advantages.

Shoe prices are also attractive. Concept stores are often a little less accessible, but always very original.

Tax exemption. You can apply for a VAT refund using the VAT refund form, which must be stamped by a Swiss customs office. In Switzerland, VAT is 7% and is included in the sale price. If your purchase reaches CHF 300 in the same store, you will be entitled to a VAT refund. To apply, contact a Global Fund office. There is a kiosk for this purpose at Geneva airport.

The cost of living in Geneva is high. For this reason, many Swiss people come to live in France while working in Switzerland - as do the majority of cross-border commuters - and do their food shopping there.

Geneva is, however, an extremely dynamic city in terms of its cultural offering, with many free cultural events. In summer, in particular, free concerts are held in public parks such as the Parc Lagrange or on the lakeshore. These are concerts of excellent quality and great variety, ranging from world music to jazz, blues, rock and classical, or the exceptional "Aubes" summer concert, free of charge at the Bains des Pâquis.

The beaches are free. A lunch or dinner at the Bains des Pâquis offers a meal at an unbeatable price. In summer, access to the beach costs CHF 2.

Visit www.genevepascher.com/animations/ to find out about low-cost cultural events in Geneva.

What budget to eat Geneva?

A veritable culinary scene: the range of tastes is vast, and there's something to suit every budget. There are over a thousand restaurants in Geneva, enough to satisfy all your tastes and desires. Some of the finest restaurants offer menus starting at CHF 80, while traditional restaurants are more affordable at between CHF 25 and 50. You can grab a bite to eat in a restaurant for CHF 15 for a dish of the day. Many also offer lunchtime menus.

In summer, ephemeral lakeside terraces and food trucks invite you to picnic in parks or on beaches.

Locally, the Fourchette verte website (www.fourchetteverte.ch) lists certified restaurants by category and price.

The prices of the drinks are in line with the destination, a little more expensive than elsewhere. A coffee (here, equal to a large coffee) costs 3,50 CHF with the small cream, beer 7 CHF, soft drinks 5 to 7 CHF, cocktails from 12 CHF.

Service is included but a tip is always appreciated.

What is the budget for accommodation Geneva?

Hotel rates are almost twice as high in Switzerland as in France for the same services. You won't find a pleasant double room for less than CHF 180. Accommodation in Switzerland is therefore expensive, but hotels are generally very well kept and of high quality. It's good to know that at weekends, many establishments offer good rates. Overnight stays in Geneva are concentrated mainly during the week, with business tourism.

In summer, hotel rates are lower, as Geneva is a business city.

Beware of trade fairs and other events taking place in Geneva: room rates can triple or even triple depending on supply and demand.

Rates are given as an indication only. Consult hotel websites, as rates vary considerably throughout the year. For example, a high-comfort hotel rate may be only slightly higher than a lower-end hotel for those on a smaller budget. Don't hesitate to compare rates. Geneva's budget hotels are still very expensive, but their value for money is very relative.

You'll also find the whole range of mid-budget hotel chains. For a less expensive stay: bed and breakfasts are a good solution (see www.bnb.ch), as are youth hostels. And for an even lower-cost stay, consider setting up your base camp on the French side: there are hotels in Ferney Voltaire and in villages a little further away from the border, at much lower cost. The villages benefit from a good bus network linking them to Geneva city center, airport or train station, regularly and quickly!

Travel budget Geneva and cost of living

Geneva is not known for being a low-cost destination! But you can find good deals to optimize your stay's budget, such as traveling on weekends when hotels favor special offers, or taking the Geneva City Pass to get access to low-cost sightseeing. It's not in the Swiss spirit to negotiate, and prices are fixed. However, it's always a good idea to show your appreciation with a tip in cabs, hotels and restaurants.

Budget ideas. Small budget: CHF 140 per day (night in a youth hostel or camping site, two meals "on the go", bus, one drink in the evening, incidentals). Medium budget: 250 CHF per day (night in a small hotel, two meals in "cheap" restaurants, bus, one drink in the evening, incidentals).

Large budget: from CHF 400 per day (night in a charming hotel, two meals in good restaurants, bus, cab, one drink in the evening, incidentals).

Transport: TPG bus and streetcar tickets CHF 2 (three-stop hop-on hop-off) and all of Geneva 60 minutes CHF 3, day pass CHF 10. Hotels distribute the Geneva Transport Card, which gives free access to public transport.
Car parks: most parking meters require you to enter your license plate number, and you can pay in euros. Approx. 1 CHF/20 minutes. You can also pay directly with your cell phone.

Accommodation. If you're on a really tight budget, you can book a hotel on the French side of the border. Ferney-Voltaire and other villages in the canton and Pays de Gex offer hotel rooms at much lower rates than in Switzerland, for the same quality/price ratio. Ferney-Voltaire and many of its villages are well served by a regular bus service to downtown Geneva. You should also bear in mind the exchange rate, which, depending on the current exchange rate, may not be very advantageous if the euro/Swiss franc exchange rate is lower.

What's more, Ferney-Voltaire, a border village, and numerous towns such as Annecy, Annemasse, Thonon-les-Bains, etc., belong to the Greater Geneva area. These towns will soon be served by the streetcar linking them to Geneva, making transport much easier. The Léman Express already links Annemasse to the Cornavin station, and the whole project will be completed in 2026.