Organize your stay Geneva
Money Geneva
A banking town with some 140 branches, you'll generally find them open from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm. Few branches are open on Saturdays. By law, you must show proof of identity for withdrawals of CHF 5,000 or more. ATMs allow withdrawals at any time in the local currency. Exchange bureaus are mainly located near the Cornavin train station, and have longer opening hours. You'll find the best exchange offices, such as the Cornavin station exchange office (www.cff.ch) or the Migros bank exchange offices (Balexert, Mont-Blanc, Parc La Praille, Rive, Plan-les-Ouates, Thônex and Vernier - www.migrosgeneve.ch).
The currency unit is the Swiss franc (CHF).
Denominations range from 10 to 1,000 CHF, with different colors and personalities: 10 CHF (yellow), 20 CHF (red), 50 CHF (green), 100 CHF (blue), 200 CHF (brown), 1,000 CHF (purple). each denomination is 11 mm longer than the previous one. The CHF 200 banknote was introduced in the 1980s, replacing the CHF 500 banknote. The latter was not very popular with the public, as its value was too high for everyday payments and too low to serve as a store of value.
The coins have the following denominations: 5 centimes (sometimes called "1 sou"), 10 centimes ("2 sous" or "1 batz"), 20 centimes ("4 sous"), 50 centimes, 1 CHF, 2 CHF, 5 CHF ("100 sous" or "1 thune").
While it's possible to pay in euros in most cases, it's best to carry Swiss francs with you (ATMs are plentiful everywhere except in the old town).
In March 2024: 1 CHF = 1 €.
Budget & Tips Geneva
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.
Passport and visas Geneva
Geneva and Switzerland are not part of the European Union, but only one of the identity documents recognized by the Swiss government is required to stay in Switzerland for less than three months. Passports and national identity cards are accepted but not driver's licenses.
Driver's license Geneva
While a French driver's license will allow you to drive in Switzerland, it's advisable to leave a few bad French habits at the border, or risk heavy penalties.
Switzerland has long installed a large number of speed cameras to monitor speeding. The legislation is genuinely in favor of safety, and driving licenses are withdrawn for speeds of between 21 and 24 km/h in localities. Speeding offences of 25km/h in towns, 30km/h outside towns and 35km/h on the freeway are recorded in the criminal record and mentioned for some time in the extract from the criminal record. Speed is no joke here, and rightly so! What's more, your license can be withdrawn for three months, and a fine of CHF 40 is imposed for exceeding the speed limit by 1 km/h.
What's more, contrary to the bad French habit of "pas vu, pas pris", you can't just leave your car anywhere, because it suits you... You'll be expected to turn up, and denunciation is the order of the day in this country. You'll be subject to heavy fines, and no excuses will be taken into consideration.
Remember to have your blue disc indicating your arrival time in a parking lot and to pay for your space in the outside parking lot. If you forget, the fine is just around the corner, as is exceeding the "rented" time for a space. In Switzerland, a rule is a rule!
If you're using a Swiss freeway, for example passing through Bardonnex customs from Annecy, Chamonix or anywhere in France, you'll need to pay an annual vignette entitling you to use Swiss freeways. The vignette costs CHF 40 and is valid for one year (valid from December1 to January 31 of the following year). You can buy them at customs offices, service stations or post offices. It's a moderate price for Swiss residents or cross-border commuters, as there are no tolls in the country except for tunnels. If you don't have this sticker when you are stopped in Switzerland, you will be fined CHF 200.
The Mont Blanc bridge and quays can be very congested at peak times, so avoid driving in this time slot if you can, from 8am in the morning or from 5:30pm in the evening.
Health Geneva
Switzerland does not present any particular health risks and its health system is one of the most efficient in the world. The service is excellent, but the fees charged are much higher than in France, reflecting the reality of health costs.
Mandatory vaccination Geneva
To travel to Switzerland, it is not necessary to plan any additional vaccination to those required in France.
Security Geneva
According to international indicators (Mercer ranking of the safest cities), Geneva is among the ten safest cities in the world, along with Basel, Bern and Zurich.
Time difference Geneva
No time difference, Switzerland and France (like Belgium and Luxembourg) operate on the same time zone and switch to summer and winter time at the same time.
Spoken languages Geneva
The use of French is an important issue for many of our compatriots who do not speak foreign languages. However, Geneva is one of the world's major meeting and conference centers and it is common to speak English in hotels and to hear many other languages on the street. German and Italian, Switzerland's other official languages, are commonly spoken in shops.
Communication Geneva
When you cross the border, your mobile operator will inform you of the conditions for Switzerland. Please note that, depending on your operator, the cost of a call or SMS may vary considerably.
Although Swisscom no longer uses the name Natel, for many Swiss people it still refers to their smartphone. So don't be surprised if someone asks you for your Natel.
112: emergency number - fire, police, medical emergencies... (common to most European countries, including Switzerland). 114: information. 117: police. 118: fire department. 140: roadside assistance. 144: first aid.
Electricity and measurements Geneva
For measurements, it's all the same. For the electricity, a small subtlety... For information, in France we use a type C plug (European type flat plug). In Switzerland, it is a J type plug (three male pins) which is used for appliances working on 220/230 V and a frequency of 50 Hz. You can use all your electrical appliances with a so-called "flat" (two male pins) plug in Switzerland. But you will not be able to connect without an adapter your appliances (household appliances for example) with a female pin N (neutral, the plug for "earth"). In short, to recharge your cell phone, no problem, but for your laptop, it can be complicated..
Luggage Geneva
The climate in Geneva being semi-continental, as in Lyon, with the coolness of the lake and the surrounding mountains, it is better to pack a hat and gloves in winter, shorts and sunglasses in summer. A casual outfit for walking, but also a more elegant one if you plan to go out in the evening.
