Where to stay in Geneva
Geneva is compact. The lake, the Old Town and the station all sit within a twenty-minute walk of each other, and the Rhône divides the city into a right bank and a left bank. Stay in the Old Town for cobbled streets and quiet nights, in the Pâquis for the lake and better value, in Eaux-Vives for parks and lakeside walks, or in Carouge for a small town of its own a tram ride away. It is an expensive city everywhere, so the choice is about feel more than price. The streets right around Cornavin station are the ones to think twice about after dark.
The short answer
- First trip
- The Old Town for atmosphere, or Rive for shops and the lake at the end of the street.
- Couples
- The Old Town, or Eaux-Vives for walks along the water.
- Families
- Eaux-Vives for its parks, or Pâquis for the lakeside baths.
- Tight budget
- Pâquis, a few minutes from the station and the water, or Plainpalais.
- Quiet
- Carouge or the Old Town, both calm after dark.
How we judge an area of Geneva: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Geneva's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Jet d'eau | Old Town | Cornavin station | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vieille-Ville (the Old Town) | Atmosphere, quiet nights | Quiet | 15 min | 5 min | 20 min | On foot; trams at Bel-Air | €€€€ |
| Rive and the center | Short stays, shopping | Quiet after the shops close | 10 min | 5 min | 15 min | Trams at Rive and Bel-Air | €€€€ |
| Pâquis | Value, the lake | Lively; loud on some streets | 10 min | 15 min | 5 min | Trams and buses; boats from the quay | €€ |
| Cornavin and the station | Trains, late arrivals | Busy around the station | 15 min | 20 min | 5 min | Cornavin station; trams and trains | €€ |
| Eaux-Vives | Walks, parks, families | Quiet | 10 min | 15 min | 25 min | Tram 12; Mouettes boats | €€€ |
| Plainpalais | A local feel, museums | Lively; noisy around the Plaine | 25 min | 10 min | 20 min | Trams 12 and 15; buses | €€ |
| Carouge | Quiet stays, a second visit | Quiet | 50 min | 35 min | 50 min | Tram 12 to the center | €€€ |
| Nations and Sécheron | UN visits, conferences | Very quiet | 35 min | 45 min | 25 min | Tram 15; Sécheron station | €€€ |
Walking times are the straight line between two points plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. They are measured from the middle of each area, so a hotel at its edge will be a few minutes either way. The Old Town climbs a hill. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it. Geneva is dear everywhere, so € here means the cheapest in Geneva, not cheap.
Where the neighborhoods are
The Old Town, for cobbled streets and calm evenings
The hill above the lake, with the cathedral, small squares and few cars. Pretty, quiet at night, and expensive.
The Old Town sits on the hill on the left bank, around the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, the Place du Bourg-de-Four and the Town Hall. The streets are cobbled and mostly pedestrian, the buildings old, and the lake is a ten-minute walk downhill. It is the part of Geneva that looks the way visitors expect.
There are fewer hotels here than elsewhere, and they are small and dear. Rooms can be tight and some buildings have no lift. Evenings are quiet outside the cafés on the Bourg-de-Four, which is a plus if you sleep lightly. The streets are steep in places, and the walk back from the lake is uphill.
Good for
- Atmosphere, history and a calm night's sleep
- The cathedral, the Bourg-de-Four and the museums on foot
- A first visit of two or three nights
Think twice if
- You want value: rooms are few and priced high
- Hills or stairs are hard for you
- You want a late bar or a lively street outside the door
Staying in Vieille-Ville (the Old Town): nearby sights, food and getting around
Rive and the center, for shops and the water
The left-bank shopping streets between the Jardin Anglais and the Old Town. Central, flat and busy by day.
Rive is the commercial heart of the left bank: the Rue du Rhône with its watch and jewelry shops, the Place de Longemalle, the Jardin Anglais at the foot of the lake and the Pont du Mont-Blanc. The Old Town is five minutes uphill, the Jet d'eau a quarter of an hour along the shore, and trams stop all around.
It suits business trips and short stays. It is the most central part of Geneva, and the hotels are mostly larger and more traditional. Rents and room rates are high, and the area is quiet in the evenings once the shops have shut. If you want a place for food and a drink after dark, the Pâquis and the Old Town have more to offer.
Good for
- Being in the middle of everything, on flat streets
- Shops, the Jardin Anglais and the lake
- Trams in every direction
Think twice if
- You want a lively evening outside the door
- You are watching your budget: this is among the dearest areas
Staying in Rive and the center: nearby sights, food and getting around
The Pâquis, for the lake and the best value
A lively district between the station and the water, with the lakeside baths, cheap eats and lower prices.
The Pâquis is a dense, mixed neighborhood on the right bank, running from the station down to the lake. It has a long list of cheap restaurants, Lebanese bakeries, small bars, and the Bains des Pâquis, the public lakeside baths with a jetty, where you can swim in summer and eat fondue in winter. The Old Town is about fifteen minutes away across the Pont du Mont-Blanc.
Prices are lower than on the left bank, and there are many hotels at several levels. The area is not polished. A few streets, around the Rue de Monthoux and the Rue de Berne, have a night scene with sex-trade venues and noisy bars, and the blocks nearest the station are rougher than the ones nearest the lake. It is not dangerous in the usual sense, but choose a hotel on the lake side or on a quieter street rather than the bar streets.
Good for
- Value, within walking distance of the lake and the station
- The Bains des Pâquis, swimming in summer and fondue in winter
- Cheap and varied eating
Think twice if
- You want quiet: Rue de Monthoux and Rue de Berne get noisy at night
- You want a postcard street outside the door
Eaux-Vives, for parks and lakeside walks
A residential district on the lake's left bank with parks, a promenade, good cafés and a calmer pace.
Eaux-Vives runs east from Rive along the lake. It has the Parc des Eaux-Vives and the Parc La Grange, a lakeside promenade, and the Baby Plage and the Genève-Plage where people swim in summer. The streets in between are lined with cafés and small restaurants. Locals spend their weekends here.
The center is about fifteen to twenty minutes away on foot, or a short tram ride on line 12, and the Mouettes boats cross the water to the Pâquis. It is a calm part of town with a more local feel, with fewer hotels, and its main roads carry steady traffic.
Good for
- Parks, lakeside walks and swimming in summer
- Families and couples after something calmer
- Cafés and local restaurants
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the Old Town: it is fifteen to twenty minutes
- You want a big choice of hotels
Staying in Eaux-Vives: nearby sights, food and getting around
Plainpalais, for a local feel
South of the Old Town: a big open square, markets, students and bars, with several museums nearby.
Plainpalais is built around the Plaine de Plainpalais, a broad open square where a flea market runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays and skaters gather on the rest. The university and several museums are close, and the streets around it have cafés and bars that are used by students and locals rather than visitors.
It is twenty minutes' walk or a short tram ride to the lake, and the Old Town is just north. Hotels are fewer and mostly simpler, and rates are lower than in the center. It is a less pretty part of the city, a little rough at the edges, and the square itself can be rowdy on summer nights.
Good for
- A local neighborhood with student cafés and bars
- The flea market and several museums on foot
- Lower prices than the center
Think twice if
- You want the lake outside the door
- You want a quiet night: the square can be noisy in summer
Staying in Plainpalais: nearby sights, food and getting around
Carouge, a small town of its own
A Mediterranean-looking old town built by the kings of Sardinia, with artisans, cafés and a Sunday market. A tram ride from the center.
Carouge was a separate town, built in the 18th century by the Kingdom of Sardinia, and it still has a different feel from the rest of Geneva: low houses around courtyards, squares with plane trees, small workshops and a lot of cafés and restaurants. It has markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and its own sense of being slightly apart.
Tram 12 reaches the center in about fifteen minutes, and you can walk to Plainpalais in twenty-five. There are only a few hotels, and the area empties out early in the evening except around the Place du Marché. It is a good choice for a quiet stay, and for anyone who has been to Geneva before.
Good for
- A quiet base with character and good places to eat
- A second visit, or a longer stay
- The markets and the small shops
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the lake and the Old Town
- You want a wide choice of hotels
Nations and Sécheron, for the UN and conferences
The international quarter, with the United Nations, the embassies and the big conference hotels. Quiet, wide and a long way from the old streets.
The international quarter lies on the right bank, north of the station: the Palais des Nations, the Red Cross museum, the embassies and the headquarters of many international bodies, with the Botanic Garden and Parc Mon Repos next to it. The big conference hotels stand around the Sécheron district and the Place des Nations.
It is calm, green and orderly, and rather empty in the evenings and at weekends. The walk to the Old Town is about forty minutes, though tram 15 reaches Cornavin in a few minutes. Rates swing with the conference calendar, so they can be high during a big meeting and low at other times. Stay here if your business is here, not for a leisure trip.
Good for
- The United Nations, the Red Cross museum and conferences
- Parks and the Botanic Garden
- A quiet night
Think twice if
- You are here for the Old Town and the lake: it is a long way
- You want restaurants and bars on your doorstep
Staying in Nations and Sécheron: nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Geneva, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Geneva. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room on the streets right behind Cornavin station, if you will be out late
Cheap and convenient, and the streets around the Place des Alpes can feel rough after dark. Stay a few streets toward the lake in the Pâquis instead.
- A room on the Rue de Monthoux or the Rue de Berne, if you sleep lightly
These are the Pâquis' bar streets, with a night scene that runs late. Ask for a room at the back, or choose a quieter street nearer the lake.
- A 'Geneva' hotel near the airport or the trade-fair halls, for a city break
The rate looks good until you add the trip into town. Geneva is small: stay in it, and use the free transport card for the airport train.
- A hotel across the border in France, to save money
Rooms in Annemasse or Saint-Julien cost less, but you will cross a border and lose the guest transport card. Check the whole cost before you book it.
- Nations, for a leisure trip
Quiet, green and a long way from the lake and the Old Town. Stay here for a UN visit, not for a city break.
Which neighborhood suits you
Couples
The Old Town, or Eaux-Vives for walks along the water.
Families with children
Eaux-Vives, with its parks, or Pâquis for the lakeside baths.
A tight budget
Pâquis on a quiet street, or Plainpalais.
Nightlife
Plainpalais for student bars, and the Pâquis, where the noise gets loud.
A UN visit or a conference
Nations and Sécheron, next to the Palais des Nations.
Before you book a room in Geneva
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Geneva makes a good stay.
- The tourist taxGeneva charges a stay tax of CHF 4.25 per person per night, whatever the category of hotel, and CHF 2.50 at campsites. Stays of 41 nights or more are exempt. It is added at the hotel and often is not in the price a booking site first shows. Two adults for four nights pay CHF 34.
- The free Geneva Transport CardGuests staying in approved accommodation in the canton get a Geneva Transport Card at check-in, for the length of the stay. It covers buses, trams, second-class trains and the Mouettes boats in the Geneva zone, and it stays valid until midnight on the day you leave. If you rent an apartment, ask the host before you book whether you will get one.
- From Geneva airportThe airport station is under the terminal, and trains reach Cornavin in about seven minutes. With the transport card the trip is included, and you can pick it up as you check in. Without one, buy a ticket at the station before you board.
- Everything is dearSwitzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, and Geneva one of its dearest cities. A cheap room by Geneva's standards is still more than a mid-range one in most other cities, and meals and drinks are priced to match. Plan for it rather than hunting for a bargain in a poor spot.
- Trade fairs and watch weekRates rise during big fairs at Palexpo near the airport and during the watch fairs in spring, and drop at other times. Check the dates before you book, and keep your dates flexible if you can.
- Closed on MondaysMany museums close on Mondays, and in the evenings the Old Town and the center are quiet. Plan your days around it rather than choosing a hotel for it.
- Lifts and stairsOld Town and Carouge buildings can be old, with small lifts or none. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book, not when you arrive.
Where to stay in Geneva: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Geneva for a first visit?
The Old Town, if you can afford it: cobbled streets, the cathedral and quiet evenings, with the lake ten minutes downhill. Rive and the Pâquis are the close seconds, flatter and more practical, with the Pâquis cheaper.
Is the Pâquis a good and safe place to stay?
Yes, for most people, and it is the best value near the lake. It is a mixed and lively area, and a few streets, around the Rue de Monthoux and the Rue de Berne, have a late night scene. Pick a hotel on a quieter street or toward the lake.
Is it safe around Cornavin station at night?
In general, yes, but the streets behind the station and around the Place des Alpes can feel rough late, and pickpockets work the station. If you are out late, stay a few streets toward the lake and walk back along the busier roads.
Which side of the Rhône is better?
The left bank, with the Old Town, for charm and quiet. The right bank, with the Pâquis and the station, for value, the lakeside baths and trains. The bridges are short, so it is a ten-minute walk either way.
Can you walk everywhere in Geneva?
In the center, yes. The Old Town, the lake, the station and the Pâquis are all within twenty minutes of each other. Carouge, Eaux-Vives and Nations need a tram or a bus, and with the free transport card they cost nothing.
Do hotel guests really get free public transport in Geneva?
Yes. Guests at approved accommodation get a Geneva Transport Card at check-in, valid for the whole stay, covering buses, trams, trains and the Mouettes boats in the Geneva zone. That includes the airport train to Cornavin.
Is Geneva too expensive for a short break?
It is dear, with hotels, meals and drinks priced well above most of Europe. The Pâquis and Plainpalais are the cheapest areas near the center, and the free transport card saves on getting around. A weekend is easier on the budget than a week.
How much is the tourist tax in Geneva?
CHF 4.25 per person per night in every kind of hotel, and CHF 2.50 at campsites. Stays of 41 nights or more are exempt. It is paid at the hotel, usually on top of the price shown online.
