Definitely avoid taxis. They are expensive and Geneva has a fantastic, clean, fast public transportation system.

You can get on any train from the airport to the centre of town, takes exactly 8 minutes, and there are trains every 10 minutes or so depending on the time of day. The train station is attached to the airport. From international arrivals, turn left out the doors and just keep going to the end of the airport.

Don't need to buy train tickets as a simple 3CHF bus ticket (per person) is enough for you to get from the airport right to your hotel.

First you will need exact change, 2X 3CHF (The machines don't take bills and don't give change). So buy a coffee or something in the airport if you don't have swiss change on you.

Get on any train. They all stop at the central main station.

At the main station (Cornavin) get off and then you can even walk to the Swiss Metropole if you want (15 minutes) straight down the hill toward the lake and across Mont Blanc bridge. The hotel is right the other side of the bridge.

If you don't want to walk, as you come out of the main entrance to the station, turn right. You will see a big church. On the other side of the church cross the road and take either a number 6, 8, 9, 27 or 29 bus. Make sure you're heading in the right direction - down the hill toward the lake.

Get off just the other side of the bridge, you will be right next to the hotel.

Gruetzi

Train from airport to Cornavin central rail station 4-5x hour

Then.. less walking, best connection..exiting the station main entrance, place Cornavin, turn right. First street immediately on your right, under train bridge, take bus no 9.. very frequent.. (destination Petit-Bel-Air),

4th stop :’metropole’ which is just round other side than main entrance of hotel.

All stops are announced verbally in buses and trams.

Ticket as mentioned above.. you get it from vendor machine on train platform at airport ..

if you dont have change you’ll have to wait in line at ticket offices.

Ticket valid for 1 hour so one ticket each enough for journey.

After tthis as a tourist you have free travel passes on public transport , available from your hotel

Thanks alot for the info and the great detail!

word of caution..

bus no 29 stops also at same stop outside station.. is possible too.. just not dropping you so close to the hotel, because after the 3rd stop(still identical to no9) it will turn in opposite direction at end of bridge over lake to no9 and if you get off at its 4th stop 'Molard' you will have to walk, a few minutes, to the hotel.

Agree absolutely that other the other buses mentioned above also go in similar directions, just no 9 more handy.. others not able to take them so directly outside the station ..the stops and itinery are not the same necessarily as the no9..walking necessary to their respective stops from the station.. also from their stops (not always on same road as your hotel) to hotel.

There are machines that take cards to buy your ticket, just to the left of the ticket windows.

The train and bus systems are integrated, so a train ticket is good on the buses and vice-versa.

Hi

Just want to clarify a couple of points above. I can buy 2 bus tickets from the airport (3Francs) and that enables me to take a train to the city centre (conavin) and from there i can catch a bus to the hotel and i can do this all on the bus ticket provided i get to the hotel within one hour?

Yes!

what if you arrive at 11pm, is it still a safe way to travel (i.e. via train) to the city centre and then to walk to ones hotel?

No train, just bus, and yes, very safe.

Sorry, meant to say yes train and bus are very safe.