Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

GENEVA

France or Switzerland: How does Geneva airport’s border divide work?

Geneva’s airport is Switzerland’s second-largest, serving approximately sixteen million passengers per year and with a stunning view of the Alps. That’s not the only thing distinguishing it.

Published: 15 February 2024 16:21 CET
Updated: 11 June 2024 17:17 CEST
France or Switzerland: How does Geneva airport's border divide work?
Two nations, one airport: Switzerland's second-largest airport is shared with France. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Due to geography and planning challenges since the early 20th century, Geneva’s airport borders France on its north side. 

Thanks to an agreement between the two countries in 1960, it’s accessible from and shared between Switzerland and France.

How does it work? 

The airport is divided into two sectors – the French and Swiss. 

In the French sector, only domestic flights to and from destinations within France are accessible. This sector is located within Pier F of the Main Terminal.

All other flights – including international long-haul flights – arrive and depart from the Swiss sector, which constitutes the rest of the Main Terminal. 

READ MORE: What foreign passengers should expect when landing at a Swiss airport

Can you cross between the Swiss and the French parts of the airport? 

You can – if you have a ticket for a flight that day, and you have your passport or identification documents with you. 

This doesn’t involve custom controls if you’re travelling to or from a Schengen country. You will merely be asked to show your ticket and ID. 

Where is the crossing point? 

You can cross between the two sectors from the Swiss side on the Departures level. Follow the ‘Destination France’ signs near the Air France counters. 

What if I’m catching a French domestic flight – do I need to pass through the Swiss section? 

The entire process for French domestic flights takes place within the French sector, so there’s no need to cross over. 

From arrival at the airport to check-in,  to departure, you remain within France for all legal purposes.

Can I enter and exit the airport by car directly from France? 

Yes, you can enter the airport from France, via the town of Ferney Voltaire. There, from the customs post, follow the signs to ‘Aéroport secteur France’.

Where are the Swiss entrances?

If you’re driving to the airport from within Switzerland, many choose to follow the signs from the city centre to Grand-Saconnex where there is the ability to drop passengers off outside the terminal or use one of several short or long-term parking possibilities. 

Driving from Vaud on the A1 motorway, you can exit after Coppet, when the road will split into the one going to the airport (and France) and the other into the centre of Geneva.

The airport also has a train station, which is an eight-minute trip from Geneva city centre, and costs about 3 francs for a one-way ticket.

Buses from the city also stop at the airport (see below).

Is there public transport from the French side?

Yes there are buses and other means of transport. This website shows you have three options, depending from where you travel: namely 272, 66, and 274.

What about parking? 

Aside from the P20 parking on the French side, which has 214 spots, there are also several parking garages on the Swiss side, with thousands of places.

This link shows all the garages, as well as the number of spots available in real time, along with tariffs for each one.

Can I hire cars on both sides? 

Yes, the big car rental firms have outlets on both sides of the airport. However, this is where one very important detail comes into play.

Drivers in Switzerland need to buy a vignette (electronic or physical sticker) that demonstrates that they have paid the road tax levied on all vehicles using the country’s motorways. 

READ MORE: Swiss vignette: What you need to know about Switzerland’s motorway charge sticker

Additionally, there are differences in insurance liability between the two countries, meaning that crossing between the two results in times a vehicle is not covered. 

Therefore, it’s imperative that if you’re renting a car at Geneva’s airport, it’s absolutely essential that you return it on the side that you hired it – otherwise you could be charged sizable fees. 

Another interesting fact:

Geneva is not Switzerland’s only airport that straddles two countries.

Basel’s EuroAirport is entirely within France, with the terminal split into a French and Swiss sector. 

What are your experiences with Geneva’s two airport sectors? Have you experienced any troubles passing between them? Let us know in the comments. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

CRIME

Geneva commuters warned over public transport ticket scam

A fraudulent Facebook page, allegedly an account belonging to Geneva’s public transport company (TPG) offers fake annual subscriptions for 2.35 francs.

Published: 26 July 2024 12:43 CEST
Geneva commuters warned over public transport ticket scam

The ‘real’ cost of a yearly subscription to the TPG Unireso network costs 500 francs for adults, and 400 francs for pensioners and juniors. 

So an offer that is hundreds of francs cheaper is obviously very appealing to those who have never heard of an old adage, “if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably isn’t.”

The fraudulent Facebook page, with a very realistic looking TPG logo, offers, as a special promotion, an annual travel card for the mere 2.35 francs. Fake profiles have written positive comments under the offer.

Fake TPG offer. Facebook public page

To benefit from the ‘last day’ of this incredible offer, customers must click on a link, which should raise red flags in even the most gullible individuals: it leads not to the official ‘tpg.ch’ address but to an external page, with a ‘com’ rather than ‘ch’ domain.

Once on this page, the still clueless customer learns that only 500 of the ‘special-offer’ cards remain available, so they must be purchased quickly.

But once they are on the payment page, they read that this is a three-month trial membership for 3 francs (not 2.35, but still suspiciouly cheap), and that if the membership is not cancelled by then (not sure how, since this is a fake), they will be charged 71 francs every 14 days.

The TPG does not have any figures on how many victoms fell prey to this scam, but the company’s spokesperson, François Mutter, said 134 customers “have contacted us to inquire about this offer.” 

Who is behind this scam?

It is not known, but the site’s server is based in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Mutter said, adding that the TPG  has informed the host as well as the Federal Office for Cybercrime.

But the scam is still running, and on a larger scale than just in Geneva.

According to Mutter, Belgian and French versions are also circulating.

Geneva police told 20 Minutes news platform that the primary goal of this scam (as countless others’) is to retrieve confidential banking information from their victims 

The closure of the site can be requested from the host, “but the effect is often temporary. New sites  will appear.”

In theory at least, the Public Prosecutor’s Office can open proceedings against the criminals and work with local authorities to trace the perpetrators — however, only if the sites are hosted in countries where international collaboration in these matters exists.

But, according to the police,  “this is Russia.”

One of many

Unfortunately, this particular scam one is only the tip of the iceberg.

Countless others have been perpetrated in Switzerland in past years, and still are on-going currently.

You can find more about them here:

READ ALSO: The common scams foreigners in Switzerland need to be aware of

How can you avoid falling victim to a scam in Switzerland?

The most obvious piece of advice is to use common sense.

It may not always be easy to spot scammers, however, because many emails look like they come from official sources like the government or police, but neither would contact you by email and threaten you with terrible consequences if you don’t pay up.

If not sure about the legitimacy of ‘official’-looking email or message, always call the supposed sender to check.

The important thing is that you immediately delete any suspicious emails and block the sender from contacting you again.

Also, be vigilant about divulging any of your personal information and financial data to unknown callers, or individuals showing up at your doorstep.
  

SHOW COMMENTS