job816

We leave at 7AM on a Saturday morning from Geneva back to the states. We would like to stay as close to (if not at) the airport as we are not morning people. Any recommendations for a hotel and then a nice plan for dinner the night before we leave. Can we get a train into Geneva or should we hit a lake town instead? We will probably arrive at our hotel late afternoon. Any suggestions are extremely appreciated.

Singletail

Thre is frequent train service from the airport station into the city. The trip takes about 5-10 minutes, if that. There ser several hotels at the airport as I recall.

Cicerone

There is no hotel located at the airport, but there are several within a mile or so, and I believe all the ones listed below have a shuttle bus to the airport. I have had friends stay at the Movenpick and thought it was fine and a good price, about $70 including breakfast for a double.

Movenpick Airport Hotel
(tel: (0)22 717 1603)

Crowne Plaza
(tel: (0)22 747 0202)

Express by Holiday Inn
(tel: (0)22 939 3939)

NH Tulip Inn
(tel: (0)22 989 9506)

Ramada Park Hotel
(tel: (0)22 710 3000)

I would also confirm with your airline or on the Geneva airport website to se if you can check-in for your international flight on the afternoon you arrive in Geneva. You can usually do this 12-17 hours before a flight. That way you can get your big luggage checked-in, get your boarding passes and avoid the chaos of the airport tin the morning when most international flights depart. You will only have hand luggage and can go right to the departure gate. Website for Geneva airport is http://www.gva.ch/en, or check with your airline. I will say that many US airlines are not really aware of early check-in, so if you can't get an answers from the airline and the website dos not confirm whether you can do early check-in, I would ask when you arrive at Geneva airport in the afternoon. Assuming you are taking a train to Geneva, take it right to the airport, check-into your flight, and take a shuttle to your hotel. If you are dropping a car off at the airport, then you will already be there.

There is not much in the way of restaurants in the airport area, but you can get into Geneva by train in about 10 minutes from the airport (there may also be a local train station near your hotel). The hotels may also offer a shuttle into Geneva. You could also take a train a bit further down the lake to Lausanne which is a charming town, it depends on how much time you want to spend. In June it will be light until 9:30 pm or so, and twilight for about an hour after that, so you will be able to see quite a bit.

job816

Cicerone, Great advice. I will see if we can drop our major bags off the night before and then head for a hotel close by. We will actually be there in July and have already spent a night in Geneva at the beginning of our trip (with friends who live there), so I really like your idea of Lausanne. With summer light we can definitley have a full evening there. Thanks again for the very helpful suggestions.

weski

I just returned from Geneva and stayed at the Best Western in Forney-Voltaire (Voltaire Palace) just beyond the airport (but in France). They had ashuttle to & from airport as did the Doubletree. BUT THEY DO NOT OPERATE EARLY IN THE A.M. I had to take a taxi (about 20 Euros) for my 7 a.m. flight. Also, FYI, airline counters don't open until 6:00 a.m. so there was no point getting there at 5:15 as I did...

suze

Geneva is great because the airport and train station are attached buildings. The airport is the terminus of the rail line, and downtown Geneva is first stop from the airport heading back along the lake. Stay on a bit longer and go to Lausanne, Vevey, or Montreux- all beautiful towns right on Lac Leman with lots of places to eat within easy walk from any of the train stations (~45 mins to a little over an hour train ride, depending which town you pick).

P_M

I posted this same question a few months ago as I also had a 7am flight to catch. I ended up staying in Geneva near the train station. I am glad I didn't stay at an airport hotel, because the night before I came home, I treated myself to the most lovely dinner by the lake, and I hope you will do the same. I stayed at a very nice hotel about 3 blocks from the train station, however I am reluctant to recommend that particular hotel because of all the crazy people who are in that area at night. When I got up at 5am to leave for the airport, there were so many drunks out I decided to take a cab instead.

Here's a better option which, in hindsight, I should have done. I had considered staying at Hotel Cornavin, which sits right next to the train station. The ride from the station is only 6 minutes, and the first train leaves at 5:37 am, so you will get there in plenty of time.

travelbunny

..I stayed at the Crowne Plaza this summer,,for 1 day on business..perfectly adequate with all the bells and an occasional whistle typicl of an upper end airport hotel..glitz but no soul..agree with others about staying down town and going to the airport in the early am for your flight.

scheraulei

Now, see, it depends on what you want. I stayed in Geneva my first night in Switzerland and my thinking was I want a hotel near the airport because I will probably be too exhausted to want to travel anywhere farther than the immediate area after a 10 hour flight, lugging around a 29 in. suitcase plus, and on no sleep. Plus I already knew the area near the major train station was not for solo women travellers. So I booked the Moevenpick right down the street from Cointrin and it was WONDERFUL. Every amenity you could want in a 5 star hotel with 3 star prices (I was there the first Fri. of Sept 2004.) Even the free instant coffee in the room was good and I normally hate instant coffee. I drank 3 cups! It had restaurants and the one I chose was very good and that's not to mention the to-die-for Moevenpick ice cream. Plus, surprise, surprise, it has its own casino - in which I promptly won 50 francs! And it was walking distance down the street from a mall with a Carrefours (hypermarch&eacute and a Manora (buffet).

Graziella5b

I believe that the Accor IBis chain has one hotel near the airport and one near the train station.
Not that fancy but clean, simple rooms with cable and buffet breakfast plus a rest. Very reasonable rates around 85 euro.

radiofanatic

I stayed right across the street from the train station at the Best Western which was just fine - and the people were VERY nice.