I posted yesterday and got information on the train from Marseille to Geneve to the OB, after looking more closely and this being our first trip to Switzerland it seems a shame to waste one entire day of only three on the train. Does anyone have information of what airlines fly from Marseille to Geneva where we could get the train there with a rail pass and go onto Wengen. I can go onto each airline that flies out of there but if some of you have done this trip it would be great to hear.

Hi Jelane - The best way to look this up is to try www.whichbudget.com - or go to the Marseille airport website and check their destinations list for Switzerland.

Whichbudget comes up with Flybaboo:

http://ticketing.flybaboo.com/FBEngine.UI/Booking.aspx

Hope this helps ...

Steve

I did google flights from Marseille and came up with flybaboo, but I was hesitate since I have never heard of this airline, I tried EasyJet, no luck....thanks, I will keep trying to come up with a solution to this. Thanks..

There are other airlines which fly between these two cities but Flybaboo is the only budget carrier and may be the only carrier to fly non-stop. Y

Air France, Lufthansa, and SN belgium also fly that route but you have to change somewhere else.

You can double check using www.skyscanner.net which shows that Flybaboo doesn't fly the route every day.

I wouldn't allow the fact that you've never heard of them get in the way; after all, there was a time when you probably hadn't heard of EasyJet, either.

Flybaboo is a Geneva based, about 4 years old, reputable airline and not exactly a low-cost as you don't get dirt cheap price as with Easyjet/Ryanair. I have flown with them from Geneva to Venice and Prague more than once and have had no problem at all. Perhaps you want to be careful with their luggage conditions though. (I have always had small luggage) Their aircrafts used to be only 50 setaersseater but last Easter when I came back from Prague, it was a new and bigger 80 seater. If the price is right, I prefer it to Easyjet. They do give you assigned seat number. Also they serve you a bottle of water and (pizza like) snakcs free of charge. They even gave us Swiss apples from a straw basket. Funny and folklorique. That happened twice.

>after looking more closely and this being our first trip to Switzerland it seems a shame to waste one entire day of only three on the train

... but it is not a shame at all to wast this day in airports?

The distance from Geneva to Marseille is short enough so you won´t save any time by flying. There is no way for you to be in Geneva in less than 4 h after you leave Marseille if you fly - which is more or less the same time as you need by train.

I would decide based on price.

And it's a rather scenic rail route - thru Provence and Rhone Valley and then the hills to Geneva.

And I have taken TGV Marseille - Geneva direct many times. That's only 3,5hrs and am sure it is quicker than flying that includes you have to be about 1 hr before check-in, security, passport checks, etc.

My wife and I flew Baboo in the fall of 2005. Fantastic!!

We thought it was a great small airline company that did things differently. If you're lucky, their mascot, Tofu (honestly), will be on board.

They fly Turboprops and the flight is great. They serve pizza and snacks during the flight. Very friendly.

We flew over alps to Venice from Geneva (their home base) and it was beautiful. Look up the web site to get the details on the planes and the people that run the airline.

It was started by a businessman who was disgruntled that a major airline cancelled their routes to his favorite city, so he decided to start his own airline company to fly where he wanted.

I'd fly them again tomorrow if I could.

Oh I tell you, how many of you guys are still up on a friday evening after a couple of glasses of wine trying to help us poor souls pull together these trips. This trip has just worn me out. I have gone from train to air to car back to train and back and forth for days now. I had just decided to take the train a night earlier to be in Switzerland and then thought about a hotel in Geneva near the train station and here comes another problem. I may check out this flybaboo, but where in the world did this guy come up with this name. Getting on a small aircraft with a name like this makes me take notice. Sooner or later this next week I am going to lock in on this portion of my trip and be done with it. But I do thank you for your help.

> where in the world did this guy come up with this name.

Yes, that was my thought when I heard it for the first time. That's too close to babooN. Sounds too silly. But once I got to know its flights, that was an excellent experience. Their flights are basically filled with locals who know Flybaboo. I agree with the poster above.

> I had just decided to take the train a night earlier to be in Switzerland and then thought about a hotel in Geneva ..

I was going suggesting that but was not sure you could leave Marseille the day before. I think you could take the 1st direct train Marseille to Geneva leaving just before 17H00. That should arrive at Geneva around 20h00 that's early enough to enjoy the view all the way during summertime. If you get a seat on the right, you will recognize the white buildings of Cité des Papes - Avignon. Also the Rhône river will be on your right too when the train is running between Lyon and Genave.

I agree with those who say the train trip is worthwhile. It's very scenic and beats airports handsdown.

any suggestions for a hotel near the train station in Geneva that would be safe area for arriving in the evening. We could leave on Sunday morning for our final train to Wengen.

Your budget/hotel category?

There is 4* Hotel Cornivin next to the station or 1 to 3 * in front of the station. Wait, when you arrive on French train, the closest is 4*Hotel Mont Brillant right outside at the back of the station.

Note when you have arrived Geneva (Cornavin) Station from France, you will have to go through the French and the Swiss passport check & custom IN the station. There is NO check on the train when the train crosses the actual boarder.

Once you are out of the passport/custom area, you will see the back side exit right on your left. Outside there is a coffee shop and restaurant of the Hotel Mont Brillant. Walk around to the left over the restaurant to find the hotel entrance.

Hi Jelane,

The best hotel at the train station is the Warwick:
http://warwickgeneva.com

Right nearby is an excellent spanish restaurant, called El Faro. Start with "pulpo a la gallega" and/or "calamares al ajillo", then have the whole fish (either sea bass or sea bream depending on what is fresh) baked in a salt crust - expensive but very much worth it IMO. The paella there doesn't rock my boat, but then it never does. Address: 5 rue de Fribourg, phone: +41 22 732 21 98 (you should reserve, especially on Saturday evenings).

Another excellent option within walking distance is the "Chez Uchino" sushi bar, which also has a limited selection of other japanese dishes (yakitori and tempura IIRC). This restaurant is tiny, so reservations are a must as well. Address: rue de Zurich 47, phone: +41 22 732 38 28.

Can't think of any other recommended dining venues in the immediate vicinity and I do realize that you will be coming from Marseille so will have already enjoyed some good fish/seafood, but the BO will definitely offer you your fill of meat/cheese and potatoes.

Hope this helps,
Andre

I was going to say the Warwick too. We live in Lausanne and whenever we go to Geneva for parties that will end in a late night we stay there. Right across the street from the train station and convenient for walking around after dinner looking at the lake, old town, etc.

El Faro, excellent and perhaps most expensive Spanish restaurant in Geneva. On the same street there is a rather new Italian called No Logo. Modern looking style, high cieling. I like the place and the owner is friendly. South Italian cuisine, lunch special inexpensive, perhaps a lot more for dinner. Another on the same street is Kirin, Japanese - Chinese owned by a Chinese couple. The husband used to be one of the cooks at Chez Uchino. I've never eaten there although I know the wife, she is so sweet. I hear it's mostly good (= in rare cases, I heard negative comments).

Hotel Le Warwick, I did not mention perhaps unconsciously because often people around me consider it too expensive for what it offers, perhaps maily for the location.

Japanese Chez Uchino (this also for Andr&eacute on rue de Zurich. It's been taken over by Mr Uchino's niece and her husband (Numa-chan, the chef) since a year or so and the new name is "Nagomi" ). Mr Uchino pass by the food shop/caterer Miyai nextdoor in the morning and prepare take-away sushi sometimes.

I know you would arrive in late evening if you do take TGV from Marseille so you don't want to go far. If you by chance pick Hotel Mont Brillant, try its restaurant or it's barasserie/Café next door that is less expensive.

kappa,

Thanks for the Uchino update, hadn't even realized that the name had changed. Still as good as ever, though.

Will ask my mom, who lives in Geneva, to check the other 2 places you mention out - need to know where to go on my next visit ;-)

Andre

This is very good information. I will try to book the Warwick...Thank you everyone for helping pull this trip together.

Flybaboo airlines: just read a story in the NYTimes travel section "budget Europe of a few weeks ago and the writer took Flyaboo to prague and found it to be very nice - much more so than other discount airlines he sampled. First-class operation it seems - he did point out all the add-on charges including the (he said) ubiqitous 'ever presence miscellaneous surcharges' - his $8 flight became $59, still a bargain for Geneva to prague.