By air. Geneva Airport (GVA) is the second-busiest in Switzerland and one of the most convenient in Europe — it sits 4 km from the city centre and is reached by train in 7 minutes from Gare Cornavin. Free transit tickets into town are available from a dispenser in baggage reclaim. The airport has flights from across Europe, North America, the Middle East and several long-haul Asian connections.
By train. Geneva is on the main European high-speed network. TGV from Paris takes around 3 hours and 10 minutes; direct trains from Lyon, Marseille and Milan also serve Gare Cornavin. Swiss inter-city trains link Geneva to Lausanne (45 minutes), Bern (1h45) and Zurich (2h45) at regular intervals.
By road. The A1 motorway connects Geneva to Lausanne, Bern, Zurich and the rest of Switzerland; the A40 across the French border heads to Lyon and Paris. A toll vignette is required for Swiss motorways.
By boat. The CGN steamboat service runs across Lake Geneva from Lausanne, Évian-les-Bains and other lake towns, terminating at Geneva's Quai du Mont-Blanc. The trip from Lausanne takes around 3.5 hours and is far slower than the train, but a fine summer day-trip.
Border crossings. Geneva sits on the French border. The Swiss customs zone extends across part of the airport (you can fly in from France and exit on the French side without entering Switzerland) and the airport train station handles trains to both countries.