# TPG Geneva Transit Guide: Trams, Buses, Cross-Border Tickets
> How to use TPG trams and buses in Geneva: fares, day passes, the free Geneva Transport Card, Léman Express, fines, and cross-border tickets.
**URL:** https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/tpg-geneva-transit-guide-trams-buses-cross-border-tickets
**Last Updated:** 2026-05-22
**Tags:** resources, culture
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Transports publics genevois (TPG) runs the trams, buses, and trolleybuses that hold Geneva together, and the network plugs directly into French border zones, the airport, and the Léman Express regional rail. This guide walks you through fares, passes, the free visitor card, cross-border tickets, fines, and the quirks that catch new residents off guard.
*Last updated: May 22, 2026*
## How the TPG network is organized
TPG operates the entire urban public transport system in the Canton of Geneva: 5 tram lines, a dense bus and trolleybus network, and the Noctambus night service. It is integrated under the unireso fare community alongside CFF (Swiss Federal Railways), the Léman Express regional trains, and the Mouettes Genevoises yellow shuttle boats that cross the lake. One unireso ticket covers all of them within the zones you have paid for.
The city proper sits inside Zone 10, branded "Tout Genève." Most daily life, including the airport, the UN district, the old town, and the lakefront, fits inside Zone 10. The surrounding French communes (Annemasse, St-Julien, Ferney-Voltaire, Veigy, Pougny, Pays-de-Gex) sit in their own numbered zones from 200 through 250, reached using Léman Pass tickets that add onto a Zone 10 fare.
The tram network is expanding. Line 17 was extended into Annemasse with new stops at Parc Montessuit and Perrier-Aubrac in 2026, and the Swiss portion of the Ferney-Voltaire tram (a roughly CHF 210 million project) is under construction from September 2025 through the end of 2028. A sixth tram line is planned by 2028.
## Single tickets and day passes
The TPG fare table is short and easy to memorize. All prices below are full-fare, second class, valid in 2026.
| Ticket | Price (CHF) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Saut de puce (short hop) | 2.00 | Max 3 stops in Zone 10, no transfer, no return, use within 10 minutes |
| Tout Genève single (Zone 10) | 3.00 | 60 minutes, unlimited transfers in Zone 10 |
| Day pass Zone 10 (full) | 10.00 | Until 05:00 the next day; valid for 2 people on Saturdays and Sundays |
| Day pass Zone 10 (from 09:00) | 8.00 | Individual use only, until 05:00 the next day |
| All-zones unireso day pass | 18.50 | Full network including French border zones |
The weekend two-person rule on the CHF 10 day pass is genuinely useful: a couple visiting on a Saturday only needs to buy one ticket between them. The CHF 8 off-peak pass is the better deal on weekdays if you do not need to travel before 09:00.
A free 80-minute ticket is dispensed from the machines at Geneva Airport arrivals. Grab one before activating any other ticket: it covers the 7-minute train ride from the airport to Cornavin station and onward bus or tram transfers within the validity window.
## The free Geneva Transport Card for visitors
If you are staying in any registered Geneva hotel, hostel, or campsite, you receive a free digital Geneva Transport Card by email up to 3 days before arrival. It covers TPG buses and trams, CFF trains, and the Mouettes Genevoises within Zone 10 for the entire length of your stay. The card is funded by the cantonal tourist tax, currently CHF 4.25 per person per night for most accommodation and CHF 2.50 at campsites.
In practice, this means short-stay visitors should almost never buy a single TPG ticket. Confirm with your accommodation that they have issued the card before you land, save the QR code to your phone, and you are set.
## Monthly and annual passes for residents
For anyone moving to Geneva, the math tilts hard toward a monthly or annual unireso pass. According to TPG, the yearly adult Tout Genève pass works out to CHF 1.37 per day, and the monthly equivalent to CHF 2.26 per day. The published 2026 annual full-fare price is not currently displayed in our digest, so confirm the figure directly with TPG before you sign up.
- Monthly Zone 10 adult pass: CHF 75
- Monthly youth pass (up to age 25): CHF 45
- Duo Offer (second adult in the same household, ages 25 to 64 for women and 25 to 65 for men): CHF 65 per month or CHF 450 per year
- Family Offer junior pass (children under 25): CHF 40 per month or CHF 350 per year
- Accompanied Child Card (ages 6 to 16, travels free with an adult pass-holder): CHF 30 per year
- Children under 6: free, no card needed
If you live in the Canton of Geneva and are 18 to 24 with annual income up to CHF 50,000, the state covers 100% of a unireso pass. AVS retirement and DI disability beneficiaries resident in Geneva receive a CHF 200 reduction (50% support). Important change for 2026: the State of Geneva is no longer automatically sending reduction vouchers as it did in 2025. Eligible residents must submit a new application directly.
A further reason to check your home address: many municipalities across Greater Geneva offer subsidies of up to CHF 400 on the annual unireso or Léman Pass for residents (juniors, adults, and seniors). Each commune publishes its own form, usually on the town hall website.
Passes live on your SwissPass card, the red personal smart card used across Swiss public transport. Get one from a TPG agency at Cornavin, Rive, or Lancy-Pont-Rouge.
## Cross-border tickets: the Léman Pass
Geneva is a border city and most expats end up crossing into France regularly: Annemasse for groceries, Ferney-Voltaire for housing, St-Julien for cheaper restaurants. The Léman Pass is the supplementary ticket that extends a Tout Genève fare into the French zones.
The French zones around Geneva are:
- Zone 200: Veigy and the eastern lakeshore
- Zone 210: Annemasse and inner suburbs
- Zone 230: St-Julien-en-Genevois
- Zone 240: Pougny / Bellegarde direction
- Zone 250: Pays de Gex (Ferney-Voltaire, Gex)
A Léman Pass supplement is valid for 90 minutes inside the French supplementary zone you have paid for, on top of your Zone 10 ticket. The all-zones day pass at CHF 18.50 is usually the simpler choice if you plan more than one cross-border hop in a day.
The Léman Express regional trains, opened in 2019, are the fastest way to move between Geneva-Cornavin and Annemasse (about 20 minutes) and continue deep into Haute-Savoie. They are fully integrated into unireso, so the same ticket works on the tram getting to the station and the train across the border.
If you are comparing Geneva to [other European public transport systems](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/atm-milan-public-transport-metro-trams-and-monthly-pass-options-for-new-resident), the cross-border integration here is the defining feature: very few cities sell a single ticket that covers two countries.
## Buying tickets: machines, app, SMS, and tpgPay
You have several options, all equally valid for fare control:
- Vending machines at every tram stop and major bus stop. They accept coins, Swiss cards, and contactless. Touchscreens have an English option.
- TPG Préférence app for iOS and Android. Buy single tickets, day passes, and Léman Pass supplements; activate them on your phone. The app also shows live departures.
- SMS tickets by texting the code `tpg1` to the short-code `788`. You receive a Tout Genève single ticket for CHF 3 charged to your phone bill. Works on all Swiss operators and the French operators Orange, SFR, Free, and Bouygues. The ticket is non-transferable and tied to the phone number that sent the SMS.
- tpgPay is a reloadable card available in CHF or EUR versions, topped up in increments of 20, 50, or 100, valid for 5 years from activation. It is the closest thing Geneva has to a London Oyster card.
- In person at TPG agencies in Cornavin, Rive, and Lancy-Pont-Rouge for passes, SwissPass setup, and complicated cases.
## Fines and fare inspection
Geneva runs honour-system boarding with frequent inspections. Inspectors carry photo ID and a handheld terminal. The national T600 tariff applies here, and penalties are not gentle:
| Offense | Supplement (CHF) |
|---|---|
| First, paid on the spot | 100 |
| First, deferred payment | 140 |
| Second offense | 180 |
| Third offense | 210 |
| Pass-holder without SwissPass on board, presented within 10 days | 5 |
If you have a valid annual or monthly pass on your SwissPass but left the card at home, you can settle for CHF 5 by showing the card at a TPG agency within 10 days. Past 10 days, the full fine stands.
For disputes or questions about a fine, the reports department is reachable at 022 308 31 76 on weekday mornings.
## Night service: Noctambus
Noctambus is the regional night network operating Friday-to-Saturday and Saturday-to-Sunday nights. It serves 72 communes across Greater Geneva, going much farther than daytime city buses. There is no surcharge: a standard CHF 3 unireso Tout Genève ticket covers the Noctambus inside Zone 10, and the appropriate zone ticket covers cross-border lines.
Most lines depart from Place Bel-Air in the city center between roughly 01:00 and 04:00. Check the schedule on the TPG website on the day of travel, as some lines run only once per night.
## Common pitfalls
- The Saut de puce is strict. Three stops, no transfers, no returns, 10 minutes. Inspectors verify the stop count. If you are unsure, buy the CHF 3 hour ticket.
- SMS tickets are not instant. The reply text may arrive a minute or two after you send it. Send the SMS before you board, not after the inspector boards.
- The free hotel card has to be claimed. Some accommodations forget to issue it. Email the hotel a few days before arrival to confirm.
- Buying a French ticket on the French side does not cover the Swiss side. If you board a TPG bus in Annemasse heading to Geneva, you need a unireso ticket valid for both zones, not just a French TAC ticket.
- The G7 Summit in Geneva runs June 15 to 17, 2026. Expect line diversions, closed stops around the lakeside conference venues, and heavier-than-usual checks. Plan extra time and consult the TPG website for the current detour map.
- Subsidies are not automatic in 2026. Both the cantonal youth/senior reduction and most municipal subsidies require a fresh application this year. Do not assume last year's voucher rolls over.
## FAQs
Is the airport in Zone 10?
Yes. Geneva Airport (Genève-Aéroport) sits inside Zone 10, so a standard CHF 3 Tout Genève ticket gets you anywhere in the city. Use the free 80-minute ticket from the arrivals hall machine for the first leg.
Do I need a separate ticket for the Mouettes lake shuttles?
No. The yellow Mouettes Genevoises boats are part of unireso. Any valid Zone 10 ticket works.
Can I use my Swiss half-fare card (Demi-tarif) on TPG?
The half-fare card gives you 50% off occasional TPG tickets and reduced rates on most passes. Buy the reduced ticket explicitly at the machine or in the app; it is not automatic.
How do I get from Cornavin to the UN?
Tram 15 from Cornavin to Nations is the direct route, about 8 minutes. Buses 8, 11, 22, and F also serve the area.
Are bicycles allowed on trams?
Folding bikes folded down are accepted free at all times. Full-size bicycles are not permitted on TPG trams or buses, only on regional trains with the bike supplement.
What if my pass auto-renews and I am moving away?
Annual passes on SwissPass renew automatically unless you cancel in writing, usually with one month's notice. Cancel at any TPG agency or via the SwissPass online portal.
Where can I see live disruptions?
The homepage at tpg.ch lists current line changes, and the TPG Préférence app pushes alerts for lines you favorite.
For newcomers comparing how Geneva stacks up against other systems, you may also find these [similar transit guides for newcomers](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/stib-brussels-transit-guide-metro-tram-and-bus-for-newcomers) and notes on [public transport in other European cities](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/atac-rome-public-transport-guide-tickets-apps-strikes) useful for context.
If you are settling in Geneva, picking up enough French to read TPG announcements, decode a fine notice, or chat with the driver makes daily life much smoother, and [try Migaku](https://migaku.com/signup) if you want to learn French from real Swiss content rather than textbook drills.