CHF 3–4 on Bus 23 gets you from GVA to Lancy/Onex
Bus 23 runs from T1 at Geneva Airport into the western suburbs, hitting Lancy and Onex rather than the lakefront. It uses the standard unireso zone 10 fare, so you’re paying roughly CHF 3–4 for the ride. Locals on Reddit are clear: this one is for residents and workers, not for first-timers trying to reach Rue du Rhône or the Old Town.
Daytime headways sit around 15–20 minutes, with gaps stretching closer to 20–30 minutes in the evening and on weekends according to TPG timetable screenshots. Reddit users also mention classic bunching: nothing for a while, then two 23s back-to-back. Regulars living along the line usually check the TPG app and walk to the stop just in time instead of standing in the cold outside T1.
The ride from the airport to the Lancy area clocks in around 25–35 minutes in real-life reports, depending on traffic and where you hop off. The route is stop-heavy and hits a lot of red lights through residential and industrial zones southwest of GVA, which is why some commuters complain it “feels slow” compared with the 7-minute airport train to Cornavin.
Cost is simple: same ticket as any other zone 10 ride from GVA, so you’re not paying a premium versus lines 5 or 10. Note that 23 does not go to the main tourist stretches around Cornavin or the lakefront, and visitors on Reddit do post about accidentally boarding it thinking it was the “city bus,” then having to backtrack from Lancy or Onex.
How to use Bus 23 from T1, step by step
- 1. After you exit baggage claim in T1, follow signs for “Bus / TPG” and walk the 2–3 minutes to the covered bus area outside the terminal.
- 2. Check the screen for “23” and its direction; you want the bus heading toward Lancy/Onex, not toward the end already near your hotel or office.
- 3. Buy a unireso zone 10 ticket (≈CHF 3–4) from the machine by the stop or use your TPG app before boarding.
- 4. Board at the front or middle doors, keep your ticket or phone handy, and expect around 25–35 minutes to Lancy depending on traffic.
- 5. Watch the onboard displays for your stop name; English signage along the route is limited and the 23 runs through residential and industrial districts with few obvious landmarks.
- 6. If you need the wider city, get off near Lancy and connect to a tram or another bus line; locals often do this rather than riding 23 deeper into traffic.
Watch out for
Service on 23 is thinner than lines 5 and 10, especially after roughly 20:00, so a missed bus can mean a 20–30 minute wait. Visitors wanting central Geneva should skip 23 and either grab the train (around 7 minutes to Cornavin) or buses 5/10 from T1; use 23 mainly if your bed or office is on its specific corridor.
One tip: set the TPG app to line 23 before you land and check real-time departures as you walk out of T1 so you’re not stuck outside watching two bunched buses go by in the wrong order.