Cheap Geneva Hotel: Go Across the Border to Annemasse, France!

December 3, 2023June 13, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

Geneva is an expensive city, but there are plenty of cheap hotels in Annemasse, a short train or tram ride away across the border with France.

This article shows you why staying in Annemasse could be a great option if you’re not willing to pay the at times exorbitant prices of Swiss hotels in Geneva.

geneva switzerland france map — *From Geneva, the border between Switzerland and France is just a short distance away. ©OpenStreetMap/Paliparan*

Cheap Geneva hotel

Switzerland isn’t particularly budget-friendly, as it tends to have high prices in supermarkets, restaurants, and most of all for accommodation.

Although with a bit of luck you can sometimes get a good deal for a hotel in Geneva, chances are you have to spend well over your normal budget as accommodation in the city is more geared towards the deep pockets of business travellers than the average tourist.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution that could potentially save you 50% off the price you’d typically pay for a hotel in Geneva: You can stay in France, where everything is much cheaper!

lake geneva water fountain cheap hotel — *The famous Lake Geneva water fountain. ©Paliparan*

Across the border with France

The French towns of Annemasse and Ambilly are just 8 kilometres away from downtown Geneva as the crow flies.

These towns (or communes to use the proper French term) have great public transport links with Geneva.

There are frequent trains from Geneva’s main Cornavin station to Annemasse (calling at all intermediate stops within the city), as well as a tram (line 17).

Lots of French people who live in Annemasse use the train or tram to get to work in Geneva, profiting from the higher Swiss salaries.

There are also plenty of Swiss citizens who actually live across the border in France as the prices for housing and groceries are cheaper.

If you think of it, as a tourist visiting Geneva, you could as well easily commute the short distance into the city while actually staying in a cheap hotel in neighbouring France!

annemasse train station — *The train station of Annemasse. ©Paliparan*

Annemasse hotels

During my Switzerland trip, I also faced the problem that I needed a hotel in the Geneva area, but found the prices for accommodation within the city to be ridiculously expensive.

I therefore decided to stay in Annemasse, where I booked a double room at the centrally located Oskar Hotel for €65.

For what it’s worth, a Geneva hotel with similar standards (decent ratings and an en-suite bathroom) would have charged me at least double the amount!

Besides Oskar Hotel there are plenty of other cheap hotels in Annemasse within walking distance from the train station, such as the Campanile or ibis.

If you are looking for a midrange hotel instead of a budget option, there is the Novotel right opposite the train station of Annemasse.

oskar hotel annemasse cheap geneva — *My room at Oskar Hotel in Annemasse. ©Paliparan*

oskar hotel cheap geneva — *The en-suite bathroom. ©Paliparan*

From Geneva to Annemasse by train

With a train departing every 10 minutes from Geneva to Annemasse and vice versa, you never have to endure long waiting times.

Indeed, after I had arrived with the Zurich-Geneva train at the city’s main Cornavin station, a connecting train to Annemasse arrived at the opposite platform within two minutes.

The train will stop at a number of other stations in the Greater Geneva area before arriving in Annemasse about 22 minutes after its departure from Geneva Cornavin.

The train to Annemasse is a part of the Léman Express commuter rail network, operating on a brand new railway line, primarily underground.

During the morning and late afternoon rush hours, the train is packed with commuters heading back to France after a day’s work in Geneva.

A second class ticket between Geneva and Annemasse costs 4.90 CHF (€5.20), while a first class ticket costs 8.60 CHF (€9.10).

As I was travelling with a first class Interrail pass, I could hop on any of these Léman Express trains free of charge.

geneva station cheap hotel — *Waiting for the train towards Annemasse and Evian-les-Bains at the main station of Geneva. ©Paliparan*

Léman Express train Geneva Annemasse cheap hotel — *The Léman Express train from Geneva to Annemasse. ©Paliparan*

Léman Express train — *Second class seats on a train between Annemasse and Geneva. ©Paliparan*

Léman Express train first class seats — *First class seats on the Léman Express train. ©Paliparan*

train view — *The views from the train are limited as the railway line runs mostly underground. ©Paliparan*

railyards geneva — *Railyards just outside of Geneva. ©Paliparan*

annemasse station — *The train arrives at Annemasse station. ©Paliparan*

annemasse train station commuters geneva — Commuters getting off the train at Annemasse. ©Paliparan

A walk around Annemasse

Annemasse for sure won’t be the prettiest town you will encounter on your European travels, but it does have all the facilities you might need during your stay.

In the centre of Annemasse you can find banks, cafés, supermarkets and a variety of restaurants.

As the town is small, you can easily go around on foot.

train station square — *Train station square and information centre in Annemasse. ©Paliparan*

annemasse cheap hotel geneva — *Street in Annemasse. ©Paliparan*

annemasse post office — *Annemasse post office. ©Paliparan*

Food

Another big advantage of staying in Annemasse is the considerably lower costs for food compared to Geneva across the Swiss border.

This counts for both supermarkets as well as restaurants, which means that you can also save a significant amount of money if you have breakfast and dinner in Annemasse instead of Geneva.

During my one-night stay in Annemasse, I simply visited the local supermarket to buy some bread, cheese, cold cuts, and beers to enjoy in my hotel room.

food supermarket — *Some cheese, bread and cold cuts from the supermarket. ©Paliparan*

Back to Geneva

After a good night’s sleep in my Annemasse hotel, I walked to the local railway station the following morning for my train back to Geneva.

Only 40 minutes after checking out of the hotel, I found myself standing in the main hall of Geneva Cornavin station.

annemasse train station cheap hotel geneva — *Annemasse station in the early morning. ©Paliparan*

coppet geneva trains — *The trains bound for Coppet all call at Geneva. ©Paliparan*

geneva annemasse train — *Boarding my train to Geneva at the station of Annemasse. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

Geneva is an expensive city – especially when it comes to accommodation – but it is possible to save a lot of money by simply staying across the French border in Annemasse.

The French town of Annemasse is just a short tram or train ride away from downtown Geneva and makes for a cheap and convenient base to stay.

Even when factoring in the extra costs for public transport, you can potentially save a lot of money, as not only hotels can be 50% cheaper in Annemasse than they are in Geneva, but food and drinks in France are a lot cheaper too compared to Switzerland.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Scenic Trains Around Switzerland and the Italian Lakes‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Bergamo: A Visit to Lombardy’s Beautiful Hilltop Town
2. Travelling From Bergamo to Milan by Train
3. From Milan to Varenna and Tirano By Trenord Regional Train
4. A Varenna Visit: A Day Trip to Lake Como’s Most Beautiful Town
5. Tirano: The Italian Gateway to the Bernina Railway
6. Bernina Express Train: Guide to Switzerland’s Most Scenic Railway
7. Review: Swiss InterCity (IC) Train Chur to Zurich and Basel
8. From Zurich to Geneva on a Swiss ICN Tilting Train
9. Cheap Geneva Hotel: Stay Across the Border in Annemasse! (current chapter)
10. Around Lake Geneva by Train: From Geneva to Montreux
11. A Visit to Montreux and the Freddie Mercury Statue
12. Golden Pass: Guide to a Scenic Railway Route Across Switzerland
13. Swiss Chique: The MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque Train
14. From the Mountains to the Lake: Zweisimmen to Spiez by Train
15. Spectacular Spiez: A Visit to a Scenic Swiss Town
16. Spiez to Interlaken by Train: A Trip on the Lake Thun Railway Line
17. Review: Interlaken to Lucerne by Zentralbahn Train