A small thing yet interesting - does anyone know if the removal is permanent?
I've just returned to Switzerland through the Geneva Airport and there's been no machine with free tickets to Geneva but a hand-written note "no more free bus tickets to Geneva, sorry".
I wasn't aware. This is sad news.
The agreement between the airport and the TPG about the provision of free tickets lapsed a few years ago; basically neither side wanted to continue footing the bill. There was a temporary reprieve for the machines but they were permanently removed a few days ago.
'New provisions' are supposedly in the pipeline to provide a solution for tourists, but no idea what/when that will be introduced.
Paying Chf 5.-- each probably, the Swiss consider it a national sport to fleece tourists
Apparently the airport was paying CHF1 million a year for the right to do this. With the fall-off in traffic it got too expensive.
For anyone outside of Geneva it was of limited benefit as you couldn’t use the free ticket to reduce the price to further points.
5 francs is hardly fleecing (if you can't afford that, well, we don't want poor people here anyway). I've been to many European cities; few offer free transit from the airport.
Basel gives anyone staying in a hotel free travel in the local area. As does Engadin (hotels and holiday apartments).
Geneva does as well, but you need to be staying at a Geneva hotel.
This from WRS this morning
I think you need to get out more. Check the prices on the JFK express, the Heathrow Express, and the Narita Express. They get a LOT more than five francs. I thought it was a nice perk, but the better one was the free transport card for hotel guests staying in Geneva. Valid on buses, trams, and the lake boats. I don’t know if they still have it, but it made a lot of sense. Most countries don’t have that either.
It is when a normal ticket for people in the know pay Chf 2.20 (?) for a Geenva ticket, valid 60 or 90 minutes.....
Not quite correct. We would take a free ticket to Geneva and purchase a separate regular ticket from Geneva to our destination, thereby saving 2.10 CHF each.
IIRC the Geneva free ticket wasn't valid on the CFF. But then again controls on that short sector are very infrequent.
The Heathrow Express is the most expensive, per km, train ticket on the planet.
The hotel transport card is funded from the hotel tax Geneva imposes on all hotel guests. It still exists.
Yes. I knew that the hotel tax figured in, but it was still nice to arrive at any actual hotel and get the pass. When we Air B&B’d, we missed that perk.
Interesting. Had just assumed it was valid for all transport. Have pulled the same two-ticket trick dozens of times, I guess we must have never been controlled during that short train journey?
Isn't that just the tourist tax?
Seems a good use for it though. Keeps most tourists from stressing about how to move about by public transport.
What’s wrong with poor people?
Exactly right. One of the best uses for the tax!
Same about me. I'm surprised.
They can't afford to get out of Geneva Airport, obviously!
But you didn’t pay the tax at the AirBnB.