Distance between LHR and London city center: 25km
Distance between JFK and NY city center: 24km (of traffic jam...)
Distance between GVA and Geneva city center: 6.6 km
You have to compare apples with apples.
Distance between Narita and Tokyo city center: 66km
I found this (had to go through a web archive), I think it was valid on on the train too:
He did, he compared Geneva to Big Apple
A few years ago in Italy it became the norm to have special fares to and from airports, and I'm told it's the same across Europe. Airport operators are authorized to ask fees to public transport operators, which in turn are authorized to increase ticket prices for all journeys involving one or more designated "airport stop" (there are no zones in Italy).
In Venice a bus ride from VCE costs 8 €, compared to the standard fee of 1,5 € (which you can get if you walk to the next stop outside of the airport entrance road...)
In Pisa they dismantled the railroad and built a People Mover, which made it easier to increase the price to 5 €.
(The railroad allowed direct trains to Florence with regional fares but who needs that?)
In Vancouver, airport users (not including staff) pay a $5 surcharge.
Me three. We've gotten the freebie ticket from airport to Geneva main on the train every time we've come home, and then bought a separate ticket from main to our home station.
Never had a problem, although I can't recall how many times we were controlled between the airport and the main station. Surely at least a few times in a dozen years?
No wonder. Possibly outdated now, but this page still confirms its validity on the train.
That said, who can point me to a city where tourists don't get milked? Usually that's a given, almost tautologous (-logical?).
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No problems with gold bars. But 1.1kg of meat products ... well.
I never knew about these free tickets and instead always bought my own bus ticket :-(
I used the free tickets ever since they were introduced and they were valid for all public transport in Geneva canton, buses, trams, trains and I guess even the Mouettes. As I live just outside Geneva, I then bought a ticket from Pont-Céard (the last station in Geneva) to Mies.
From what I understand, the free ticket operation was financed by the airport, and they've pulled the plug on this as a cost-saving measure (800000 CHF/year).