In practice though, a car really helps, as travel time is usually reduced and convenience greatly increased.
If you are wanting to avoid a car, why not try public transport and other options before buying?
We've been living in Zurich for just over 2 years with three children and no car - after coming from a very car-dependent Australian culture...and we can say 'it is possible'...
I spend several weeks hiking in Switzerland most summers; have never yet felt the need to rent a car.
As Carlos R so well put it, try a car free life at first. You can always buy a car later if you find that you need it!
But I know many people who don't have a car and get by very easily with mobility cars and pub transport, it's all down to personal comfort, for me that's having a car but I know we could survive very well without one
As for local hiking, there is public transportation available to take you out to the Saleve and the Jura areas.
It really comes down to your own personal level of patience and dedication
I try to go skiing a few times every week during the winter, so I do use a car. I know I would not go that often if I had to go through the hassle of public or hired transportation. I also do not live in the city, but just outside of it. Owning a car in the city can also be an inconvenience from what my friends have told me.
If you want a timetable, look here , at the bottom right of the screen in the drop down menu where it says "Choose a schedule" select "Stations in the Alps" and you can download a timetable.
For skiing in the winter, they organise they have a similar schedule except that the times are sorted you can travel out and back for the day, and you can also get the lift pass for the resort at the same time as the bus ticket, which makes it more economical and saves some time when you arrive.
Having said all that, it does rather depend exactly where you end up living and exactly where you want to go to whether the convenience of your own car is worth the extra cost (particularly if you live in town and therefore need to pay for parking too...)
You should also be aware if you hire a car from Switzerland to go to France skiing you should have chains with you (very rarely used) but occasionally the French police will close the road and force chains on.
Head off to the http://www.portesdusoleil.com/ for both summer and winter fun.
I used it a few times last year when we were living in the middle of town, and if you are not too far from the station it is very convenient, particularly given the problems of parking in town if you have your own car. However, we've now moved out of town to a small village, and have bought a car...
Like some people mentioned, the Mobility car rental/sharing service is handy. I don't think it's in the US, so consider it to be like Easy Jets for cars- although you won't get the luxury models If you will use a car EVERY weekend, it may be better to find a good quality used car.
Keep in mind new cars are almost 2Xs the price in Swiss as they are in the US- my A3 is literally double the US comp.
Enjoy the slopes!
Living in Geneve is very pleasant without a car. I would suggest not getting a car, and slowly discovering the place with other options, ie. the planned bus excursions to France, the train options in Switzerland, and the mobility car sharing option. After doing this, you will have a good feel for the area and you can decide then if you do really need a car at a later point in time.
I don't agree with this. You can hire very good equipment if you are willing to pay for it. Unless you are a professional or very good skier, I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference.
Boots of course are exempt from this. Get a good pair and look after them.
1. Buy a car.
2. Go by public transport.
3. Hire a car when you need one for more than a day
4. Use Mobility when you need a car for up to one day.
Options 3 and 4 are usually cheaper than option 1, but less convenient.
Your choices of equipment are
1. Rent at the resort
2. Rent from a sports shop in advance
3. Buy
1. Is more expensive but convenient if you're going by public transport
2. Is cheaper than 1, and can be a lot cheaper if you hire for the season and ski relatively frequently - but more hassle on public transport
3. Is cheaper if you're going to be here more than a few years, and can find some good stuff in the sales!
So it's a balance of convenience against cost, tempered by how often you plan to visit the mountains.
One thing I realized is that skiing and hiking are both very much "go until you are tired" activities and if there are only a few busses per day that will be difficult (especially hiking where things can happen to slow down your pace and then you could miss the bus/train).
Perhaps looking for ski buddies to carpool with in winter and having a motorcycle for hiking in the summer is the best bet.
Thanks for the tip that vehicles are more expensive. I could fit a motorcycle quite easily in the moving container we have been alotted since I don't think we are going to move much furniture (much of our furniture would not work well in an apartment) - but is that a good thing to do? Buy a motorcycle here (USA) to bring over? I currently have a scooter and they told me since scooters are so cheap its more trouble than its worth and if I want a scooter in Geneva I should just buy one there - but a motorcycle is quite a bit more $$$ (scooter wouldn't work so well in the mtns )
On the topic of Rent vs Buy (which is off-topic but what thread here doesn't veer off-topic at some point ): I used to be in the "buy boots, rent the rest" camp. I assume its the same in the Alps as here that you can rent nice gear, but now I think buy is the way to go. Simply becuase then you can just focus on having fun, when you rent you spend a bunch of time in the day just getting used to the rentals, how they react in different situations etc (without even mentioning waiting in line for the rentals etc).
.... I find out tomorrow if my job will be willing to let me work remotely or if I would be moving to Geneva without a job and searching.. that info will have quite a big impact on whether we take the offer and move. Job prospects don't look all that rosey in Geneva for foreigners even though I would have a spouse work visa....