Cheapest Boat Trips for Cruising Lake Geneva

Using Mouettes Public Transportation Passenger Ferries in Genève

Jun 12, 2009

The Mouettes passenger ferry boats operated by Genève Ville public transportation are fun for children and the cheapest cruises on Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in Switzerland.

Boat excursions on Lake Geneva (locally known by the French name Lac Léman) can be fairly expensive. However, using the small Mouettes passenger ferries in Geneva is a downright bargain. These small boats operate on four routes across the lake in Genève Ville (city) to bring travelers fast and cheaply to the other side of the water without having to deal with the seemingly permanent traffic jam on Mont Blanc Bridge. The Mouettes Genevoises Navigation passenger ferries are part of the Geneva public transportation network and all standard tickets are valid without surcharge. The Mouettes are also a great when traveling with children in often expensive Switzerland.

The Mouettes Passenger Ferries in Geneva, Switzerland

The Mouettes are small passenger ferries sitting up to 60 passengers that operate on Lake Geneva within the Genève Ville (Geneva City) limits. Currently six Mouettes are in operation, of which two are solar powered.

The Mouettes are great options for commuters wanting to cross Lake Geneva. Due to heavy traffic, few buses actually use the shortest route to cross the Rhone River on Mont Blanc Bridge. Commuters usually have to detour and transfer between buses and trams at Gare Cornavin, Geneva’s main train station and important public transportation hub. The small passenger ferries thus provide a transportation service in addition to being a great and cheap way to cruise on Lake Geneva.

Mouettes Passenger Ferry Routes across Lake Geneva

The Mouettes passenger ferries cross Lac Léman in a few minutes on four routes. The main hub is Pâquis, which is on the Quai Mont Blanc in front of the Grand Kempinski Hotel on the Gare Cornavin (Geneva train station) side of the lake.

Ferries on route M1 and M2 operate every ten minutes while boats on route M3 and M4 cruise every 30 minutes. On weekdays, Mouettes operate from around 7:15 am to 7:30 pm and on weekends from around 10 am. Mouette boats operate year round but adverse weather conditions sometimes force a suspension of operations.

Tickets for the Mouettes Passenger Ferries in Geneva, Switzerland

The Mouettes cross Lake Geneva and thus operate on routes difficult to replicate by buses and trams. However, for many visitors it is the cheap price of the Mouettes and great views from the ferries that are of most interest.

Boat excursions on Lake Geneva are often expensive but the Mouettes passenger ferry boats are cheap in comparison. The price of the mouette can be as low as CHF2 or even less when combined with other transportation tickets. Children under six accompany fare-paying adults for free while children six to sixteen pay the reduced fee.

All tickets issued by UNIRESO, the public transportation system in Geneva that include buses, trams, trains, and ferry boats, are valid on the Mouettes. Except for bearers of short trip tickets, passengers may generally stay on the ferry boat and return to the original point of departure if desired.

Using the Mouettes passenger ferry boats is the cheapest way short of floating on driftwood to see the Geneva skyline from the lake – even renting a paddle boat is slightly more expensive. However, regular lake cruise boats do operate at great frequency on Lake Geneva for pleasure trips, excursions to sights such as Nyon and Yvoire, cross-lake ferry services from Lausanne to Evian, and sightseeing cruises to see the beautiful Alps, Chateau de Chillon, and vineyards in the Vevey and Montreux area.

The copyright of the article Cheapest Boat Trips for Cruising Lake Geneva in Switzerland Travel is owned by Henk Bekker. Permission to republish Cheapest Boat Trips for Cruising Lake Geneva in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.