Hotels near CERN - Geneva Airport Hotels in Meyrin

CERN’s visitor centre, Science Gateway, is at 1 Esplanade des Particules in Meyrin, the municipality west of the airport where NH Geneva Airport and Mercure Geneva Airport are located. CERN puts the journey from Geneva Airport (GVA, Genève Aéroport) at about 25 minutes by bus and tram. This guide gives that route, the three hotels towards CERN, how the walk-to hotels connect, and the bus to the French side.

Getting to CERN from the airport

CERN’s directions from the airport are: bus 23, 28 or 57 from the Genève-Aéroport Terminal stop (check-in level, next to the railway station) to Vernier-Blandonnet, then tram 18 to Meyrin-CERN, the terminus outside Science Gateway; about 25 minutes in all. A unireso zone 10 single is CHF 3.00 and the free Geneva Transport Card that hotel guests receive (sent by email before arrival; zone 10 buses, trams, trains and boats) covers every leg. In 2026 line 23 ends at the airport during the Tram des Nations works, and line 28 is extended to replace it; check the tpg app for the day’s routing. No tram reaches the airport itself until the Tram des Nations opens, planned for December 2028.

Hotels towards CERN

Three of the ten hotels are on the CERN side of the airport, and all three rely on a shuttle or public transport rather than a walk to the terminal. Two of the ten hotels are in Meyrin (NH and Mercure); Holiday Inn Express is in Cointrin.

NH Geneva Airport, Avenue de Mategnin 21, has 190 rooms including 18 junior suites, the Le Pavillon restaurant, a free gym and sauna and indoor parking at CHF 31 for 24 hours. A free shuttle serves the airport and Palexpo, hours not published. It does not publish a distance to CERN.

Mercure Geneva Airport, Rue de la Bergère 3, is a 7-minute drive from the terminal by the hotel’s figure and 500 m from Zimeysa railway station, the terminus of bus 57 from the airport (37 to 43 minutes). Its official page lists a free shuttle by reservation from 6:00 am to 11:15 pm (a booking platform lists it at CHF 5 per person; confirm when booking). It has the Atrium Brasserie, a rooftop bar and a 1,000 sq.m. gym with sauna and hammam at CHF 15 a day; breakfast is from 6:30 am, CHF 29.

Holiday Inn Express Geneva Airport, Route de Pré-Bois 16, is about 1 km from the terminal and 200 m from the Blandonnet tram stop, where CERN’s route changes from bus to tram 18, so from this hotel you need only tram 18. It has 154 rooms, breakfast included from 6:30 am, a free shuttle every 20 minutes from 6:00 am to 11:30 pm and parking at CHF 20 a day.

The walk-to hotels and the tram

The six hotels within a walk of the terminal (Hilton, Nash, Mövenpick, Crowne Plaza, ibis and ibis Styles) reach CERN via the Genève-Aéroport Terminal stop and the route above, so allow the 25 minutes plus the walk or shuttle ride. Crowne Plaza Geneva and Mövenpick Hotel Geneva are both about 600 m from the terminal by third-party measurement and run free shuttles. By car, hotel parking is CHF 20 a day at Holiday Inn Express, CHF 24 a day at Crowne Plaza and CHF 31 for 24 hours at NH.

The French side: bus 66 to Prévessin

CERN’s Prévessin site and Saint-Genis-Pouilly are in France. Bus 66 runs from Genève-Aéroport Terminal via Palexpo, Ferney-Voltaire, Prévessin, Saint-Genis and Val Thoiry, about 53 minutes end to end; since 14 December 2025 it runs every 20 minutes at peak and every 30 off-peak between Ferney and Val Thoiry. Since 5 July 2026 the night closures of the Ferney tunnel (10:00 pm to 5:00 am) reroute bus 66 at night, so check the tpg app for late journeys. The former letter line Y no longer exists. None of the ten hotels here is on the French side; the French sector guide explains Pier F and the customs road from Ferney-Voltaire.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get from Geneva Airport to CERN?

CERN's own directions: take bus 23, 28 or 57 from the Genève-Aéroport Terminal stop to Vernier-Blandonnet, then tram 18 to the Meyrin-CERN terminus, about 25 minutes in all. A unireso zone 10 ticket (CHF 3.00) or the free Geneva Transport Card from your hotel covers the whole trip.

Which airport hotel is closest to CERN?

NH Geneva Airport on Avenue de Mategnin and Mercure Geneva Airport near Zimeysa station, both in Meyrin, and Holiday Inn Express Geneva Airport in Cointrin, 200 m from the Blandonnet tram stop where tram 18 to CERN starts its run through Meyrin.

Can I stay on the French side near CERN's Prévessin site?

Yes, though none of the ten hotels on this site is in France. Bus 66 runs from Genève-Aéroport Terminal through Ferney-Voltaire and Prévessin to Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Val Thoiry, about 53 minutes end to end, and doubled its frequency between Ferney and Val Thoiry in December 2025.

Information last verified: September 24, 2026