The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, attended by delegations from all WHO Member States, and it meets every year in Geneva. The World Health Organization says the Eightieth World Health Assembly is due to take place in May 2027; the exact dates are set by WHO's governing bodies. The Seventy-ninth Assembly ran from 18 to 23 May 2026, with its high-level welcome in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations.
WHA80 matters more than most. WHO's page on the election of the Director-General explains that Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's second term ends on 15 August 2027, that the Executive Board at its 160th session in 2027 will nominate up to three candidates, and that the appointment of the next Director-General will take place at the Eightieth World Health Assembly. Election years bring more ministers, more side meetings and more press to Geneva in the same week. Elly8.net books the cars around all of it, at fixed, all-in prices, through a 24/7 desk.
How do delegations get around Geneva during the World Health Assembly?
Most of the Assembly happens in a compact international district: the Palais des Nations, WHO headquarters on Avenue Appia and the permanent missions nearby, about 6 km (4 mi) from Geneva Airport. Delegations use a mix of tram, taxi and pre-booked cars; ministers and heads of delegation usually keep a chauffeur by the hour for the whole day.
A health minister's day at the Assembly is rarely one trip. It is the plenary in the Assembly Hall, a bilateral at a mission, a strategic roundtable, a side event at WHO headquarters, a lunch with partners in town and an evening reception, often with an adviser or two and a briefcase of papers. In an election year, add meetings with candidates' delegations and interviews with the media.
The Assembly week is also more than the plenary. At WHA79, WHO ran a series of Strategic Roundtables where delegates, partner agencies, civil society and WHO experts discussed public health priorities, alongside an official calendar of side events. Those sessions can spread one delegation across several rooms at the same time, each person on a different timetable.
What makes that hard is not distance but timing. The morning peak fills the roads into the international district, a taxi has to be found at each door, and an app ride ends the moment it drops you. A chauffeur on an hourly booking is parked nearby and ready when the next meeting is.
The Palais, WHO headquarters and the missions
Distances inside the international district are short. By road, WHO headquarters at 20 Avenue Appia is about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) from the Palais des Nations, and the Palais is about 3.4 km (2 mi) from the lakefront hotels on the right bank. GVA is about 6 km (4 mi) from the Palais, and the Geneva price list measures airport transfers to the lakefront, about 10 km (6 mi) and 27 minutes on a clear road.
| Who is travelling | Typical day | What we book | Price on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health minister or head of delegation | Plenary, bilaterals, side events, reception | Business SUV or First Class Sedan by the hour | US$125 to US$160 an hour, 3-hour minimum |
| Delegation of four to eight | Arrival together, daily loop from the hotel | Executive Sprinter, airport transfer then hourly | GVA to the lakefront US$325; US$200 an hour |
| Partner organisation or foundation team | Back-to-back meetings across the city | Full-day chauffeur (8 hours) | From US$740 in a business sedan |
| Media and production crew | Early starts, kit cases, late edits | Sprinter or SUV by the hour | US$125 to US$200 an hour |
| Single delegate, light bag | Hotel near Cornavin, daytime only | Train and tram, or one transfer on arrival | GVA to the lakefront from US$125 |
For a mission address, a hotel elsewhere in the canton or a hotel across the border in France, enter it in the web booker for a fixed quote. Access to the Palais des Nations and to WHO headquarters is controlled by the United Nations and WHO; our chauffeurs drop off and collect where the rules allow and never attempt to enter a restricted area.
Arriving at GVA for the Assembly
Geneva Airport straddles the border with France. Passengers can leave on the Swiss side or, through the France Sector, on the French side, so tell the desk which exit you will use. The chauffeur tracks the flight, meets you inside arrivals with a name board, and waits, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing.
Fixed transfers from GVA to the lakefront run from US$125 in a business sedan, US$165 in a Business SUV, US$200 in a First Class SUV and US$220 in a First Class Sedan, to US$325 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. Booking the return at the same time, from US$240 in a business sedan to US$620 in a Sprinter, means the departure car is assigned before you land, which matters on the last day when everyone leaves at once. See Geneva airport transfers and meet and greet. For private flights, give the desk the operator and tail number; see private jet and FBO transfers.
The plan for Assembly week
Keep the car by the hour. Hourly service in Geneva runs from US$100 an hour in a business sedan, US$125 in a Business SUV, US$150 in a First Class SUV and US$160 in a First Class Sedan, to US$200 an hour in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. For a minister in town for two or three days, this is usually cheaper and much simpler than a string of separate trips. See hourly chauffeur service.
Long days. The full-day chauffeur (8 hours) runs from US$740 in a business sedan, US$920 in a Business SUV and US$1,180 in a First Class Sedan to US$1,475 in an Executive Sprinter. The corporate roadshow day (10 hours) runs from US$900 to US$1,800 and suits a foundation, company or partner team with a dense meeting list. See roadshow chauffeur.
The Executive Board straight after. In 2026, WHO's Executive Board held its 159th session straight after WHA79, on 25 and 26 May. Board members and their advisers who stay on can extend their bookings day by day with the same chauffeur.
Evenings. The evening out and event night package covers a reception or dinner and the drive back, from US$500 in a business sedan and US$625 in a Business SUV to US$1,000 in an Executive Sprinter. If the evening is in Cologny, along the lake or in the Old Town, the chauffeur knows where to wait.
Delegations in one vehicle. A Sprinter keeps a delegation together, with documents and bags, and means one pickup at every building. See Sprinter van with driver and group transportation.
Discretion in an election year
Delegations talk in the car. Elly8.net signs NDAs on request, sends chauffeur and vehicle details in advance when a list requires them, and keeps the same chauffeur across the week wherever the schedule allows. Chauffeurs do not discuss passengers, schedules or conversations. See government, diplomatic and delegation transportation.
Elly8.net is a chauffeured car service, not a security company. We do not provide armoured vehicles, protective drivers or escorts; security arrangements for the Assembly are a matter for the United Nations, WHO and the Swiss authorities, and our chauffeurs follow their instructions.
Rides in Geneva are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer, seven for Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley.
Elly8.net vs train, tram, taxi and ride-hailing in Assembly week
The train is the fastest way into the city for a light traveller. Genève Aéroport says the station beneath the terminal connects to the city centre in 7 minutes, with up to seven trains an hour at peak times, and TPG trams and buses serve the Place des Nations in front of the Palais. The airport's official taxis charge flat fares from the rank, including CHF 35 to the international organisations and CHF 50 to the right-bank city centre, according to the airport's taxi page.
So who should use what? A single delegate with a carry-on and a hotel near Cornavin should take the train and tram, and use the CHF 35 taxi for the occasional quick trip. A ride-hailing app works for an off-peak hop where it operates, with a dynamic price and a new driver every time.
A pre-booked chauffeur earns its fare when a minister lands with advisers and luggage, when the day has five stops, when the hotel is in France, when a reception ends late, or when a delegation wants one fixed price, one invoice and one contact for the week. That is the honest division, and it is how most delegations mix the options. See chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft.
How to book for WHA80
- Enter each pickup and drop-off, with the flight number for arrivals and the side of GVA you will exit. Airport runs to the lakefront are fixed on the Geneva page; missions, French-side hotels and multi-stop days go through the web booker.
- Choose the vehicle: Business Sedan, Business SUV, First Class Sedan, First Class SUV or Executive Sprinter.
- Select Reserve now and pay by card in US dollars, or book on account. Confirmation arrives by email, and chauffeur details follow before pickup.
Assembly weeks book out early in Geneva, and an election year will be busier still, so reserve as soon as your delegation's dates are fixed. Prices on the list do not change for the event; tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. Ministries, agencies and foundations with several travellers can open a corporate account for monthly invoicing, and travel agents managing delegation travel can use a travel agent account.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. For flights and hotels, our travel partner BookingWorldwide.net handles the rest; Elly8.net books the car only.
Before and after the Assembly
Late May in Geneva is a good time to stay a day longer. The private city highlights tour, from US$400 in a business sedan to US$800 in an Executive Sprinter, covers the lakefront, the Old Town and the international district; see private city tours. The eight-hour Chamonix and Mont Blanc day trip runs from US$740 in a business sedan to US$1,475 in a Sprinter. Onward, the same desk books Zurich airport transfers, the Monaco car service, the Cannes chauffeur and Lake Como car service.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Eightieth World Health Assembly?
WHO says WHA80 is due to take place in May 2027 in Geneva; the exact dates are set by its governing bodies. The Seventy-ninth Assembly ran from 18 to 23 May 2026. Book cars as soon as your delegation's dates are fixed, because Assembly weeks fill Geneva quickly.
Why is WHA80 busier than usual?
It is the Assembly that appoints the next WHO Director-General. Dr Tedros's second term ends on 15 August 2027, the Executive Board nominates up to three candidates at its 160th session in 2027, and the appointment takes place at WHA80. Expect more ministers, side meetings and media.
How much is a car from GVA to the Palais des Nations?
The Palais is about 6 km (4 mi) from GVA. The fixed fares on the price list run from GVA to the lakefront, from US$125 in a business sedan to US$325 in an Executive Sprinter. For the Palais, WHO headquarters or a mission, use the web booker for a fixed quote, or book by the hour from US$100 an hour.
Can the chauffeur take me inside the Palais or WHO headquarters?
Only where the United Nations and WHO allow vehicles, normally with a pass arranged through your mission. Otherwise the chauffeur drops you and collects you at an agreed point outside. Send any access instructions with your booking and the chauffeur follows them exactly.
Is it worth keeping a car all day?
For ministers and heads of delegation, usually yes. A day at the Assembly can include the plenary, bilaterals, side events and an evening reception. Hourly service runs from US$100 an hour in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum, and the full-day chauffeur from US$740 for 8 hours.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, NDAs are available on request, and chauffeurs do not discuss passengers, schedules or conversations. We can send chauffeur and vehicle details in advance and keep the same chauffeur across the week where the schedule allows.
What is the cancellation policy?
More than 72 hours before pickup, cancellation is free; 72 hours or less costs 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100%. Refunds go to the original card.
