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Major city · Switzerland

Lausanne

Give Lausanne 2 nights: one for the old town and cathedral, one for Ouchy and the Olympic Museum. Skip it only if you have already booked Geneva and Montreux.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CHF
Best months
May–Sep; Sep–Oct for Lavaux harvest
avoid Nov–Feb (grey, wet, lake fog)
Airports
GVA · ZRH
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
  • Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.

Lausanne is the capital of Vaud, a steep city of 140,000 stacked between a Gothic cathedral on the hill and the Lake Geneva port of Ouchy below. It is the transport hub of the canton and the gateway to the Lavaux vineyards and the Valais. Two nights covers the old town, the museums and the lakefront without rushing; add a third for Lavaux or a lake crossing.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Lausanne, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCHF 4–6
  • Sit-down mealDinner, mid restaurantCHF 30–50
  • BeerBeer, draught / supermarket canCHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3
  • Metro or bus rideMetro or bus single rideCHF 3.50 (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entryCHF 8–15
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCHF 45
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per roomCHF 200
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per roomCHF 380

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CHF 90 · Mid CHF 160 · High CHF 300

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Lausanne CathedralOlympic MuseumCollection de l'Art BrutLavaux vineyardsFlon nightlife
Airports
GVA Geneva Airport (Train to Lausanne station about 45 min, at least twice hourly; full fare about CHF 27 (check)) · ZRH Zurich Airport (More trans-Atlantic service; direct trains to Lausanne take about 2 h 30 min)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Lausanne: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

−1°C

10 rd

Feb

5°C

−1°C

9 rd

Mar

10°C

2°C

10 rd

Apr

14°C

5°C

10 rd

May

19°C

9°C

12 rd

Jun

23°C

13°C

11 rd

Jul

25°C

15°C

10 rd

Aug

25°C

15°C

10 rd

Sep

20°C

12°C

9 rd

Oct

15°C

8°C

10 rd

Nov

8°C

3°C

10 rd

Dec

5°C

0°C

10 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk in the old town, but expect real hills: the M2 metro covers the steepest stretch from Ouchy through the station and Flon to the old town, and the M1 runs west to UNIL and EPFL. Buses are dense and frequent. Tickets are zone-based; hotel guests get a free two-week transport pass on check-in. The LEB local railway leaves from Flon for the northern suburbs.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lavaux vineyards (Lutry, Cully, Rivaz)

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Train from Lausanne to Lutry or Cully, 10–15 min, then walk the terraced trails

Terraced UNESCO vineyard slopes above the lake; walk downhill between villages and return by train.

Montreux

go

Door to door: About 40 min

IC train from Lausanne, about 25 min

Lakeside promenade and Chillon castle nearby; see the Montreux guide.

Vevey

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Train from Lausanne, about 15 min

Food museum and Chaplin's World; see things to do in Vevey.

Geneva

go

Door to door: About 1 h

IC train from Lausanne, 35–50 min

Easy half-day or connection; see the Geneva guide.

Château-d'Œx

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

Train to Montreux then MOB mountain line, about 1 h 30 min total

Alpine village in the Pays-d'Enhaut; better as an overnight than a return day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Ouchy

Lakefront hotels and restaurants, M2 to the centre in about 10 min; best for summer and lake views.

Cité / Ville Marché

Old town near the cathedral and Place de la Palud; steep streets, quiet at night, closest to the sights.

Flon

Bars, clubs and shopping in the old warehouse valley; M1/M2 hub, noisy on weekends.

Sous Gare

Just below the station; good cafés, easy with bags, 10 min walk up to the old town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
CHF 90–140 excl. bed
Mid
CHF 150–230 excl. bed
High
CHF 250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid hotel1 × 2 nights × CHF 200CHF 400
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CHF 160CHF 640
Geneva Airport to Lausanne, one way2 × CHF 27 · checkCHF 54
Day transport ticket, one day2 × CHF 9 · checkCHF 18
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CHF 20CHF 40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCHF 115
Trip total≈ CHF 317 per person per day, bed includedCHF 1,267≈ US$1,600

2026 estimate in Swiss francs; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeCHF 4–6
Lunch, café or bakeryCHF 12–20
Dinner, mid restaurantCHF 30–50
Beer, draught / supermarket canCHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3
Metro or bus single rideCHF 3.50 (check)
Museum entryCHF 8–15
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Lausanne is a safe city; the real risks are the steep streets after rain, pickpockets around the station and Flon at night, and cold water on the lakefront. Emergency 112 works everywhere.
  • The city is unusually steep for its size; streets that look flat on a map can be a hard climb. Use the M2 instead of walking the hill.
  • Most metro and bus ticket machines do not give change; pay by card or carry coins.
  • English is less common than in Geneva; service staff and younger Swiss usually manage, older residents often prefer German or French.
  • Swiss train tickets are expensive; buy in advance online for discounted fares (billet dégriffé).

Emergency numbers

Police
117
Ambulance
144
Fire
118
European emergency
112
Rega air rescue
1414

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

LausanneLausanne

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police117
  • Ambulance144
  • Fire118
  • European emergency112

Embassy

Most countries: embassies in Bern, consulates-general in Geneva. Check your own country's listing before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Geneva Airport → Lausanne, train: about CHF 27, about 45 min (check)
  • Lausanne → Montreux, IC train: about CHF 15–20, about 25 min (check)
  • Metro single ride: CHF 3.50, zone-based (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-zhoor)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-see)
  • Combien ça coûte ? — How much is it? (kom-byen sa koot)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-yay par kart)
  • Où est la gare ? — Where is the station? (oo ay la gar)
  • Excusez-moi — Excuse me (ex-koo-zay mwa)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Lausanne. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep; Sep–Oct for Lavaux harvest · avoid Nov–Feb (grey, wet, lake fog) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for GVA: last train from Geneva Airport to Lausanne field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Cité and cathedral, Ville Marché and Riponne, Flon, Ouchy and the Olympic Museum.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (cathedral, Olympic Museum, Art Brut, Hermitage) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Lavaux walking fixtures so the vineyard day can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Switzerland

Sources