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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- May–Sep; Sep–Oct for Lavaux harvest
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (grey, wet, lake fog)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CHF 150–230 excl. bed · High CHF 250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 118 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | CHF 4–6 |
| Lunch, café or bakery | CHF 12–20 |
| Dinner, mid restaurant | CHF 30–50 |
| Beer, draught / supermarket can | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| Metro or bus single ride | CHF 3.50 (check) |
| Museum entry | CHF 8–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 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
Typical fares
- 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)
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Lausanne Cathedral
- Olympic Museum
- Collection de l'Art Brut
- Lavaux vineyards
- Flon nightlife
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lavaux vineyards (Lutry, Cully, Rivaz) | Train from Lausanne to Lutry or Cully, 10–15 min, then walk the terraced trails | About 45 min |
| Montreux | IC train from Lausanne, about 25 min | About 40 min |
| Vevey | Train from Lausanne, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Geneva | IC train from Lausanne, 35–50 min | About 1 h |
| Château-d'Œx | Train to Montreux then MOB mountain line, about 1 h 30 min total | About 2 h |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-byen sa koot |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo ay la gar |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moiex-koo-zay mwa |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- 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).
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lausanne yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lausanne Cathedral
- Olympic Museum
- Collection de l'Art Brut
- Lavaux vineyards
- Flon nightlife
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Lausanne official city site: www.lausanne.ch/
- Lausanne Tourisme: www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/en
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB): www.sbb.ch/en
- Transports publics de la région lausannoise (tl): www.t-l.ch/
- Wikivoyage: Lausanne, revision 5306030 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5306030
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lausanne
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries: embassies in Bern, consulates-general in Geneva. Check your own country's listing before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lausanne). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.