Getting Around Lausanne
Lausanne is built on a steep slope above Lake Geneva, and that shape defines how you move through it. The city's centre sits on a hillside, with the lakeshore at Ouchy far below and the northern suburbs higher still. Because of the considerable differences in elevation, it pays to know which "level" you are on and where you want to end up — otherwise you can find yourself tens of metres above or below the street you were aiming for. The good news is that the city has an unusually strong public transport network for its size, and much of the steepest terrain is covered by rail-based services.
On Foot
Walking is a great way to get around Lausanne, especially in the centre. A number of sights lie within a short walk of the main railway station, and the largely car-free streets begin right across the street with Rue du Petit-Chêne, which leads up to Place St. François in the old town. From there, more pedestrian streets lead to the Flon quarter with its many bars, clubs and restaurants, to the shopping streets between Place St. François and Place de la Riponne, and to the old city near the cathedral.
Do keep the hills in mind when planning a walk. Lausanne is unusually steep for a city of its size, and many streets look deceptively easy on a map. This can be a real challenge, particularly for visitors with reduced mobility. The M2 metro line covers much of the steepest parts of the city and is a good alternative to walking those stretches.
Metro and Local Rail
Lausanne is the smallest city in the world to have a metro system, operated by Transports publics de la région lausannoise (TL). There are two metro lines, and both have their hub at the Flon metro station.
- The M2 is a fully automated subway connecting Ouchy on the lakeshore to the northern suburb of Epalinges, passing through the central station, Flon, and multiple stops in the old town.
- The M1 serves points west, including the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
The M2 can surprise first-time riders, because both the route and even some stations are genuinely steep. At the Gare, for instance, the platform is tilted, so hold on tight. At Bessières station near the cathedral, the station sits on a steep section of one of the old town's hills, and the elevator ride from the platform up to the bridge — with the city visible below through the windows — is not something you get to experience in most other subway systems.
There is also a local railway operated by the private LEB company, with trains that connect with the other two metro lines at Flon and run out to the far northern suburbs of Echallens and Bercher. With increasing frequencies, it has started to function as a third metro line.
Buses and Trolleybuses
Buses, also provided by TL, are clean and fast, and they are frequent enough to form a dense network — you will rarely find yourself more than a few hundred feet from a bus stop. Some trolleybuses look like a train with two wagons, where the actual bus is towing a motorless wagon.
Tickets and Passes
Metro and bus tickets are sold from vending machines at all stops, as well as at the main train station and at Flon. Fares are sold by distance, determined by a zone system: you work out how many zones your ticket needs to cover by inspecting the diagram on the ticket machines or the free map available at all ticket-sales points. Tickets come as single rides, returns, and day and week passes. Most ticket machines at metro and bus stops do not issue change, so come prepared.
CFF Abonnement Général rail passes are good for unlimited travel throughout the TL and LEB system. If you hold a CFF pass for non-Swiss travellers, it is worth asking at the main station whether your particular pass covers the local transit system, since some do and others do not.
One particularly useful perk for visitors: a free metro and bus pass valid for two weeks is provided to all Lausanne hotel guests.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material for this guide does not describe taxi or ride-hailing services in Lausanne, so no specific guidance on operators, apps or fares can be given here. In practice, the density of the metro and bus network means most visitor trips are easily handled by public transport on foot and by rail.
By Bike
Bicycles can be borrowed at Lausanne Roule, which has one location in the city centre (just outside the Lausanne Flon metro station — note that the address on their website is wrong) and one in the west-side suburbs in Renens. Additional locations are being added, including one in Ouchy. You can take a bike from one location and return it at another. A third location exists in Vevey, but one-way rentals there cost more. The ride from Lausanne to Vevey is beautiful: vineyards on your left, Lake Geneva and the Alps on your right. Ask Lausanne Roule for their free booklet on this route.
Electric bikes are another option, available for rent from bicy.ch. Bear in mind that the city itself is pretty steep, though the lakefront is very nice. A handy 1:10,000 "Carte Velo" exists and is downloadable from the city website; it helps newcomers find the preferred cycling routes in the area. Throughout the city there is an excellent network of paths, marked bicycle lanes, and bypass tunnels that help you get through the busiest intersections. The routes by the lake are simply beautiful, but can get quite busy with strollers, rollerbladers and cyclists at peak times in summer.
Getting In
From the Airport
The closest airport is Geneva Airport (GVA), served by almost all European carriers. Trains between Geneva Airport and the Lausanne CFF station take about 45 minutes and run at least twice each hour, except for the wee hours of the morning. A full fare from Geneva Airport to Lausanne is around Fr. 27. Zurich Airport provides an alternative, with more frequent trans-Atlantic service, mainly via Swiss.
By Train
Lausanne is served by the Swiss Federal Rail system. Trains run daily, roughly each half-hour between 04:45 and 01:30, from Geneva, Zürich HB, Bern, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen, Brig, Biel and points in between. All trains from elsewhere in Switzerland to Geneva pass through Lausanne, and there are also frequent local trains, so on average there is a train to or from Geneva every 15 minutes in the daytime. Fast direct IC trains take just over half an hour from Geneva, while local trains stopping at small stations can take almost an hour. There are also international services, including TGV trains from Paris Gare de Lyon, a direct train from Venice, trains from Milan, and Italian night trains from Rome and Venice.
Train tickets in Switzerland are expensive. Buy them in advance online to get discounted prices (billet dégriffé). The main station, Gare CFF at Place de la Gare 9, has 24-hour lockers.
By Bus and Boat
International buses arrive daily from Spain, France and major cities in Central Europe; many pass through Geneva or Basel before stopping in Lausanne. Boats also ply the Swiss and French shores of Lake Geneva, with several daily ferries from Evian, Montreux, Geneva and many smaller lakeshore towns. Lunch and dinner cruises are popular with tourists. Most ferries are meant as scenic trips rather than the fastest way to get around — but if you are travelling from Geneva to Lausanne, a boat trip is worth the time on a clear day.