Travel tips Lausanne
Lausanne will always have a special place in my heart. In fact, I lived here for 6 months during an Erasmus exchange in my last master’s year.
Lausanne may seem like a big city, but it really does have a compact center. Also, the view of Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman) is fantastic. Because of its location on a hill, you will also have some tough walking.
Good to know
In Switzerland, the currency is the Swiss Franc. If you were to stay in Switzerland for a long time, you could possibly withdraw some money at an ATM. We just paid for everything with our credit card without any problems. Just keep in mind the exchange rates your bank may charge for this.
You should also bring a travel plug. A mobile phone plug can easily be used without a travel plug, but thicker plugs such as a laptop cannot be used.
How to get to Lausanne
You can easily fly to Geneva several times a day. On Skyscanner you can easily plan your trip.
From Geneva airport, take the train towards Lausanne, which takes about 45 min. There are 4 trains per hour, so you won’t have to wait long. You can easily buy the tickets at the ticket machines in the airport.
Hotel in Lausanne
We stayed at Hotel Crystal in downtown Lausanne. It is close to a metro stop from where you can easily get to the rest of the city. Next to the hotel is the COOP supermarket where you can easily buy food for breakfast. There is also a self-service restaurant on the top floor. You can also have breakfast in the hotel itself (which we did not do).
The rooms are quite large and functionally furnished. There is also a spacious bathroom with everything you might need. In the room there is also a small refrigerator. The ideal hotel as a base to explore Lausanne.
How to get around in Lausanne?
Lausanne has a very compact center, so everything is perfectly doable on foot. If you book a hotel in Lausanne, you do get a transportation ticket for your entire stay (both for the metro, bus, and regional trains). On the day of arrival, you can simply show a hotel confirmation at check-in. Once at the hotel, you will then get your ticket.
There are 2 metro lines that are very easy to use. This is especially convenient to go from the shores of the lake to the center. Buses run very frequently in the center, so also always convenient to explore the area.
What to do in Lausanne
Lausanne Cathedral
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Lausanne is located in the center of Lausanne. It was consecrated by Pope Gregory X in 1275. During the Reformation in 1536, the cathedral lost all its decorations such as altars, statues and paintings. The cathedral also houses one of the most expensive church organs in the world. The cathedral is free to visit every day.
Sauvabelin tower
The Sauvabelin Tower is a wooden tower located in the Sauvabelin Forest. After climbing 151 stairs, you reach the top of the tower where you have a beautiful view of Lausanne, the surrounding forests, mountains and, of course, the lake. For safety reasons, only 30 people are allowed on the tower at a time. It is accessible every day for free.
Lake Génève (Lac Leman)
Lausanne is right on Lake Geneva or Lac Léman. It is blissful to take a walk along it or sit on a bench enjoying the view. On a good day, you can even see Evian in France across the street. Boat trips also depart from Lausanne on the lake or to Evian.
Olympic museum
The Olympic Museum is the largest museum of Olympic memorabilia in the world. The permanent exhibition is spread over 3 floors: Olympic World, Olympic Games and Olympic Spirit. You start on the third floor with the history of the Olympic Games. On the second floor you can see equipment from all Olympic sports. Then on the second floor you can test your own Olympic strengths. You can also admire all the Olympic medals there. Definitely worth a visit.
Place de la Palud
This square is in the center of Lausanne where there is the Fontaine de la Justice but also the clock. Every hour between 8h and 19h, three groups of figurines come out of the wall. Very nice to see once.
In this square, there is also a market every Wednesday and Saturday.
Where to eat in Lausanne
Crêperie le Chandeleur offers Normandy pancakes and cider. I went there for a galette with smoked duck breast and goat cheese. Nice portion and very tasty, perfect for lunch.
Les Brasseurs is not only a restaurant and bar but also a brewery. So you can also try the house beers there but I only went for the food. The cordon blue came along with fries and nice hot vegetables.
At Glaces Veneta on the shores of the lake you can go for a delicious ice cream. They have very experimental flavors but also the classics. The scoops are very generous but also quite pricey (€4 per scoop).
Enjoying culinary delights? Then you have come to the right place at Tout Un Monde in Lavaux. You can only go there for a fixed menu but it changes regularly. This restaurant is located a bit outside the center and you can get there by train and then a bit on foot. Definitely recommended!
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