LAUSANNE - GETTING AROUND

On Foot

Lausanne is a great city to be explored on foot. There are a number of sites within a short walk of the Main Station with the largely carfree streets beginning right across the stree. Like many streets in Lausanne it is a bit steep though, so it that`s a problem consider taking the Metro.

We recommend you try one of the self-guided tours organized by the city. They have excellent ideas for discovering a new side of the city and each one is supplemented by pictures, maps and itineraries.

By Public Transportation (metro and bus)

Public transport in Lausanne (and all of Switzerland) is extensive, reliable, safe and easy to use. It is simple to get around without a car. Enjoy significant savings with many discounted passes available for youth, pensioners, and families. Make sure to take advantage of day trip combination offers.

Public transport is free if you book a hotel in the city of Lausanne, you will receive a free Lausanne Transport Card when you check in. It grants free access to all public transport in and around Lausanne during your entire stay. It also gets you discounts on various local activities.

Geneva Public Transport network is named UNIRESO. It is an interconnected system of trams, buses (TPG), mouettes (yello transport boats) and trains (CFF) in a city of Geneva. The whole system uses the same tickets. The public transport office at the main train station provides comprehensive information and advice on suitable ticket options.

Single, multi-journey, day tickets and Mobilis Travel Cards (www.mobilis-vaud.ch) are available. These provide access to the entire public transport network including the metro, trolleybus and bus services, as well as an extensive regional train networks to surrounding areas. TL (www.t-l.ch) is the public transport provider of Lausanne. Vevey/Montreux (www.vmcv.ch) and Nyon (www.bustpn.ch) have their own regional transport networks. Tickets are available at bus stops and stations.

Night buses, known as the service pyjama, run between 1:00 am and 4:00 am on Friday and Saturday evenings. There is no supplementary ticket necessary for night trains, but you need to purchase an extra CHF 4 ticket before boarding night buses. Switzerland has very strict drinking and driving laws so these are good options to take advantage of when going home after an evening out.

By Boat

CGN operates boats on Lake Geneva that offer cruises and excursions to various destinations from the port at Ouchy. It is common to live just across the lake in Evian, France, from which transport to Lausanne for work is less than 30 minutes.

Between late May and late September, a lake steamer cruises several times a day in both directions between Geneva and Saint-Gingolph, Lausanne, Vevey, Montreaux, and Nyon. Saioling time from Geneva is about 3.5 hours. For information, cal (tel. 0848-811-848; www.cgn.ch).

By Bicycle

Parts of Lausanne are quite steep but the city is still great for cycling, especially along the lake. Ride either direction and reach either Vevey or Morges. Lausanne features PubliBike which is self-service stations for bike borrowing at a small cost. For a day pass (about 10 CFF). Throughout the city is an excellent network of paths, marked bicycle lanes, and bypass tunnels that will help you get through most of the busy intersections. The routes by the lake are simply beautiful but can get busy with strollers, pedestrians, roller bladders and cyclists at peak times during the summer.

Check out the downloadable site `Carte Velo` from the city website: www.lausanne.ch/velo. This map helps those new to the city find the preferred bicycling routes in the area.

By Car (parking options)

If you can avoid having a car in Lausanne, we recommend you do. The city center is small enough to explore on foot, and there`s excellent public transportation. If you do have a car you will find street parking can be difficult to find. For parking on the street, purchase tickets from the meter to display in your window. In the occasional blue zone, free parking is allowed for up to 1.5 hours with a parking disc marking your arrival time in the window (buy this at the post office). You can also find parking at most main SBB/CFF stations.

Lausanne Transport Card

Lausanne Transport Card is a personal card for free travel on Lausanne`s public transport system in zones 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 19 (2nd class) available for hotel guests. The card is issued by the hotel on check-in and is valid for the duration of the reservation, including the day of departure.