Switzerland Guide
Lausanne and Lake Geneva
Arrival
Lausanne's imposing train station is served by trains from all corners of Switzerland as well as TGVs from Paris. Boats dock at the CGN jetty in Ouchy, more or less opposite which is a metro station, with regular shuttles on line M2 climbing the steep hill to the train station ("Gare CFF"), and further up to Flon. Alternatively, bus #2 (direction Désert) snakes up from the Ouchy waterfront to Place St-François, then heads northwest over the Grand-Pont to Bel-Air, and on to Rue Neuve beside Place de la Riponne.
By car, the autoroutes describe an awkward jink through the outskirts, and it's easy to go wrong. Following autoroute signs for "Lausanne-Centre" can get you snarled in suburban traffic; instead, aim for "Lausanne-Sud" – this brings you directly to the Maladière roundabout, a scant kilometre west of the city centre and Ouchy. If you're approaching from Vevey or Montreux, don't bother with the autoroute at all, but follow blue signs for Lausanne along the lakeshore road.
Parking is expensive or awkward, or both. Street parking in the centre is a dead loss, but it's worth cruising around south of the train station in search of a blue-zone space. Alternatively, aim for the signed P+R (Park and Ride) car parks (in Ouchy and on other approach roads), where you pay Fr.11 or so, depending on the number of people, for a Carte Journalière, which includes your parking space for the day and free public transport.
From Geneva airport, trains run direct to Lausanne (every 10min; 45min). Alternatively, an Airport Shuttle Express minivan ( 
021 311 66 66, 
www.airportshuttleexpress.ch ) will bring you and your luggage to anywhere in Lausanne for Fr.49 per person. They run at set times (every 2hr: daily 5.30am–9.30pm; takes 45min) and must be booked at least an hour in advance. The same conditions apply for the return leg (every 2hr: daily 4.45am–8.45pm).