Switzerland Guide
Lausanne and Lake Geneva
Getting around
Although the Old Town is compact, and flying-crow distances don't look too bad, maps only give half the story: you'll soon find that negotiating Lausanne's mountainous gradients and cat's cradle of valleys and bridges can get wearying. The excellent public transport is run by TL ( 
0900 564 900, 
www.t-l.ch ); Zone 11 covers the whole city. A short journey of up to three stops costs Fr.1.80; a longer journey inside Zone 11 costs Fr.2.40 (valid 1hr). A Carte journalière is Fr.7.
You'll mostly be using the buses, many of them electric. Most lines skirt the Old Town from St-François to Bel-Air to Riponne: only bus #16 winds through it. There's also a metro: the steep M2 line (known fondly as la Ficelle, the String) links the Ouchy waterfront with Flon in the city centre, via the train station (Gare CFF); the Métro-Gare shuttles continuously to and fro between Flon and the train station; and M1 runs from Flon west to the university.
The station has bikes for rent (daily 6.40am–7.40pm), but even the locals have to get off and wheel them up and down the city's hills. To blend in imperceptibly with the locals, rent some blades or a skateboard from the kiosk at 6 Place de la Navigation in Ouchy (June– Sept daily 11am–10pm, April, May & Oct Sat & Sun 11am–7pm; www.delacombaz.ch ); they also rent good bikes, including 21-speed tandems. For a taxi, call 0800 810 810.