Lausanne by Train
Forty minutes along the lake to Switzerland’s steepest city — Gothic above, Olympic below, and a metro doing the climbing.
The short version
- Direct trains run Geneva–Lausanne in about 40 minutes, up to four times an hour — CHF 28 walk-up, less on advance Saver fares, free with a Swiss Travel Pass; times at sbb.ch.
- The Gothic cathedral crowns the old town: 13th-century glass in the rose window, and a 232-step tower climb (CHF 5) over the roofs to the lake and the Savoy Alps.
- Lausanne still employs a night watchman — every night from 22:00 to 02:00 he calls the hour from the cathedral tower, as the city has heard since 1405.
- The Olympic Museum at Ouchy (CHF 20) is the IOC’s home showing: torches, medals, and the moments, told well enough to convert the indifferent — details at olympics.com/museum.
- The M2 metro — French-speaking Switzerland’s only true métro — hauls you from lakefront to old town in minutes, and the Quais d’Ouchy promenade fills whatever the museums leave.
Getting there
Trains leave Geneva’s main station for Lausanne up to four times an hour and take about 40 minutes along the lake — sit on the right for the water. Walk-up fares run about CHF 28 each way; Saver fares booked ahead cost less, and Swiss Travel Pass holders ride free. From Lausanne station, the M2 metro runs uphill to the old town and downhill to Ouchy every few minutes — buy a short-hop ticket or use a day pass, and treat it as part of the sightseeing.
The day
Ride the M2 up and start at the cathedral, the finest Gothic building in Switzerland: the painted portal, the 13th-century rose window with its medieval map of the cosmos, and the 232-step tower for the full sweep of roofs, lake, and Alps. The old town below unrolls in covered staircases and market streets — the Escaliers du Marché are the postcard — with the Palud square’s fountain and animated clock at the bottom. After lunch, take the metro the whole way down to Ouchy and give the Olympic Museum two hours: the IOC has kept its treasures here since 1915, and the storytelling — torches, timing machines, Jesse Owens, Nadia’s perfect ten — outclasses most national museums. Finish on the Quais d’Ouchy, three kilometers of Belle Époque lakefront with the Savoy peaks across the water. The night watchman starts calling at ten, if your train home can wait that long.
When to go
Year-round — the cathedral, museum, and metro are weatherproof, and the lakefront works from spring through late autumn. May, June, and September give Ouchy its best light and temperatures. July’s city festival and January’s museum quiet are both legitimate choices; the one constant is the slope, which respects no season.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from Geneva to Lausanne?
Direct train, about 40 minutes, up to four an hour — around CHF 28 walk-up, cheaper booked ahead, free with a Swiss Travel Pass. In Lausanne, the M2 metro handles the city’s steep spine.
Is the Olympic Museum worth it for non-sports fans?
More than most expect — it is the IOC’s own collection, told through objects and film rather than statistics, and it holds attention for a full two hours. CHF 20, closed most Mondays outside high summer.
What is the night watchman?
Since 1405, Lausanne has kept a watchman who calls the hour from the cathedral tower every night between 22:00 and 02:00 — one of the last cities in Europe to maintain the tradition. It is free to stand below and listen.
Cathedral or museum if time is short?
Both fit a half day thanks to the metro — the cathedral and old town take two hours, the museum two more, and the M2 connects them in minutes. If forced: the cathedral tower view is the thing Geneva cannot offer.
Can you combine Lausanne with Lavaux?
Easily — the Lavaux vineyard terraces start one stop east of Lausanne, and our Lavaux page covers that walk. Doing both in one day means a very early start or a shallow visit to each; the pairing is better as two trips.