Getting to Lausanne
Lausanne is located near several international airports. Travelling to and from Lausanne is therefore particularly easy and convenient. Geneva (GVA) is the closest airport to Lausanne and certainly the most convenient, but you may also opt to fly to Zurich or Basel. There are direct air connections from most European cities to these airports. There are also some direct transatlantic flights to Geneva and Zurich. You may also reach Geneva via a European hub such as Paris, Madrid, London, etc.
From Geneva
At Geneva International Airport: After coming into Arrivals, turn left and follow blue signs “CFF-SBB,” to find the airport train station which is situated in the terminal itself and take a train to Lausanne. This is a 5-10 minute walk from the baggage claim. The train trip takes 50-60 minutes. There are usually four direct trains every hour. Buy your ticket at a vending machine (instructions in English; credit cards accepted; cost: c. 29 CHF / 31 € one way). See the SBB railway website for schedule, price, and further information.
From Zurich
At Zurich International Airport: Follow the same instructions as for Geneva airport. There is one direct train every hour to Lausanne. Note, however, that the train journey takes around 2.5 hours and the ticket costs c. 82 CHF / 85 € one way.
Car rental
Rental cars are available in all international airports from major international companies. Offices are usually open 7am-11pm. Freeways are marked in green in Switzerland; highways are marked in blue, secondary roads in white. Freeways are free of charge if you rent a car. Most hotels in Lausanne are in the centre of the city; follow signs “Lausanne Centre”.
Getting to the University and the conference venue
Click here to see the interactive UNIL map, or see below for a pdf. The conference will take place in the IDHEAP building. The nearest metro stop is UNIL-Mouline. From the metro-stop, walk north towards the Géopolis building. The IDHEAP building is situated to the left, across from the Géopolis, and is well-signed.
From Lausanne railway station
A map of Lausanne public transport is here. There are two metro lines (bright pink), which intersect at “Lausanne-Flon” station.
- metro M2 towards “Croisettes”, change at the station “Lausanne-Flon”
- then metro M1 towards “Renens CFF”
- get off at “UNIL-Mouline”
From Renens railway station
- metro M1 towards “Lausanne Flon”
- get off at “UNIL-Mouline”
Motorway
- direction “Lausanne-Sud”
- leave at “UNIL-EPFL”
- follow “UNIL”
Lausanne Transport Card
Please note, most hotels in Lausanne issue tourists with a Lausanne Transport Card, which gives any guest staying in Lausanne and paying the tourist tax FREE and unrestricted access to all the public transport services in the city (bus, train, and metro). The ticket is valid for the duration of the hotel reservation, including arrival and departure days. ID must be presented. Trips between Lausanne city centre to the UNIL campus are included in this pass. Please check with your hotel when booking.