Lausanne is easily accessible by both plane and train. Parking in Lausanne can be both expensive and difficult to find, so we recommend using public transport where possible.
Lausanne by train
Lausanne Gare is the central train station, located in the city centre. Lausanne is well-connected by train, with fairly frequent international connections from Paris Gare de Lyon (6 trains per day) and Milan (4 trains per day). Both connections take approximately 3.5 hours. There are also direct trains to both Zurich and Geneva airports (see ‘Lausanne by plane’ below).
You can view train schedules and purchase tickets using the SBB app for any journey within Switzerland (this app also provides schedules and tickets for local travel within the city, including the bus and metro systems). International tickets can be purchased online via SBB.
Lausanne by plane
Geneva and Zurich are the two largest international airports in Switzerland. Lausanne can be reached in less than one hour from Geneva airport, and in around two and a half hours from Zurich airport. Both airports have train stations with regular direct trains to Lausanne. Note that return tickets are to be used on the day of purchase, so buy a single ticket to travel from the airport to Lausanne by train.
Travel within Lausanne
Lausanne has an excellent public transport system of metro and buses. Tickets for both can be purchased on the SBB app or from TL (Transport Lausanne) machines. If you are staying in a hotel, you will receive a Lausanne Transport card allowing you to use public transport within Lausanne for free throughout your stay. This will cover your journeys to and from the conference venue from the city center if taking the metro from Lausanne Flon to UNIL-Sorge.
If you don’t have the Lausanne Transport Card, be sure to buy a ticket before boarding either the bus or metro – there is no way to buy a physical ticket onboard, so get one from the TL machine before boarding. If you’re buying a digital ticket using the app, this also needs to be completed before you get on. Although ticket inspections are infrequent, you can be fined 100chf if you have no ticket or if your digital ticket on the app was purchased after the metro or bus left the stop. The inspectors are strict and a late ticket purchase can be costly!
Day passes are available from the TL machines and the SBB app. A pass covering zones 11 and 12 will cover transport in the city center and the metro out to the conference venue at UNIL-Sorge and beyond to Renens. Day passes are economical if you plan to make more than three journeys in one day.
Travel to the conference venue
The conference venue can be most easily reached via the metro. Note that Lausanne boasts two metro lines – make sure to take the M1 to reach the university. From the city centre, take the M1 from Lausanne Flon to UNIL-Sorge. From Renens, the same metro can be taken from Renens Gare to UNIL-Sorge.
When leaving the conference venue, note that metro trains going in both directions stop at the same platform at UNIL-Sorge. Make sure you take one heading in the right direction (towards Lausanne Flon to reach the city center, towards Renens Gare to reach Renens).
