Lausanne (Lausanne)

The parts of Lausanne station used by trains have been recently reconstructed, so that more local trains can use the station and improvements have been made to the access to the metro.
There are currently two passage ways, located on either side of the main station hall, which run beneath the railway lines.

The passage way that leads off from the Est departure hall to voie (platforms/tracks) 3 – 8 has lift access with the voies.
As you approach the station from the town this passage way is accessed through the smaller departure hall; that has the arched canopy over its street entrance.

The passage way to the right/ouest of the main departure hall only has steps and ramps access to platforms/tracks/voie 3 – 8, but it is also the only means of accessing voie/track 9; but it does have elevator access to voie 9.

If you're arriving by train from the south (on trains that have passed through Bern or Montreux), then the lifts will be towards the rear of the train.
If you're arriving from Geneva or Paris, then the lifts will be towards the front of the train.

The entrance to the Metro is on the opposite side of the street to main departure hall, but it can be directly accessed by the est passage way; the one that has the lifts.
Use this Est passage way and you don't have to ascend into the main station building to access the Metro, because the entrance will be ahead of you at the end of the passage way.

Lausanne is the only Swiss city which has a metro; on the local transport map the metro station is named Lausanne Gare and the metro, that serves the station, is the pink line.

There are two metro lines 1 and 2 in Lausanne, but only line 2 calls at Lausanne Gare.
This is useful, as the public transport connections to/from Lausanne station are otherwise comparatively limited.

Lausanne station occupies a position between the shore of Lake Geneva and the heart of the city, with its charming old town.
Though in contrast the immediate vicinity of the station is a tad nondescript.

The easiest route from Lausanne station to the heart of the old town and the area around the cathedral is to take the Metro line 2 (direction Croisette) two stops to Riponne M. Béjart station.
It's a short Metro journey, but the old town of Lausanne is a steep uphill walk from the station.

For the Olympic Museum take the Metro Line 2 (direction Ouchy-Olympique) to Jordils station, the nearest station to the museum; despite there being a station named Ouchy-Olympique.
(Ouchy-Olympique is the station on the shore of Lake Geneva).

Hotels within 10 mins walk of Lausanne Station/Gare:

4* Hotels:

Hotel Continental

Hotel Victoria

Hotel Agora Swiss Night

3* Hotels:

Elite Hotel