Car Hire Lausanne Train Station

Known as the Olympic capital of the world, the beautiful city of Lausanne lies on the shores of Lake Geneva (in French, Lac Leman) in Switzerland.

With its scenic attractions, Lausanne, the largest city in the French-speaking canton of Vaud, is a popular destination for tourists who visit for its abundance of history and vibrant cultural scene. As well as being a centre for global sport, the city is home to world-leading university research as well as international corporate headquarters making it a key destination for business travellers.

A visit to Lausanne can take you in any direction whether that’s enjoying the finest regional gastronomy, scaling the peaks, water sports, relaxing in the thermal waters or tracking down the top Lausanne attractions like the Charlie Chaplin Museum.

As well as direct trains from Geneva, capital of Switzerland, there are international services to Lausanne via TGV from France along with links to regional railway lines.

Collect your Avis hire car at Lausanne railway station and get ready to start your Swiss driving adventure.

You’ll find our friendly team at Avis Lausanne Train Station conveniently located in the centre of Lausanne, just outside the entrance to the station in Avenue de la Gare.

It’s just a 5min (1.2km) drive from Lausanne Station into the centre of Lausanne via Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet and Avenue Jules Gonin.

The top recommended places to see in Lausanne include a tour of the city’s beautiful 13th century Gothic cathedral. Lausanne Cathedral dominates the city’s old town and is regarded as one of the most important medieval church buildings in Europe.

Next up, you can’t go to Lausanne without immersing yourself in the city’s Olympic history. Check out the Olympic Museum and stand alongside sporting greats.

It’s been named the best small city in the world making Lausanne the perfect place for a stroll. Set over three hills, you’ll catch breath-taking views at every turn. The city is blessed with beautiful parks and gardens to explore and is known for its festivals with both film and music festivals featured in Lausanne’s annual life.

For something completely different, drop into the Musee de l'Art Brut – which literally means raw art - for its weird and wonderful art collection.

Finally, no trip to Lausanne is complete without a boat trip on Lake Geneva. Setting off from Lausanne Ouchy, you’ll be spoilt for choice of cruise destinations from Montreux to Nyon or Évian in France.

Close to the Swiss capital Geneva, as well the French and Italian border, Lausanne is the perfect base for exploring this stunning, mountainous region. Whether you want to plan a route around the lakes and Swiss Alps, head further afield to the Jura Mountains or navigate the mountain passes into Italy, this area has some great drives in store.

Aosta, Italy

Plan a drive from Lausanne to Aosta, the Rome of the Alps and you are in for a unique driving experience. This stunning journey takes you from the shores of Lake Geneva and over the Great St Bernard Pass, the third highest mountain pass in Switzerland. Head east along the A9 highway and stop off in the interesting town of Montreux with its medieval island Castle Chillon, statue to musician Freddie Mercury and Queen studio. Turn south on the E27 at Martigny with the mountains ahead of you and as you climb, you’ll drive through tunnels, skirt picturesque Alpine villages and navigate hairpin bends. In short, it’s spectacular. If you are travelling in summer, you can drive through the Great St Bernard Pass itself but in winter and early spring (October to May) it’s more likely that the tunnel will be your only option. Your reward after this 147km, 2hr15min drive, is to arrive in Aosta, once the Roman capital of the region, rich in historical monuments and artefacts and well known for its sustaining and delicious mountain cuisine, especially the local Fontina cheese, the main ingredient in Fondue.

Geneva and Lac Leman

You can get to Geneva in under an hour via the E62 highway, but we recommend taking your time and opting for Route 1, a road that hugs the shores of Lac Leman taking in towns like Nyon on the way. The 65km trip will take you around 1hr40min but it’s worth it – the road is relatively quiet and you’ll find plenty of places to stop along the route.  

While there is plenty to see in Lausanne itself, driving across the southern Alps is a bucket-list experience. Whether you want to explore the countryside in this part of Switzerland or stop off in local towns and villages, hiring a car means you can just take to the open road and drive.

If you are driving in Switzerland for the first time or haven’t travelled there recently, make sure you familiarise yourself with the country’s driving rules before picking up your car. Some key road rules in Switzerland include driving on the right and overtaking on the left. Be aware during the day, you must sound your horn outside built-up areas before a sharp bend with limited visibility. At night, flash your headlights instead.

For more information check out the latest road rules in Switzerland.

Lausanne is blessed with a good public transport system so once there, make use of the excellent parking facilities in the Olympic capital. You’ll find around 20 vast covered car parks in the centre and plenty of well-connect park and ride, long-stay car parks on the outskirts where you can park all day for 8 francs.