Practical tips
The Canton of Vaud is within easy reach thanks to its ideal location in the heart of Europe and near Geneva International Airport. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know for an optimal stay or for moving here.
Vaud convenient and within easy reach
It’s time to prepare for your arrival in the Canton of Vaud. But wait… where’s the Canton of Vaud again? Take a look at our geographical location below. And how to get there? That’s easy! You can of course opt for air travel, but you can also get here by rail, road or boat.
Once you’re here, you’ll find it easy to get about thanks to our vast range of modes of transport, from the most common to the most picturesque. As we’re keen on welcoming reduced-mobility guests in optimal conditions, we have compiled a list of tourist sites and services available to people with disabilities.
Plus, to simplify accommodation and activities, we have developed a user-friendly and efficient online platform. Everything’s now in your hands to enjoy a wonderful stay in the Canton of Vaud.
Located in the south-western part of Switzerland, the Canton of Vaud lies between Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel, the Alps, and the Jura. It shares borders with France and five other Swiss cantons (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Bern, and Valais). It is part of French-speaking Switzerland, which is generally called Suisse Romande or Romandie.
Due to its location in the heart of Europe, the Canton of Vaud is easily accessible by air, land, and even water.
- By plane: located just a few miles from Geneva Airport, the Canton of Vaud is also close to the airports of Zurich Kloten, Basel Mulhouse and Bern Belp.
- By rail: our European guests always appreciate travelling by rail. Lausanne, the capital of the Canton, is less than 4 hours from Paris by direct TGV.
- By car: the Canton of Vaud is connected to the rest of Switzerland and neighbouring France by well-maintained motorways. You will need a toll sticker (CHF 40) to use Swiss motorways. Valid until 31 January of the following year, the sticker can be purchased online from www.e-vignette.ch or at post offices, petrol stations, and motorway border crossings.
The diversity and beauty of the Vaudois landscapes is stunning. To help visitors make as many discoveries as possible, the tourist offer was developed on the basis of local geographic features. How could you fully enjoy the breathtaking views unless it’s on foot or by bike? How could you reach the steep peaks above Lake Geneva unless it’s by cog train? How could you move around the various lake shores unless it’s by boat?
The Canton of Vaud now includes top-quality marked itineraries as well as efficient urban and tourist transport that sometimes hold lovely surprises in store for travellers. In a city such as Lausanne – which boasts the world’s steepest rubber-tyred metro line unique in Switzerland – it’s better to leave your car in a car park on the outskirts of the city and take advantage of public transport to discover the capital in all tranquillity. Late in the evening, so-called Taxibus will take you home from the 12 main bus stops in the greater Lausanne urban area.
Schedules, itineraries and fares
- The SBB website allows you to find the schedule and means of transport (rail, bus, boat) you’re looking for.
- The Swiss Travel Pass has been created for foreign visitors so they can take advantage of limitless travel covering around 29,000 km of rail, bus and boat lines. For limited stays in the Canton of Vaud, the Regional Pass is an ideal alternative.
- Cycling routes can be found on our “Discover” page. Most sports shops in the area have bicycles and e-bikes for hire.
Switzerland is part of the Schengen area like 25 other European countries. It therefore applies the same entry formalities:
- Visitors to the Canton of Vaud can travel freely throughout Switzerland, provided they have a valid travel document (passport and/or identity card, depending on nationality) and do not exceed a stay of 90 days (3 months). The validity of a travel document depends on different criteria in each country.
- A visa is required for stays exceeding 90 days.
For more information, please view the links below or contact the nearest Swiss Consulate General.
Other practical information: languages, money, emergency numbers, climate
The Canton of Vaud is a French-speaking region, so it’s officially French-speaking. The other Swiss languages, including German, are widely spoken, however. In tourist destinations, explanations are generally given in three languages: French, German, and English. English is widely spoken, especially in Lausanne because of the many multinationals, sports federations and international schools.
The Swiss franc is the national currency used throughout Switzerland. In tourist places, you can often pay in euros, but shopkeepers will give you the change in Swiss francs. Most bank cards and credit cards allow you to pay and withdraw money from ATMs.
In Swiss restaurants, service is included in the bill. But it is customary to add a tip of approximately 5%. Taxi drivers gladly accept tips, too. The main consumption tax is the value added tax (VAT). It amounts to 8.1%1 of the sale price. Foreign visitors can obtain VAT reimbursement by filling in the corresponding form available in shops that display the term “Tax Free”.
1811 – Telephone information for Switzerland
117 – Police
118 – Firefighters
140 – Road rescue
144 – Emergency physician and ambulance
162 – Weather forecast
The Canton of Vaud enjoys a pleasant and sunny continental climate. The temperature difference is significant in the winter and summer months (3 to 5 degrees in the plain in the middle of winter / 25 to 30 degrees in July and August).
The mountains surrounding the canton generate a significant amount of rain (on average one day out of three), but this does not prevent generous overall sunshine. In summer, the sun shines on average more than 8 hours a day around Lake Geneva. In winter, when fog is common at low altitudes, the ski resorts of the Jura and the Vaudois Alps often enjoy a cloudless sky.
Vaudois tourism accessible to all
Vaud Promotion has partnered with the Swiss umbrella organisation Pro Infirmis to offer a selection of tourist sites and services available to people with disabilities. More than 700 service providers – museums, restaurants, hotels, cultural sites, and others were reviewed by the association’s representatives according to a list of accessibility criteria.
Airplanes
Information for passengers with reduced mobility from Geneva Airport
Ships
General Navigation Company on Lake Geneva (CGN)
Wheelchair access is generally possible but depends on the number of passengers and ship size. Toilets for the disabled are available on all vessels except on the “Rhône”, the “Col-Vert” and the “Général-Guisan”. Persons in a wheelchair should contact the CGN for more information:
0900 929 929
info@cgn.ch
https://www.cgn.ch/en/
Navigation Company on the Lakes of Neuchâtel and Murten
All boats are available but only the most recent have accessible toilets.
032 729 96 00
info@navig.ch
http://www.navig.ch/
Trains
Buses
Official timetable of Switzerland – route tables
Online download of the route tables of the official timetable of Switzerland, which includes most regional and national railway, bus and ship lines. A list of the city and local transport lines (without timetables) is also available.
A page is dedicated to travellers in a wheelchair,
This page gives various explanations on accessible means of transport, including a list of the types of trains and their accessibility as well as a list of accessible train stations.
Once you have found your route, we recommend checking your information directly with the relevant transport company.
Private car
Parking spaces for the disabled in Switzerland
Parking spaces reserved for the disabled in Lausanne
Transport Handicap VauD (THVD)
The specialized drivers of THVD perform transport around the clock and 7/7 by advance booking for any type of transport (therapy, school, business or leisure). The vehicles are adapted for wheelchairs. Non-medicalised transport in a lying position can also be organised.
021 648 53 57
info@thvd.ch
http://www.thvd.ch/site
Handicool
Transport tailored to individual needs for persons with reduced mobility, including for leisure, in the whole of French-speaking Switzerland, around the clock and 7/7. A person can be transported from their home to their destination and accompanied throughout the activity or appointment.
079 912 50 40
jl.bapst@bluewin.ch
http://handicool.ch
Serenity Transport
The company Serenity offers transport for people with reduced mobility, either for appointments with your doctor or activities and leisure.
Their vehicle is equipped with an electrically powered swivel seat allowing the person to be seated outside the vehicle and then be seated safely and comfortably inside.
The adjustment of the seat height facilitates the transfer from a wheelchair.
Avenue Collonges 25
1004 Lausanne
079 138 47 47
info@serenity-t.ch
https://www.serenity-t.ch/mobilite-reduite
SWeetMobil (SWM)
SweetMobil is based in Gland. It offers, among other things, a transport service for persons with a disability, with or without a wheelchair. The company has two vehicles equipped with an automatic elevator that can accommodate up to three wheelchairs as well as two smaller vehicles to transport a person in a wheelchair with an accompanying person. It takes the customer from their home to the destination, for all types of transport.
078 637 09 55
sweetmobil@hotmail.ch
https://sweetmobil.com
ParaMap
ParaMap supports wheelchair users in their mobility by listing on a map all parking spaces, toilets, hotels and automatic cash dispensers that are accessible in a wheelchair.
A mobile application is available on iPhone. Users of Android and other smartphones will find the same information through their web browser.
https://www.paramap.ch/
Facilities accessible with Eurokey
(toilets, lifts, stair-lifts, lifting platforms, etc.)
All facilities in Switzerland that are accessible to persons with disabilities using a Eurokey are listed by Pro Infirmis and accessible by one of the following means:
– Online directory of facilities (search possible by canton or town)
– Map of the Eurokey locations
– Pro Infirmis Eurokey App for iPhone
– Pro Infirmis Eurokey App for Android
How to obtain a Eurokey
Order a Eurokey online and have it delivered
Get a Eurokey from a distribution service
WC-Guide
WC-Guide is the largest directory of public toilets in Switzerland. The directory was created based on lists provided by the districts, Eurokey (see the corresponding page) and Internet users. A filtering system allows you to display only the toilets that accessible to persons with disabilities.
The directory can be accessed by one of the following means:
– Online directory of facilities
(Remember to go to the tab “Filter” on the right and to include only the toilets that are accessible to persons with disabilities)
– WC-Guide, application for iPhone
– WC-Guide, application for Android
OK:GO
OK:GO helps Swiss tourism service providers to gather and publish information about the accessibility of their offerings and services. This makes it easier for disabled people, senior citizens and families with small childen to make travel plans. Everyone benefits!
More information: https://en.ok-go.org/
Download the app: https://www.ginto.guide/en
Accessible Tour of Switzerland
Take an accessible tour of Switzerland and the Canton of Vaud. Discover incredible natural landscapes and picturesque towns at your own pace.
More info
Cérébral
Rental of various equipment (bicycles, skis, etc.) for persons with cerebral palsy disabilities
https://www.cerebral.ch/fr/aides-diverses/detente-et-loisirs/
Association Handiconcept in Villars Gryon
This association provides technical and human assistance so that people with disabilities can enjoy dynamic activities in any season, individually or with the family. You have the choice among many services: articulated ski chair, uniski, dualski, paragliding, ski-bob, skiing in tandem, helicopter flights, all-terrain armchair, customised walks.
Association Handiconcept Handicap Sport et Loisirs
1882 Gryon
+41(0)79 240 70 82
http://www.handiconcept.ch/
C&G – Hotelspitex – assistance and care at a hotel
The Foundation Clair & George is a holiday intermediation service to facilitate hotel stays throughout Switzerland for persons with reduced mobility and in need of assistance and care during their stay. It makes the bookings, coordinates the desired assistance and care services on site and resolves problems linked transportation and auxiliary means. This service is free.
Youth hostels without barriers
The website of the Swiss Youth Hostels offers, throughout Switzerland, 32 youth hostels (out of 51) with barrier-free rooms at a small price. Some of these youth hostels enjoy a very good location. On the website, go to “Filter” and check “Barrier-free rooms”.
Emergency numbers around the clock
Vital emergencies for adults and children
Tel: 144
Non-vital emergencies for adults and children
Tel: 0848 133 133 (telephone centre of the on-call doctors in the canton of Vaud)
Medical university polyclinic (PMU)
Located near the CHUV, the PMU represents a centre of reference for internal and general medicine. It provides first-aid medicine and emergency medical care, round the clock and 7/7.
Rue du Bugnon 44
1011 Lausanne
021 314 60 60
Medical university polyclinic, medical service of the Flon quarter (PMU-Flon)
Set in the heart of Lausanne, the PMU-Flon medical service provides first-aid medicine and emergency medical treatments, 7 days a week from 7 AM to 9 PM from Monday to Saturday and from 9 AM to 7 PM on Sundays and bank holidays.
Les Mercier A Building,
Voie du Chariot 4
1003 Lausanne
021 314 90 90