Hi,
We are coming to Lausanne for the second half of the year and need a place to stay. What would be the reasonable price for an apartment of 3-5 units in Lausanne? I've seen very different pictures on the websites and the prices vary from 2000CHF to above 5000CHF. I am in the States until summer, so cannot see the places myself.

Also, could anyone tell me if the area inbetween Beaulieu/Place Chauderon in Lausanne is nice and OK for kids? We might stay there at friends' apartment for at least some time and I do not want to offend them asking if the area around is nice.

Thank you for all your help,

Edward

Area is nice and very international, with nice little foreign shops where you can buy stuff which is sometimes not so easy to get in the rest of Lausanne: African or Asian spices and food etc. It is extremely close to the centre of Lausanne.
It depends a lot where you are in this area, if it is suited for kids, 'cause there are not much parks around at the eastern side of this area. Also, the streets tend to be a little busy. Further to the west you have a nice big park.

Good luck with moving!

Greetings from Lausanne,
Will

Hi Ed,

I was just about to make a post saying pretty much the same things as Will. The advantages are that this area is super close to the centre of town (which means good transport links), and therefore also reasonably close to all forms of shopping. The disadvantages are a definite lack of green space, and the traffic. Given that the Chauderon/Beaulieu corridor is the main route from central to upper Lausanne, be prepared for sirens at all hours of the night...

That said, a free apartment is hard to beat, especially given that accommodation of any sort is hard to come by in Lausanne. I'd have no hesitations staying there with a family for a few months (although maybe not forever). You can get to some very nice parks (Mon Repos, Vallee de la Jeunesse, etc.) and the lake fairly easily by public transit. I'm sure you'll enjoy living in the Lac Leman region, especially in the summer!

HeatherM

As for your first question, I'm not surprised that you saw such a range of prices. I would expect that 2000 to 3000 CHF would get you a place that satisfied your requirements, you can pay more for really fancy places but I doubt that you need it. If your needs aren't great, then you may even be able to find a nice 3 piece place for less than 2000.

However, finding a place will not be easy. Of the people that I've known who've moved here in the last year or so, taking at least 4 weeks to secure a place seems to be common, and even then you may not be able to move in immediately. It's almost impossible to organize a regular apartment before arriving, and you'll also have the problem of needing to sign a 12-month lease. It may not be too hard to find someone to take over the lease when you depart, but it will probably be a bit of a hassle.

Have you thought about looking for accommodation that is intended for short term stays? The Lausanne Tourism website has a list of furnished places that are available by the week or month. These are way more pricey, but you can organize it before you arrive and you can take it for just the amount of time you need. Go to this webpage, and click on the "list of furnished houses and flats for rent" to get the pdf.

Hi,

Ditto what Chris said. I'd allow yourself at least 4 weeks to sort something out. It took me about a month to get somewhere, and compared to others I consider myself fortunate to have gotten somewhere so quick. Getting housing in Switzerland is a complete nightmare, but it's such a nice place (particularly Lausanne and environs) that it is worth the hassle in the end.

Good luck,
Sam.

Thank you all very much! Most likely we'll plan to stay with our friends for as long as they bear us , i.e. up to a month and just run around looking for a place to live. Thanks again!

Edward