Based on the comments it seems as though as a young single gay male I may enjoy living in Lausanne more than Geneva. There seems to be more to do in terms of sports, nightlife, culture etc and there seems to be a reasonably sized gay community...I will be working in geneva ...will the commute be excessive?? Any thoughts on which may be a better option?? i guess the other alternative would be to live in geneva and commute to Lausanne on weekends.

Hey there
The train takes about 45 minutes. The problem is that if you work ouside of the center in Genève or live far away from the station in Lausanne, your commute can easily turn into a 1.30 hour nightmare.

I agree with GVA. The commute may look good on paper, but the reality is it's a huge hassle. You should really live (and work) next to the train station in each city. If you drive, you will find yourself in lots of traffic, particularly in the winter trying to get home while everyone in Geneva is trying to get to Verbier!

Lots of people do manage to live in Laussane and work in Geneva, and hence the traffic on the road is extremely heavy at peak times, as is the number of people on the train. In my experience its often standing room only.

My wife used to live in Geneva and work in Laussane. The first few months of travelling by train were OK, but it soon became a bit of a grind, especially during the winter months.

So, although it can be done, I wouldnt recomend it. Have you considered living someone in between the two? Perhaps Coppet or Nyon?

Interesting to follow this thread.

We're probably going to move down towards Lausanne so my girlfriend can look for work. Interesting to hear the comments about commuting.

How long does it take by car to get from Lausanne to Geneva in peak periods and vice versa?

Cheers

R

thanks for the great feedback , i am leaning towards lausanne but coppet or nyon might be an option to consider.

Don't forget Lausanne is a different Canton. If you are non-EU you will need special permission to live in one Canton and work in another one - normally easy enough to get but you must get it.

Doh!...didn't see that sorry!

That's on the train. Driving can take much longer depending on where you live, the traffic, weather, accidents, etc.

There are two direct trains per hour and it takes 33 minutes rather than the usual 45 minutes.

Lausanne is (in my view) prettier and it may be marginally easier to get an apartement there, but you have to count with up to 1.5 hours commuting time door to door either way. If you are single and work in Geneva, especially if your office is on Rive Gauche, it doesn't make sense to live in Lausanne. As to other places, I would possibly consider Nyon, because it feels less like a village and is close to Geneva, but that's about it.

I work in Geneva and live in Lausanne (practically in the centre). and I commute by train every day. Every morning it takes me about 1 hour and a half door to door, the same in the evening. I take the fast train ( I thought 33 minutes train is not so bad at first, until you start adding on all the extra.. getting to the station, waiting for train, transport in Geneva etc etc). And the fast train in the morning is always busy. You have to know where to stand to get on the train to get a seat. To be honest, it gets a bit much, so unless there is some serious reason to move to Lausanne (school for kids etc), I wouldn't.. Having said that, getting an apartment in Geneva is very difficult...

Our network doesnt permit me to post anything. I need info on live in Switzerland. Please mail me at bobby.buchi@vodamail.co.za

also, depending on the friends you have here, it will be much easier in my mind to make new friends in Geneva. It is much more international and even Swiss people there have a slightly different state of mind...

I have recently started working in Lausanne and I live in Geneva (the opposite of what you are planning). It is not that bad. I live 10 minutes (by bus) away from the Geneva station and the workplace is 15 minutes (by bus) away from Lausanne station, but due to the 33 min direct trains between GVA-LAUSANNE, it takes me 1.5 hours door-to-door. My advice... if you are planning to do something like this, use public transport. Don't drive.

I am planning to move to Lausanne soon though. So there

Does anyone live in the area around Riponne, place du nord, hotel du police in Lausanne? Can you tell me how it is around there?

What is the procedure of getting permission to live in one canton while working in another for a non EU member?

John

I pretty sure that's ChrisW & HeatherM's neighbourhood. I expect they'll spot this thread or, if not, they're bound to be at the next Lausanne social at KingSize. Keep your eyes on the "Social Events" board.

Thanks. I don't live in Lausanne yet. Will be moving soon.
I am definitely going to join one of the Lausanne socials then.

Just so happens it is my 'hood.

It's great in the sense that it's close (i.e. within a few minutes' walking distance) to the city centre, and therefore has excellent accessibility to shopping, the Saturday market, etc.. Transport links to the CFF or metro station are also very good. Rents are relatively cheap by Swiss standards, and if you're lucky, you can score a place with a killer view. (Although most people have to settle for a sweeping vista of the proximal street. Myself included. )

The drawbacks are that if you have kids it's not a great neighbourhood (by which I mean there is a severe lack of green spaces and parks in this part of town), and if you live near Riponne, be prepared for Church Bells galore... the Cathedral overlooks the square, and the bells are VERY loud. Also, it's not the most posh part of the city, but it's perfectly safe, and in my experience the people are quite friendly.

So long as the flat into which you plan to move is okay, I think you'll find that this part of town is a fine place to live.

HM

Heather,

Thanks for the fantastic info.
I'll be living more towards "place du nord". I suppose I have to get used to saying "near La Bossette", which seems to be quite a famous pub/restaurant in that area.

I saw some greenery around there. Hope the sound of the cathedral bells is smothered by the tree leaves before it reaches us.

Actually, come to think of it, with a baby coming soon, could be good if the baby stays awake during the day (due to the bells) and sleeps at night (I know I am a selfish b******, but I have heard horror stories about people not having slept for 3 months straight )

hope to see you in the 'hood some time

Cheers