Hi,

I am coming from US and moving to Switzerland for work. My work is going to be around the Etoy-Allaman area. I noticed that apartments in this area are a bit more affordable and more roomy, and I can walk to work in 10-20 minutes depending on where I get an apartment. So I would be saving money, getting a larger place, and a shorter commute 5 days a week. The downside is less to do around here and I don't know if I'll "fit in".

I heard Lausanne is where I want to live as an ex-pat and I will have a much easier time living in the city and more stuff to do (I am 34 single male for reference). However, with this coronavirus situation and not knowing how long it's going to last (maybe 1+ year?), I don't know if I'll be able to benefit from living in Lausanne and taking advantage of everything the city has to offer. The apartments are on the smaller side for the same amount of money and my commute will be 45 minutes or more by train.

I also plan to buy a motorcycle eventually to travel around Europe so parking is another consideration. However, this is more for use on weekends and holidays.

For people that were in similar situations or currently have lived in the area, do you have any recommendations?

Tricky one this...

I would say, as a single, you might even be better looking for an AirBnB, houseshare or room in a shared house (at least initially) so you can get a feel for the area(s).

Obviously living close to work is great and a pretty walk/cycle in the area you are going to. Less to do though as you point out. The Lausanne commute is easy enough although pretty warm at this time of year (especially with face masks).

There are a few things that you don't mention that might be worth considering:
- do you need super fast broadband? i.e. if you are planning to game online, etc. It shouldn't be a problem in Lausanne but not everywhere has it in the Etoy area. You would need to check village by village on the speed estimates that the telecoms providers offer
- how "outdoorsy" are you: obviously you can travel out of Lausanne easily and you have the lake there but if you want to be cycling, hiking, paddleboarding, etc etc then probably better to be in the countryside
- if you're not getting a car, and only getting a bike later you might find the city easier (if only for grocery shopping) - although home delivery an option.

On the 'fit in' - I think it varies a lot. Most people seem to have good experiences but, of course, there are always bad neighbours plus you may well find it is more couple/family orientated in the villages because (as you say) you can get a bit more house for your money (typically).

Hope that helps!

I live in Lausanne but work in Geneva, so I thought perhaps I could offer some insights...

Lausanne is a great place to live. It's a very young and vibrant city with lots of activities on offer (that is, comparing to neighbouring cities). There are a large number of university students, which contribute to the lively night scenes. You won't run out of places to hang out, be it bars, clubs, restaurants or even just parks.

I personally love living in Lausanne because it's lively, beautiful and chilled. It's also "closer to the rest of Switzerland", meaning if you want to explore Switzerland during the weekends, you can really save quite some time and be able to go farther, e.g. to Bernese Oberland, Valais, Zurich, etc.

But in the end, it depends on your own priorities of course. If cheaper rent is important to you, perhaps Allaman would be a better choice. But if life after work/ quality time with friends is more important, perhaps Lausanne would be nicer.

You mentioned about the coronavirus situation. From my experience, everything has pretty much returned to normal here. You will still see a lot of people hanging out at the lakeside, or going to bars/ restaurants in Lausanne as if nothing ever happened...

I live in a village about 10 minutes from Etoy. As a single person who does not speak French you will feel that you have been sentenced to a gulag if you live in Etoy or Allaman. And worse if you need to use public transportation.

You need to at least live in Morges (close to the train station) or in Lausanne (best) if you want to have a life.

The commute from Lausanne on a motocycle will not be too bad since you can get around the cars if there is a back-up on the motorway (very often). You can also take the lake road. Often people will use the bike for about 8-9 months per year when the weather is good. Parking a bike in Lausanne is normally without cost (special bike parking slots). Or you can possibly find a spot on the property of the building you are in.

There will probably be the chance to commute with someone working at the same company who is coming from Lausanne so you both save on the cost.

Many people would take the train (regional) to get there. Yes it takes some time but it separates work from home.

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Well, not goulag but very quiet yes. I know people with really busy jobs in LS who fled the noise/commotion and settled a few minutes out of Lausanne. The rents drop significantly, too. So I think it depends...I got used to the peace, a luxury these days.

This is very helpful, actually this made me make up my mind to move to Lausanne.

This is helpful. I am not going to be able to do AirBnB as my company is offering relocation package and will help me find an apartment. As i don't speak French, I prefer to do everything through them. I am leaning more towards Lausanne now.

This helped me make up my mind to move to Lausanne. Saving 200-300 CHF is not going to make a big difference as a single person and I can always get a smaller place. Seems like Lausanne is the way to go for a balanced quality of life.

Have a look on sbb.ch to estimate your commute times. Depending where you live relative to the train station and what public transport is available your commute could end up being 1 hr if you have a lot of connections to make. I would look at Morges (closer) or Lausanne. I don't know how Nyon is, but that may be another option as well.

Availability in Nyon within walking distance of the station are very few and far between. Nyon - Allaman 12 minutes; Nyon-Etoy 32 minutes (via Allaman) similar timings via Morges.

And from what I understand, pricing in Nyon is almost certainly higher than in Lausanne since it captures the Geneva commuters.