top of page

Lausanne is the fourth largest city in Switzerland. Photo: Nolan Krattinger/Unsplash
Lausanne is the fourth largest city in Switzerland. Photo: Nolan Krattinger/Unsplash

How to travel by train from London to Lausanne, Switzerland

Travel by train from London to Lausanne in about 8.5 hours by taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord then change to Paris Gare de Lyon and catch the train to Lausanne.

Lausanne is the fourth largest city in Switzerland, famous for its location on Lake Geneva and for being the home of the International Olympic Committee's headquarters.

Flight-free travel from London to Lausanne:

Journey Time: about 8.5 hours

Sample timetable: Depart London 7.12am, arrive Lausanne 3.40pm

Changes: 1

Transfer: Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon

Frequency of Departures: 5/day

Carbon emissions: 4.51kg (flight would be 117.81kg)*

Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.

How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation

If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.

On Board Eurostar

For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar

What's the journey like?

You have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a quarter to get the connection). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris. At Gare de Lyon, you board a Lyria high speed train to Lausanne station.

Miss your connection?

Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.

Stopover in Paris 🏠

If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the two railway stations (ie the station you arrive at on the Eurostar in Paris – Gare du Nord, and the station that you depart from Paris – Gare de Lyon).


Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉

Grand Hotel de Paris and Hôtel Kabanel are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare du Nord


Hotels close to Gare de Lyon 🚉

citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon is one of 5 citizenM hotels in Paris that aim to provide 'affordable luxury' in central city locations. Billed as 'hybrid hotels', they're as much about places to work as they are to sleep, with the idea that you can meet local people in a smart, cozy environment. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare de Lyon


Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚

Mob Hotel is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer).


Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️

If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel (2-star) | Hôtel Malar (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees) | Hôtel Du Printemps, about a mile from Gare de Lyon.

On arrival in Lausanne

There are lots of hotels near to to Lausanne train station, see below:

Hotels in Lausanne



Gute Reise!

paris.png
bottom of page