2008 Conference | Venue & Travel Information
Venue
The conference will be held in the Centre Général Guisan in Lausanne, which is at the Lake of Geneva shore, near the Olympic Museum. The centre is a comfortable walking distance from the Lausanne-Ouchy downtown area, where hotels and restaurants are located (pdf map).
Travel
Lausanne can be reached by several means of transport: by air, by boat, by train, by car.
By air (from Geneva Airport or Zürich Airport):
Transport from Geneva Airport to Lausanne: Train is the best way to reach Lausanne from Geneva Airport. Direct connections are available from the airport 3 times per hour at 48 CHF (approx. 30 EUR) for a round trip in 2nd class and 80 CHF (approx. 50 EUR) in 1st class.
Transport from Zürich Airport to Lausanne: Again, use the train. There is a direct train every 30 minutes and it takes 2 and a half hours. The round trip ticket costs 138 CHF (approx. 88 EUR) in 2nd class and 228 CHF (approx. 145 EUR) in 1st class.
By train: Because Lausanne is centrally located in Europe, it can be easily reached by train from many European countries. Please contact your usual train company in your country for additional information. Within Switzerland, the train company provides a dense and well served rail network. Useful link: Swiss federal railways (SBB CFF FFS) http://www.cff.ch/.
By car: Switzerland provides excellent conditions for drivers. Swiss roads are very good and provide breathtaking views of mountains and lakes. Driving in Switzerland requires a mandatory Motorway Sticker available in post offices, service stations and at the border. The price is 40 CHF (approx. 25 EUR). If you will be traveling to Lausanne by car, please take into account that the use of the seat belts is mandatory for all occupants of a motor vehicle. Speed Limits: in town: between 30 and 50 km/h, out of town: 70 to 90 km/h, motorways: 120 km/h. You may plan your route using one of the many online services available: http://www.viamichelin.com/, http://www.maporama.com/, http://www.map24.com/.
By boat: The stately white boats of the Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN) call regularly at Lausanne-Ouchy, and will take you to Morges, Rolle, Nyon, Genève, Evian, Montreux, Vevey... and many other ports in Switzerland and France. More information about timetables and booking is available at http://www.cgn.ch/eng.
Maps
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| Plane Travel | Train Travel |
Public transport in Lausanne
To move in Lausanne, 25 urban lines, 8 regional lines and 3 metro lines make up one of the densest networks not only in Switzerland but also in Europe in terms of the number of electric vehicles in circulation (trolleybus, metro trains). More information about Lausanne transport is available at http://www.t-l.ch/ and the Lausanne City Official website.
Climate
The climate of Lausanne, during July is usually pleasantly warm and occasionally humid. Temperatures vary from lows of 15 degrees Celsius to highs of about 30 degrees Celsius. Visitors should be prepared for variable weather conditions. Jackets or light coats may be required on occasion.