Time difference Lausanne

Switzerland and France operate in the same time zone and switch to winter and summer time at the same time.

Opening hours Lausanne

To see / To do Lausanne

Lausanne's museums are generally open from 10/11 a.m. and close around 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, or 6 p.m. at weekends. They are generally closed on Mondays. Some museums make exceptions to this rule. The Olympic Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm. The new arts district, Plateforme 10, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., as is Aquatis, the aquarium, at the same times.

Enjoying yourself Lausanne

Times are unpredictable. Some restaurants in the center serve non-stop, but the smaller ones have shorter opening hours, lunch and dinner, and never too late in the evening. Tearooms are also open in the afternoon. On Saturdays, the city center is crowded and restaurants quickly sell out, whereas it will be deserted on Sundays. So remember to book your establishment accordingly, depending on where you're visiting. Generally speaking, restaurants are open between 11:30am and 2pm, lunchtime from Monday to Sunday, and dinner from 6:30pm to 10pm. Contact the establishment you plan to visit in advance to find out its opening hours.

Take a break Lausanne

Schedules are extremely variable. Many bars also serve coffee or burgers during the day. In the evening, on the other hand, they fill up with people and beers until no later than 2am. Fortunately, there are still boxes that stay open until the early hours of the morning.

(To) please yourself Lausanne

During the week, the center is normally busy, so it's best to shop on these days. Stores are generally open from 8am-9am to 6.30pm-7pm, but only until 6pm on Saturdays. Some stores close on Monday mornings. Thursdays are traditionally nocturnal, and stores close later around 8pm and 9pm. Banks are open from 9am to 5pm (4:30pm for administration).

Saturday is market day in downtown Lausanne, and the streets and stores are packed with people. Sunday, on the other hand, is a very quiet day. The streets are virtually empty and most stores are closed.

Get out Lausanne

Swiss parties can start late, very late, although clubs often offer free entry before midnight to lure you in early. But with the student influence proudly embedded in the city, it's when the bars close, around 2 or 3am, that the clubs really fill up. It's not uncommon for parties to go on until 6am or more depending on the establishment.