Lausanne packs an outsized student energy into a hilly lakeside setting, thanks to the neighbouring campuses of the University of Lausanne and the elite EPFL. As the Olympic Capital it has a sporty, international character, and the UNESCO vineyards of Lavaux start right at the city's edge. It is French-speaking, lively and younger-feeling than Geneva up the lake.

• Home to EPFL and UNIL, giving it a huge, international student population
• On Lake Geneva with the Lavaux vineyard terraces and Alpine skiing close by

With two big universities sharing a lakeside campus at Dorigny, Lausanne is a proper student city, and nightlife concentrates in the former industrial Flon district, packed with bars and clubs. Summer moves to the Ouchy waterfront and lake swims, while the Lavaux vineyards are made for weekend walks with a glass of Chasselas. The Montreux Jazz Festival is a short train ride away each July.

• Go out in Le Flon, the converted-warehouse district full of bars and clubs
• Swim and stroll along the Ouchy lakefront in summer
• Ask the Lausanne Studcasa group about EPFL and UNIL student events and Lavaux wine walks

Lausanne is expensive like the rest of Switzerland, with €1,600–2,500 a month realistic once rent is included. Student cafeterias at EPFL and UNIL offer some of the cheapest hot meals in the country, and a Mobilis pass plus a Halbtax card keep transport down. Cooking at home is the norm, not the exception.

• Eat cheaply at the EPFL and UNIL student cafeterias (les restos U)
• Budget roughly CHF 700–1,200 for a room, the largest monthly cost
• Get a Mobilis season ticket and a Halbtax card to cut travel costs

Rooms in shared flats are the standard, and the FMEL runs subsidised student residences worth applying to early. Students spread across the centre, Renens near EPFL, and lakeside Ouchy, though demand is fierce, so apply and search well ahead of term.

• Apply early to FMEL student residences, and search Anibis and Students.ch for shared rooms
• Renens and Prilly offer cheaper rooms a short metro ride from EPFL
• Ask in the Lausanne Studcasa group, where outgoing students often pass on rooms

Lausanne runs Switzerland's only metro, with two lines: the m1 out to the university and EPFL campus, and the steep m2 climbing from the lake up through the city. TL buses fill in the gaps on the Mobilis tariff, and CGN boats cross the lake. The city is famously hilly, so the metro saves your legs.

• Use the m1 metro to reach the UNIL and EPFL campuses, and the m2 to climb the city
• Buy a Mobilis pass for all metro, bus and regional trips in the zone
• Take a CGN lake boat to Évian or Montreux for a scenic ride

Lausanne's twin stars are the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the federal technology institute EPFL, one of Europe's best for engineering and science, sharing a lakeside campus. The hospitality school EHL and the art school ECAL add to the mix. EPFL teaches extensively in English at Master's level; terms run mid-September to December and February to June.

• EPFL is world-class for engineering, computing and science, with much of its Master's teaching in English
• UNIL is strong in life sciences, business and humanities, mainly taught in French

Switzerland is in Schengen but not the EU, so your process depends on nationality. EU/EFTA students do not need a visa; you enter freely and then register with your local commune (Gemeinde/commune) within 14 days of arrival to get a residence permit, showing enrolment, funds and insurance.

Non-EU students must apply for a national (D) long-stay visa at a Swiss embassy before travelling, then convert it to a residence permit at the local commune after arrival. You will need your acceptance letter, proof of sufficient funds, accommodation and health insurance. Processing can take eight to twelve weeks, so apply as early as possible. Everyone must sort mandatory Swiss health insurance or get an exemption using EHIC or equivalent cover.

• EU/EFTA: no visa; register with your local commune within 14 days
• Non-EU: apply for a national D visa at a Swiss embassy before arrival
• Bring acceptance letter, proof of funds, housing and insurance
• Sort health insurance early, it is mandatory or needs a formal exemption
• Start non-EU applications 3+ months ahead; processing is slow

Vaud specialities include papet vaudois, a leek-and-sausage stew, and the saucisson vaudois, best paired with a crisp Lavaux Chasselas white. The Olympic Museum reflects the city's sporting identity, and lake fish appears on most menus. As elsewhere in Switzerland, Sundays are quiet and shops closed.

• Try papet vaudois and a glass of Lavaux Chasselas at a traditional café
• Visit the Olympic Museum above Ouchy, then walk the lakefront
• Buy your groceries before Sunday, when the shops shut

The centre around the Cathedral and Le Bourg is historic and central. Flon is the nightlife hub, Ouchy is the lakeside quarter, Sous-Gare sits handily below the station, and Renens and Prilly to the west are cheaper, student-heavy areas near EPFL.

• Centre and Flon for nightlife and being in the thick of things
• Ouchy for lakeside living
• Renens or Prilly for lower rents next to the EPFL campus

Lausanne is superbly placed on Lake Geneva. The Lavaux vineyard terraces begin next door, walkable from Cully or Saint-Saphorin, Montreux and the Château de Chillon are twenty-five minutes by train, and Geneva is forty minutes the other way. The ski resorts of Villars and Les Diablerets are within ninety minutes for winter weekends.

• Walk the UNESCO Lavaux vineyards from Cully, glass in hand
• Take the train to Montreux and the lakeside Château de Chillon in under half an hour
• Head to Villars or Les Diablerets for skiing, around ninety minutes away

Prepare for the hills, as Lausanne is steep and the m2 metro will become your best friend. Apply for FMEL housing and buy your transport passes early, eat at the student cafeterias to save, and make the most of living beside the Lavaux vineyards. French will help daily, even at international EPFL.

• Rely on the m2 metro to spare your legs on the city's steep climbs
• Apply early for FMEL student housing to beat the crunch
• Eat at the student restos and brush up your French to settle in faster