Air Canada Vacations

Before you leave Canada

Entry requirements
A valid Canadian passport is required for Canadians intending to visit Switzerland. The passport should be valid for at least the expected duration of stay in the country. For all other nationalities, consult your consulate or tourist board for details. You can also visit www.voyage.gc.ca for up-to-date information.

Baggage
Please refer to aircanada.com for baggage information.

Airport check-in
It is recommended that you present yourself at the airport counter of the airline indicated on your voucher 3 hours prior to departure. Air Canada or Air Canada Vacations representatives will be available starting at 5 a.m.

During your stay

City highlights 

Lausanne developed above the Lake Geneva on a succession of compact, south-facing terraces on three hills. The city is often thought of as Switzerland’s San Francisco. Vistas of blue water, glittering sunlight and the white-capped Savoy Alps peep out between gaps in buildings or at the ends of steeply dropping alleys. Much of the city is still wooded, and there are plenty of parks. The tree-lined lakefront promenades spill over with lush, beds of vibrantly colourful flowers.
Attractive, interesting and worldly, it’s Switzerland’s sexiest city.

The Upper Town, or Haute Ville, runs uphill from the main railroad station and includes the medieval old town. Bring a comfortable pair of shoes and be prepared to climb hilly streets and steps if you want to visit the cathedral, St. François Church. From there, you can also visit other old-town attractions such as the Château Saint-Maire (a former episcopal palace) and the Tour de l'Ale (a watchtower dating from 1340).

Flon, a trendy warehouse district turned nightlife hub, is just to the west of the old town and the Place de l'Europe.

The Lower Town, or Basse Ville, more commonly known as Ouchy (named for the fishing village that once stood on the shoreline), is a district of parks, lakeside promenades, elegant 19th century resort hotels, and a handful of museums such as the world-famous Olympic Museum Lausanne.

Getting around

Lausanne’s public transportation or "TL" operates a network of buses, trains, and trams in and around Lausanne.

Metro
The upper and lower towns are connected by a small metro (subway).

Shopping
Lausanne provides you with dozens of shops, boutiques and even shopping centres to satisfy your shopping needs. Some of the favourite products in Lausanne include jewellery, apparel and foods, including confectionery and baked goods.
Take advantage of the Rue de Bourg, a pedestrian-only shopping avenue that is lined with boutiques featuring a wide variety of products. High-end products such as Vuitton luggage and Cartier jewelry are very popular in this part of town.
Local craft items such as clocks and other souvenir type items are also available in several shops. Hours of operation in many of the businesses tend to be erratic, so you may want to call ahead to ensure that the shop is open.

Dining
Lausanne offers a wide variety of restaurants where you will find the specialties of Switzerland and the Vaud, as well as those of France, Greece, Italy and China. Typical Swiss food is served in the Upper Town.

Try the Geneva lake fish, omble chevalier. Trout and perch from the lake are also popular. In autumn, many restaurants feature game dishes.
Entertainment & nightlife
 
Few other cities in Switzerland manage to remain as cosmopolitan but relentlessly conservative as Lausanne. You may begin your evening hanging out in one of the cafes or bars ringing the Espace Flon. Lots of hideaways, frequented by visitors of all ages, will tempt you, but one of the most appealing is Le Grand Café. In an American-inspired décor, that contains some of the glitter and razzmatazz of a Planet Hollywood, you can meet a cross section of virtually every night owl in town. The cafe lies inside the Lausanne Casino.
Attractive and popular nightclubs include Le Mad where the trends of nocturnal Paris filter in quickly via the under-30 crowd. You'll recognize this place instantly, since its exterior is decorated with an artist's rendition of street graffiti.
Sightseeing

Chillon Castle
Surrounded by the white tops of the mountains and the soft waves of Lake Geneva, Chillon castle is a beautiful location. Built in the 12th century on a rocky island along an ancident road to Italy, the castle shows two faces: It is a princely residence to the lakeside but an impregnable fortress to the mountains.

Sauvabelin Tower
Not far away from Lake Sauvabelin, the Tower offers a 360° panoramic view of Lausanne, Lake Geneva, the Alps, the hinterland and the Jura. The tower is entirely made of wood and stands 35 meters high.

Rochers-de-Naye
A headland overlooking the town of Montreux, les Rochers-de-Naye provides the most spectacular view of Lake Geneva and its surrounding Alps. On a clear day, you'll see the Eiger, the Mont Blanc massif and Geneva's famous waterspout.

Les Rochers- de- Naye also offers numerous activities for groups or individuals. Here, in one hour, you can climb by rack railway train from the palm trees on the lakeshore to the edelweiss flowering above.

Your departure from destination

Hotel checkout
Hotel check out times may vary depending on the property but generally you must vacate the room by 12 p.m. (noon).

Duty-free shopping
After an absence of 7 days or more, Canadian residents are permitted to return with a maximum of CAD$750 of merchandise per trip without paying duty. Each time you leave Canada for at least 48 hours, you are eligible to declare up to CAD$400 of merchandise. A written declaration may be requested. Each adult is allowed 1.1 litres (40 oz.) of liquor, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or cigarillos, 200 tobacco sticks and 200 grams (7 oz.) of manufactured tobacco. To calculate the number of days absent, do not count the day you left Canada but include the day you return. If you include cigarettes, tobacco sticks and loose tobacco in your personal exemption allowance, only a partial exemption will apply. You will have to pay a minimum duty on these products unless they are marked “Canada-Duty paid”. Canadian made products sold at duty-free shops will be marked this way.

Airport check-in
Procedures are the same as for departure from Canada.

Customer care
For inquiries relating to extension of stay or change or hotel changes, please e-mail us at: prevoyageclientele@vacv.com We are at your service seven days a week; from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.