Boat rental Rowing boats and pedalos are available to rent from opposite the Hôtel d’Angleterre for Fr.19/hr, motorboats for Fr.45/hr.

Books Librairie Payot, 4 Place Pépinet, has a sizeable selection.

Car rental Avis, 50 Avenue de la Gare (021/340 72 00); Budget, 18 Rue du Maupas (021/683 30 50); Europcar, 2 Avenue Ruchonnet (021/323 91 52); Hertz, 17 Place du Tunnel (021/312 53 11).

Changing money The best place to change money is in the station (daily 6.20am–7.30pm).

Email and Internet There’s one PC for free Internet access in the cantonal library within Palais de Rumine on Place de la Riponne (Mon–Fri 8am–10pm, Sat 8am–5pm). Otherwise, you can surf in the Sega video arcade next to McDonald’s opposite the station for Fr.8/hr (Mon–Thurs 11am–midnight, Fri 11am–1am, Sat 10am–1am, Sun noon–midnight).

Flights La Blécherette, 123 Avenue du Grey (021/646 15 51) operates sightseeing flights from Lausanne’s tiny airfield over the Alps: a 45-minute tour costs Fr.360 for three people.

Gay and lesbian life VoGay, 13 Avenue des Oiseaux (021/646 25 35) is the local gay association for Canton Vaud, with get-togethers and a telephone helpline. ML16, 16 Avenue Mon Loisir, is a gay bar open daily, while Sunday is gay night at the MAD club (see opposite). Lilith, 60 Route Aloys-Fauquez (021/646 26 18) is a lesbian organization which hosts parties and events.

Laundry At the top of town, 24 Rue de l’Université (Mon & Wed–Sun 9am–9pm, Tues noon–9pm); and behind the station, 15 Rue Simplon (daily 8am–9pm).

Lost property The city office is at 7 Place Chauderon (Mon–Fri 8am–noon & 1.45–5.45pm, Sat 8am–noon; 021/315 33 85), or try in the train station (Mon–Fri 8am–noon & 2–6pm; 0512/242 707).

Markets The Place de la Palud and the town centre host a regular lively food market (Wed & Sat 8am–1pm) as does the Petit-Chêne (Fri 8am–1pm). Palud also has a crafts market (March–Dec first Fri of month 10am–7pm), and Place Chauderon’s flea market is renowned (Thurs 8am–7pm). Riponne is the focus for Lausanne’s Christmas celebrations, with a market of mulled wine, candles and roasted chestnuts from mid-December.

Medical facilities The Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV) is at 46 Rue du Bugnon (021/314 11 11). The Centre médical d’urgences at 32 Avenue Ruchonnet (021/320 19 61) is more central. If you need a doctor, call %021/652 99 32. The train station has a pharmacy (daily 6am–9pm).

Post Main office (CH-1000) is beside the station, but the most convenient large office is at Place St-François (CH-1001).
More details at www.poste.ch

Sport Prime arena for Lausanne’s passion, blading and skateboarding, is the giant indoor La Fièvre skatepark, also called HS36 (36 Avenue Sévelin), open daily – you’ll also find dance companies, artists’ ateliers and music rehearsal rooms in the same complex. For summer swimming, pricey Plage de Bellerive, 23 Avenue de Rhodanie, offers an Olympic-sized pool as well as access to the lake, but the beach is free at Vidy. The open-air ice rink Patinoire de la Pontaise (11 Route des Plaines-du-Loup) is one of five in the city open from October to March. Waterskiing on the lake happens only in fine summer weather.

Travel agents Discount flight agents Voyages SSR are at 20 Boulevard de Grancy (Mon–Fri 9.15am–6pm, Sat 9am–noon; 021/617 56 27).