Work will be in Lausanne and so now the question is: where to live?
We have two kids (1 & 3) and our priorities are:
- good schools for the kids. We were told that the Swiss public system is great but that there can be substantial differences between regions
- Nature: proximity to a lake and mountains
- Commute to work
- Expat community
- Taxes
We have done a little bit of homework, reached out to a few expats who live in the area and we have shortlisted the below villages:
- Pully/Lutry : proximity to Lausanne and the lake
- Gruyere region : we understand that quite a few expats have moved there recently (remote work?), especially to the nice villages around Bulle (we were given Le Paquier, Morlon, Marsens, Cresuz )
- Blonay/Corseaux and other nice villages around Vevey, where Nestlé is headquartered
Any feedback/advice at this stage?
We were told that the Gruyere region has better schools than in Vaud, and also lower taxes, but that it is a good 35min away from Lausanne
Bulle is quite a trek, with no traffic, expect 45 minutes if driving, normal rush hour will easily be more than an hour if no accidents. Do check train connections, that route from the Valais is not an easy commute if by car. I wouldn't want to be an hour or more away if going to the office each day. Generally speaking, taxes in Canton FR are more than VD.
I work in Lausanne and have several colleagues with children who commute from canton Fribourg by car every day. They all have early-shifted work hours, arriving super early and leaving by 4 at the latest. There are still often traffic jams and delays due to construction, weather, etc, and I know they find it tough. I would personally never do it. I am all for a short, reliable commute, and if you will have to be in Lausanne every day I'd vote for Pully/Lutry, which would still give you some quality time with your kids every day.
We managed to clear the tax question. Canton Fribourg (which I now realize Gruyere is part of) has better taxes than Vaud - at least in our situation.
We are concerned about schools though.
There is apparently a governmental study of the best Cantons for public schools. Fribourg and Zurich top the list while Vaud and Geneva are at the bottom.
Whether the school is good or not is only part of the equation, does the child have an aptitude for learning and enjoys picking up knowledge is a factor, do the parents assist and help the child rather than working all hours given on their "career" is another important factor.
Fribourg you are less likely to find expat community, if you want to stay in this rather artificial bubble then Blonay/Corsier/St. Legier is your region for the Nescafs. However if you really wish to benefit from Switzerland, take the chance to know real people, have the opportunity to learn a new language by immersion, then look in Chatel St. Denis/Bulle area.
If your budget is good enough, I would go for Pully/Lutry. It is good for teenage children if they go to University or other professional schools. Schools are perfectly good, a small statistical difference on exam results between cantons doesn't mean much in Switzerland. For you, you can find a lot of english books at the BCU in Lausanne. Loads of expats and activities. Perfect transport links, no commute.
I’ve got no idea for the rest as I’ve only been there as a tourist, but Pully is such a pretty place to live. Lake views, perfectly clean, decorated with flower baskets on the lamp poles during the summer, in between Geneva and Lausanne, 30’ from GVA airport, family-friendly atmosphere, mainly houses and not ugly apartment blocks.
Downsides, higher taxes and the foggy season during autumn, like almost the rest of La Côté.
The main difference between these options is in fact the commute. Pully-Lutry is effectively in Lausanne, Blonay is a sensible commute distance but Bulle is really quite a bit further away - not least due to not-as-direct train connections and an often congested and unpredictable motorway at peak times. Otherwise Bulle can feel a world apart from Lausanne, also because is another canton and not the same city vibe at all.
It also matters into which part of Lausanne you would be commuting into, getting to EPFL for instance adds quite a bit to the journey whether from the train station or by car. You may be better towards Morges if you work in the west of the city
If you haven't been much in the area before, the advice would be to set your foot first as close to Lausanne as possible and then explore each of theses and make your choice later.
Sorry about the delay in responding and thank you all for your feedback!
On the tax piece: yes, the tax advisor was clear: the higher the income and wealth, the bigger the difference in taxes between Vaud and Fribourg, to the advantage of Fribourg. He also added that, all things being equal, the Gruyere region is to Lausanne/Vevey what certain low-tax communities along Lake Zurich are to Zurich city. I hope this helps.
Blonay is a lovely village and has plenty of local people as well as some expats. Very well located not just for Lausanne commute but also skiing nearby in the Valais and vaud ski areas.
Taxation rates are relatively low across Switzerland so make sure you do the full calculation, if you are travelling an extra hour each day which is time you could spend with your children think whether it is worth the difference. It may well be, but just do make a complete decision not just a money one.
Worth remembering too that the tax you pay is spend on the services you use. Blonay may have higher tax, but it has very good public schools.
Assuming that you are targeting Lausanne because of employment and that you are all coming from abroad with B/L permits, then you (almost) always have to live in the Canton of Vaud as that's where your permits are issued. Living in Fribourg would mean a special concession on the part of Vaud to issue you a permit without seeing your tax revenue; while this can happen in special circumstances, it isn't easy to achieve and would require serious negotiation on the part of your employer.