Is it that SBB office by the Lausanne train station? Or can you purchase it in any convenience store or etc?
Thank you.
I'm confused where one would go to buy monthly T-L passes in Lausanne.
I am taking a guess, but maybe this page might help:
According to Achat / Renouvellement de votre abonnement you can either buy it at one of the two T-L sales outlets or order it online at no extra cost.
Warning : This is the result of idle googling, not of any knowledge.
I am assuming that you are a first time buyer. The first link shows options for renewals.
The t-l office is at street level at the Lausanne Flon metro stop in the building with the grass growing on the roof. The first time you purchase an ID card which is your monthly pass and then you just load it back up every month by paying 60 francs or so.
Perfect! Thanks everyone. I'm not sure what sort of transit pass I need with some many choices offered here compared to what was offered in Canada, so I'm gonna start with a single monthly pass, and see if I should also get an SBB half fare card or downgrade my services a bit.
Once you get your card with your photo, you can renew your monthly passes at machines as well. For example, there is a machine inside the Migros BergieĢres for use with a bank/credit card, you can pick which date you want to renew your pass. Or at the same Migros, if you are paying with money, you can do it at the kiosk inside the Migros.
For your 1st photo card, there is also an office near the Ripponne if you don't want to go to the Flon, but the office at the Flon offers all services. The one at Ripponne had problems when I was trying to apply railchecks to my monthly pass, they sent me to Flon anyway.
Just to make you aware, there is a difference between Transport Lausanne and the CFF (SBB, but in French-speaking Switzerland it's the CFF), when it comes to buying passes like this.
So you will be able to get your Lausanne monthly pass in the centre at Flon, as others have mentioned, because that is a Transport Lausanne post. You'll need a passport-sized photo. They issue one on the spot. Similarly, if one day you leave the flat and realise you've forgotten your pass, you should be able to go there and they will issue you with a temporary pass.
However, to get the CFF / SBB Half Fare card, you will need to go to the Lausanne train station (Lausanne gare). You can order and pay for a card at the ticket office (although I'd recommend printing out the application form online and filling it in at home). Just remember your passport-sized photo. For the Half Fare card, they do send away to get you one, but can give you a piece of paper stating it starts right now if you wish. If you forget your Half Fare card, and need a temporary one, you need to go to the train station!
Personally I would recommend always keeping some cash and / or a galaxy card with you, in case you do forget your transport pass one morning.
It really depends on which type of fare you want. I believe the t-l at Flon also does train passes as well, because they took my coupons for railchecks there (normally used for CFF tickets).
My husband has a monthly pass for all buses in Lausanne, plus round trip train to Gland, and all regional buses in between. He only needs to go to a t-l office (or machine) to renew his pass. If he wants to go, for example, to Geneva, his pass works just until Gland, then he buys a ticket in Lausanne for Gland-Geneva round-trip. (If you plan to something do this, DON'T take a direct Lausanne-Geneva, it doesn't work! You'd have to take a train that stops at Gland for the pass to take effect).
It is possible to get a combination train+bus pass, you just need to see which transport you are going to use the most, to see which will be cheaper in the long term.