2 nights in Lausanne

Lynn,

I was just in Lausanne in September and would highly recommend Hotel Elite. It's very comfortable and in a great location just above the rail station. Once you learn the "shortcut" up the stairs, it's only a few minutes walk from the station. As Lausanne is built on the side of a hill, you can easily access the Metro (Funicular) at the station which will get you to the upper reaches of the town easily.

I can't help with activities for 7-12 year olds, but one possibility that comes to mind would be a day trip on the elegant old Paddlewheeler to Chateau de Chillon. Returning by train will be a bit quicker. Two nights will only provide one full day of touring, so you'll have to choose your touring carefully as you won't have time for much.

Lausanne guesthouse and backpackers lodge has pvt rooms as well as a hostel. It is 5 min from train station with fantastic lake views. The olympic museum on lake is a great visit for all.

I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Regina (found in Rick's book): http://www.hotel-regina.ch/en

Just as with the hotel Ken mentioned, there is a trick to getting there from the station without climbing too many stairs; details are in Rick's book.

Whichever Lausanne hotel you're interested in, be sure to e-mail them directly. I found that even the booking engines on the hotels' own websites didn't show the rooms I needed, but an e-mail to the hotel got me good results.

If your kids (or you) are interested in some wild and wonderful art, the Museum of Outsider Art (Musée de l'art brut) is a must-see. I agree that the Olympic Museum is also very good.