Como or Lausanne?

Neither city has a beach in the real sense, and both offer much the same: summer lake swimming from lidos, lawns and pebble shores. In Como the classic spot is the lido beside Villa Olmo, though the water at the city end is less inviting, and the better swims are at jetties in Cernobbio or Moltrasio, reached by ferry.

Lausanne's swimming spots line its own waterfront, at Bellerive's historic lido with pools and on the grassy shores at Vidy, Pully and Lutry, so you can get to them easily without a boat.

Lausanne eats better. Lake perch, papet vaudois and winter fondue are good, but the wine lifts it: Chasselas from the Lavaux terraces, tasted at the growers' own caveaux, and a high-end tier that includes some of the country's most celebrated tables. The Saturday market at Riponne adds cheese and charcuterie.

Como's Lombard cooking has character, with perch risotto, missoltini and polenta with game. But the range is narrow, and the lakefront terraces charge for the view, so the best meals are found in family places up the lake or in the hills.

The two are well matched but strong in different ways. Como's appeal is its architecture: the marble cathedral, the Romanesque churches of San Fedele and Sant'Abbondio, and Terragni's Rationalist Casa del Fascio, with Volta's temple and the silk museum along the shore. It all fits into a day.

Lausanne has its Gothic cathedral and steep old lanes, but its museums carry more weight. The Olympic Museum at Ouchy, the cluster of museums at Plateforme 10 and the strange Collection de l'Art Brut fill two or three days.

Lausanne has a real night out, which Como does not. Its large student population fills the Flon's clubs and late bars at weekends, and in summer people gather by the lake at Ouchy, though weeknights are quiet and drinks are expensive.

In Como the evening is the aperitivo, dinner and perhaps a stroll on the lakefront. A few bars around Piazza Duomo close early, and there are no clubs. Locals wanting a big night take the train to Milan.

Both are superb for the outdoors, set on mountain lakes. Como's is a narrow glacial lake hemmed in by wooded slopes. You can walk the ridge from Brunate, follow the Greenway between villages or climb Monte Bisbino, and road cyclists ride up to the Madonna del Ghisallo.

Lausanne looks across open water to the French Alps and has the Lavaux vineyard walk on its doorstep. Its extra card is skiing: Villars, Leysin and Glacier 3000 are about an hour away, with cross-country skiing in the Jura.

Both are excellent bases, with outings of a different kind. From Como the trips run by water or into Italy: hydrofoils to Bellagio and the gardens of Villa Carlotta and Balbianello, Milan's Last Supper within a half-day, and Bergamo or Lugano close by.

From Lausanne it is a chain of Swiss towns by punctual train: Montreux and Chillon castle, Geneva, Bern, Gruyères and Murten, with the French shore and Annecy also within reach.

Lausanne is clearly the better family base. There is the hands-on Olympic Museum, the aquarium-vivarium, and the Sauvabelin woods with an animal park, pedal boats and a lookout tower, plus paddle steamers and lakeside pools. The steep streets and the cost of eating out are the downsides.

Como is calm, and children enjoy the funicular and the boats, but there is no aquarium or zoo, and the villas and churches are aimed at adults. It suits a slow family stay with outdoor days.

Lausanne is easier to get around despite its slopes. The m2 metro climbs from Ouchy to the upper town, and the main station connects to fast trains across Switzerland, so a car is unnecessary.

Como's centre is flatter and easy on foot, with good trains to Milan and Lugano. Exploring the lake is slower, though: the slow ferries take a long time to go far, and the narrow shore roads clog in summer.

Neither is a shopping destination, but each has its own thing to buy. In Como that is silk: scarves, ties and fabric from old-town specialists and from mill outlets that supply the fashion houses.

In Lausanne it is a Swiss watch, chocolate or Lavaux wine from Rue de Bourg and the streets around it. In both cities, serious fashion shoppers head elsewhere, to Milan in Como's case.

Both are expensive, but Como is the easier on your money. Lakeside hotels there cost a great deal in summer, yet rooms back from the water, old-town trattorias and cheap trains and ferries help, and spring and autumn are cheaper.

Lausanne carries full Swiss prices for rooms, meals, wine and taxis. Budget travellers there end up picnicking from supermarkets and saving restaurants for special occasions.

Lausanne is far ahead here, with dance leading the way. The Béjart Ballet, the Prix de Lausanne, the Théâtre de Vidy's contemporary work, a full opera season and a respected chamber orchestra add up to a serious calendar. The Montreux Jazz Festival is a short train ride away in July.

Como's Teatro Sociale is a handsome neoclassical opera house with a summer open-air arena, and there are concerts in churches and villas. Most nights are quiet, and visitors who want more go to La Scala in Milan.

Lausanne edges ahead, mainly because thermal water is close: Yverdon-les-Bains is under half an hour away and Lavey-les-Bains under an hour. The grand hotel spas and the quiet Lavaux lanes add to it, though the centre itself is steep and busy.

Como has no springs at all. Its calm comes from the setting: slow ferries, gardens running down to the water and villages where evenings end early, best enjoyed in spring or autumn.