Lausanne or Portofino?

Portofino comes out ahead here, although neither is a classic sandy-beach destination. You swim in the open Mediterranean from rock platforms and ladders along the path to the lighthouse. The small sandy bay at Paraggi is close by, and pebble coves such as San Fruttuoso can be reached by boat. The sea stays pleasant from June into early October, but every spot is small and fills up in high summer.

Lausanne swims in Lake Geneva instead, from the lawns and shingle at Vidy, the old lido at Bellerive and the shore towards Lutry. The water is only warm enough from late June to early September, so it is a pleasant summer afternoon rather than a reason to come.

Lausanne eats better and offers more choice. Lake perch, papet vaudois and winter fondue sit alongside some of Switzerland's most celebrated tables, and you can taste Lavaux Chasselas from the growers in village caveaux. The Saturday market around the Riponne brings in cheese and charcuterie from the countryside.

Portofino has the Ligurian classics, from trofie with pesto to the cheese focaccia of Recco, but only a small cluster of harbour terraces where you mostly pay for the view of the yachts. People who care about food go to Camogli, Santa Margherita or the trattorie in the hills.

Lausanne has much more to see. The Gothic cathedral, with its painted portal and its night watchman, stands above an old town of covered stairways and squares. The museums are the main draw: the Olympic Museum at Ouchy, the three collections at Plateforme 10 and the odd, memorable Collection de l'Art Brut.

In Portofino the sight is the village itself: the coloured harbour houses, San Giorgio, Castello Brown and the walk out to the lighthouse, plus the medieval abbey at San Fruttuoso. A day covers it all, and it suits people who prefer atmosphere to galleries.

Neither is a party destination, but Lausanne offers a real night out at weekends. Students fill the clubs and late bars in the converted warehouses of the Flon, the old town has wine bars, and the waterfront at Ouchy is busy on summer evenings.

In Portofino the evening means an aperitivo and a long dinner facing the yachts, dressed up, and then very little. There are no clubs, and outside July and August the village goes quiet early. For dancing you go to Santa Margherita, Rapallo or Genoa.

Both are superb for the outdoors, and Lausanne has the edge for range. The Lavaux vineyard terraces drop to the lake, and the Vaud Alps offer skiing and summer hiking within an hour. The Jura adds long ridges for walking and cross-country skiing, and the lake has sailing and paddleboarding.

Portofino's nature is concentrated on one protected headland. Cliff trails run through holm oak and pine to San Fruttuoso and Punta Chiappa, some of them with chains. Offshore, the marine reserve has red coral and the Christ of the Abyss for divers. The setting is sea and coast rather than mountains and snow.

Lausanne is the stronger base, mainly because of its trains. Montreux, Vevey and Chillon are minutes away, Geneva, Bern and Fribourg take about an hour or less, and Gruyères, Neuchâtel and Murten make easy days out, all without a car.

From Portofino the outings follow the Riviera di Levante: Camogli, Santa Margherita, Sestri Levante, and the medieval centre and palaces of Genoa. In summer there are also ferries to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere. Arriving by boat is part of the fun, but out of season you rely on the train from Santa Margherita.

Lausanne is far easier with children. The hands-on Olympic Museum and the aquarium-vivarium are good outings. The Sauvabelin woods have animals, pedal boats and a lookout tower, and the paddle steamers make a trip in themselves. The steep streets are the one real drawback with a pushchair.

Portofino is calm and safe, and children enjoy the boats and swimming off the rocks, but the village is made for adults. There are no playgrounds, and the sand at Paraggi is mostly taken by paid beach clubs. Families usually stay in Rapallo or Santa Margherita and make a day trip to the aquarium in Genoa.

Lausanne's hills are steep, but the m2 metro climbs from Ouchy to the upper town and buses fill the gaps. The station is on the fast Swiss rail network, so you have no need for a car.

Portofino takes a few minutes to cross on foot, but getting in and out is awkward. A single narrow coast road leads from Santa Margherita, parking is scarce, summer buses are crowded, and the ferries run only from spring to autumn. Arriving by boat or bus is better than driving.

Neither city is worth a trip for shopping, but Lausanne gives you more to browse. Rue de Bourg has Swiss watches and chocolatiers, the international names are around Saint-François, the Flon has a few design shops, and market stalls fill the old town on market days.

Portofino packs big fashion and jewellery houses and resort wear into a few lanes behind the harbour, with Ligurian lace and jars of pesto alongside. You can see it all in under an hour. For everyday shopping you go to Rapallo, Chiavari or Genoa.

Both are among the most expensive places you could choose, and neither saves you money. In Lausanne the high cost runs through everything, from hotels and meals to wine and taxis. Portofino's costs come mostly from its few luxury hotels, the tables on the harbour and the loungers at Paraggi.

The ways round it differ. In Lausanne you picnic by the lake and keep restaurant meals for special occasions. With Portofino, many visitors sleep in Santa Margherita, Rapallo or Camogli and come over for the day.

This is one of the widest gaps between the two. Lausanne has the Béjart Ballet and the Prix de Lausanne, contemporary work at the Théâtre de Vidy, an opera season and a respected chamber orchestra. In July the Montreux Jazz Festival is a short train ride away.

Portofino has no theatre or regular venue, only the occasional summer concert in the piazzetta or at the castle. For opera or theatre you spend the evening at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

Lausanne has a little more to offer. As well as the spas of the grand lakeside hotels, there are warm springs within easy reach at Yverdon-les-Bains and Lavey-les-Bains. The Ouchy promenade and the paths through the Lavaux vines make for unhurried days.

How restful Portofino feels depends on when you go. The hillside hotel spas are the only treatment rooms. The real calm comes early in the morning, in the evening and in the months either side of summer, when the shaded paths are quiet and the tour-boat crowds have left.