Zurich to Lucerne

[Floyd and elayne]

Cruising with Avalon on the Rhine, and will be arriving in Zurich.

Looking for transportation to Lucerne, where we will spend a few days before transfering to our River cruise....any recommendations appreciated.

Elayne

[English Voyager]

There are about sixty, not all direct, trains a day between Zurich Main Station and Lucerne with journey times varying between 45 and 56 minutes.

 

You may find the following website, which has a journey planner, useful.

 

http://www.thetrainline-europe.com/train/luzern-lucerne-to-zurich-hb~8505000~8503000

 

 

If you intend travelling from Zurich Airport to Lucerne, the Swiss Railway website also has a planner.

 

http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en?S=ZRH+Zurich+Airport!&Z=Luzern!&start=1

[janetcbl]

If you have luggage you don't want to lug on the train and don't need it until the day after you land, consider shipping it from the airport to Lucern. Last year it was 22 CHF per bag and very reliable. The SBB website has information.

[bigpaluka]

Train station in Zurich airport-direct train to Lucerne every 15-20 minutes.

we did it with 8 people and a lot of luggage. Did have to go up and down one set of stairs. Lucerne train station close to several hotels, walked to our hotel the Blu. we then took a car service to Basel for our river cruise from the Blu.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The Blu is a very nice hotel, and convenient to the train station and Old Town. Don't forget to pack your own washcloths for the hotel.

[yellowrosetx]

We just returned, Monday, from staying in Lucerne - flight from Zurich. Train station in Lucerne is right around the corner from the Blu. I had to laugh when suggestion was to bring your own washcloths - they were quite thin! Pillows were very flat as well, though you can request different ones as they have a pillow menu. They accommodated me with additional pillows. All in all, a very nice and convenient hotel.

 

FYI - weather was warmer than expected. We started in Brugge and cruised from Amsterdam to Basel. I didn't need heavy coat or layers til we went to Mount Titlis in Lucerne. Weather was beautiful, no rain and blue skies while on trip.

[shipster60]

We just returned, Monday, from staying in Lucerne - flight from Zurich. Train station in Lucerne is right around the corner from the Blu. I had to laugh when suggestion was to bring your own washcloths - they were quite thin! Pillows were very flat as well, though you can request different ones as they have a pillow menu. They accommodated me with additional pillows. All in all, a very nice and convenient hotel.

 

FYI - weather was warmer than expected. We started in Brugge and cruised from Amsterdam to Basel. I didn't need heavy coat or layers til we went to Mount Titlis in Lucerne. Weather was beautiful, no rain and blue skies while on trip.

 

We're doing the same trip in April. We're staying at the Blu and flying out of Zurich. Did you take the train to Zurich? If so, did you buy your tickets when you got there or before you left the US?

[Host Jazzbeau]

We just returned, Monday, from staying in Lucerne - flight from Zurich. Train station in Lucerne is right around the corner from the Blu. I had to laugh when suggestion was to bring your own washcloths - they were quite thin! Pillows were very flat as well, though you can request different ones as they have a pillow menu. They accommodated me with additional pillows. All in all, a very nice and convenient hotel.

 

FYI - weather was warmer than expected. We started in Brugge and cruised from Amsterdam to Basel. I didn't need heavy coat or layers til we went to Mount Titlis in Lucerne. Weather was beautiful, no rain and blue skies while on trip.

 

Thin? We got none at all!

[yellowrosetx]

We're doing the same trip in April. We're staying at the Blu and flying out of Zurich. Did you take the train to Zurich? If so, did you buy your tickets when you got there or before you left the US?

 

The river cruise was with Viking and I booked the extensions with them, they provided a bus shuttle to the airport in Lucerne. Lucerne is beautiful, just sitting by the lake and watching the swans and ducks. I wish I had scheduled more time there, the train is very convenient to visit other places an hour or so away for the day. One couple on our trip took the train to Interlaken and said it was spectacular. Have a great trip!

[yellowrosetx]

Thin? We got none at all!

 

Ha Ha! I guess I shouldn't have complained about our thin washcloths. Seriously, you couldn't get them much thinner!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Ha Ha! I guess I shouldn't have complained about our thin washcloths. Seriously, you couldn't get them much thinner!

 

No, seriously -- in many European hotels you do not get a washcloth. We always pack washcloths for the pre-cruise hotels since our first European cruise when we discovered this lack the hard way ;)

[bigpaluka]

We're doing the same trip in April. We're staying at the Blu and flying out of Zurich. Did you take the train to Zurich? If so, did you buy your tickets when you got there or before you left the US?

 

buy tickets right at the station-no need to buy early, plenty of seats.

[nancyevans]

Bought our tickets online. Printed out ticket at home. I don't like having to get into my purse or moneybelt to get out a credit card in a train station. Also, at home, you have plenty of time to figure out the system. No figuring out a ticket machine in a strange place or waiting in line to speak to an agent.

[bubbulz]

Bought our tickets online. Printed out ticket at home. I don't like having to get into my purse or moneybelt to get out a credit card in a train station. Also, at home, you have plenty of time to figure out the system. No figuring out a ticket machine in a strange place or waiting in line to speak to an agent.

 

We got ours at the station, with sufficient privacy for the transaction - and with a pleasant English-speaking agent. We also were happy to have done so after seeing a party of four (also from our cruise) grumbling about having wasted hundreds of dollars buying worthless tickets. I assumed they missed their train, but who knows?

[Host Jazzbeau]

The Lucerne train station is very low key and easy to deal with. Not like the station in Marseille where we missed our train to Avignon while waiting on the Line From Hell.

[cole]

Cruising with Avalon on the Rhine, and will be arriving in Zurich.

Looking for transportation to Lucerne, where we will spend a few days before transfering to our River cruise....any recommendations appreciated.

Elayne

 

We are doing the same cruise in April and wondered how you were getting from Lucerne to the ship at Basel. Unfortunately, we booked through a travel agent and may have to make our arrangements with her rather than Avalon, but would like to know if Avalon is transferring you from Lucerne to Basel. We are considering renting a car in Zurich, driving to Lucerne to stay one night, then driving to Basel the next day and dropping off the car at the airport. There are 4 of us (adults) with several pieces of luggage.

Cole

[Floyd and elayne]

Thank you all for your responses and information..

Looks like the train is the way to go, that is, if we take manageable luggage. I might be forced to pack lighlty, which shouldn't be to difficult. Hopefully !!

The rates for private transfers from the airport to Lucerne and then from Lucerne to the the port in Basel are very high.

 

We are considering the train for our first leg of the trip, and now looking at how to get to the port from Lucerne. Any ideas ?

 

Elayne

[English Voyager]

Thank you all for your responses and information..

Looks like the train is the way to go, that is, if we take manageable luggage. I might be forced to pack lighlty, which shouldn't be to difficult. Hopefully !!

The rates for private transfers from the airport to Lucerne and then from Lucerne to the the port in Basel are very high.

 

We are considering the train for our first leg of the trip, and now looking at how to get to the port from Lucerne. Any ideas ?

 

Elayne

 

Why not take the train from Lucerne to Basel.

Then perhaps consider a taxi from the nearer of the two Basel stations to the port.

 

There are two ports in Basel.

 

Do you know at which one you will be boarding the ship?

[Floyd and elayne]

No...have no idea which port. We are sailing with Avalon, will call them, they should know.

Thank you for information, will do our research now.

Elayne

[cole]

Why not take the train from Lucerne to Basel.

Then perhaps consider a taxi from the nearer of the two Basel stations to the port.

 

There are two ports in Basel.

 

Do you know at which one you will be boarding the ship?

 

I had to smile when I saw "manageable luggage". I have never been able to go on a cruise with "manageable luggage" as far as a train goes - unless you can check your baggage (which we were able to do from Seattle to Vancouver). I assume that if you go on the train to Basel, you will be responsible for carrying everything on yourself - right? If that is the case, any other suggestion other than the train?

Cole

Edited December 19, 2015 by cole
correction

[caviargal]

I assume that if you go on the train to Basel, you will be responsible for carrying everything on yourself - right? If that is the case, any other suggestion other than the train?

Cole

 

Unless you are doing the train as part of your package with the cruise line, you are indeed responsible for your own luggage.

 

We often travel by train within Europe and have learned to pack appropriately so that we are able to easily manage our own bags on and off the trains and through the stations. Since a river cruise is quite casual, it is very easy to pack for and there is no need to overdo it.

 

Other than a train you will need to rent a car or hire a private driver, which is VERY pricey.

[Hatchin'APlan]

Just returned the 17th from our Viking cruise Basel - Amsterdam. We had Viking transfers, but took the train one day from Lucerne to Zurich to see thier Christmas Market, I think it was 50E round trip. Super easy to get the tickets at the self-service kiosks, they translate to English at the bottom right. Need your credit card PIN here. Very efficient public transportation - our area could take some tips from them!!!

[bubbulz]

We didn't pack as lightly as we should have, yet we did fine with the trains. We got first class tickets and the cars (typically the two at the front) had plenty of open seats. On the first train, we struggled to stow all of our bags at the end of the car, but on subsequent rides we just took them to our seats, which were configured as 2+2 facing each other. There was plenty of room and it was much easier. Next time I'll be taking much less with me, despite traveling in the winter!