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Advice for 4 nights in Lucerne

We are a family of 5 adults. We are staying in Lucerne for 4 nights in late July 2019, from a Friday to a Tuesday. We are coming by train from Colmar (via Basel) after 7 days in France. A few questions:

1 - We plan to buy half fare cards. My inclination is to purchase the HFCs ahead, along with our tickets for Friday from Basel to Lucerne, and print them at home, so that we don't have to deal with buying those while in transit from Colmar, as we'll have luggage. Is it easy enough to buy the HFCs from home? Is this a good plan? The Basel to Lucerne tickets will be good for any train that day, even if I buy them online and print them, right?

2 - Our hotel is right near the Weinmarkt. What is the best way to get from Lucerne train station to our hotel with our luggage? Will there be taxis?

3 - We apparently will be visiting right during the Blue Balls music festival in Lucerne. Any advice or tips on how this might affect things? It actually looks sort of fun to wander the vendor stalls. Will the crowds be enormous?

4 - Our draft itinerary - understanding we might have to adjust the days depending on weather - any suggestions or changes you would propose?:

Day 1 (Fri) - Arrive by early afternoon, hotel check in and lunch. Explore Lucerne itself. Any favorite restaurants in Lucerne?

Day 2 (Sat) - Mt. Pilatus golden round trip excursion, starting early a.m. Afternoon in Lucerne. We are hoping to go to Catholic Mass Saturday evening. Any suggestions or a good website to find mass schedules?

Day 3 (Sun) - Full day excursion to Lauterbrunnen via Interlaken Ost. It'll be a long day trip but we'd like to see the Berner Oberland area and the train ride looks beautiful. Would Sunday be an ok day to do this if the weather is decent? I figure shops might be closed in Lucerne anyway. Will there be enough restaurants and tourist shops open in Lauterbrunnen on a Sunday? Would it be worth it to, on arrival, go immediately up to Wengen and have lunch there? Then head back down for some hiking/exploring in Lauterbrunnen? Possibly have a look around and dinner in Interlaken before heading back to Lucerne. Any restaurant recommendations for lunch and dinner in Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, or Interlaken?

Day 4 (Mon) - Unplanned. Depending on how we feel, we could do Mt. Rigi or Mt. Titlis. Which one of those is more different from Mt. Pilatus? Or we can just relax in Lucerne. What about a boat ride to one of the villages on Lake Lucerne? Are any of the villages particularly interesting or beautiful to explore for a few hours/have lunch? Any suggestions for nice hikes within/around Lucerne itself? Day trip to Bern? (Bern looks neat but I tend toward enjoying the outdoors/nature rather than another city for our last day in Switzerland).

Day 5 (Tues) - Take direct train from Lucerne to Zurich airport. Our flight back to the U.S. leaves at 11:45 am. Would taking the 7:35 am direct train from Lucerne, arriving at the airport at 8:44 be adequate? Or should we take the 6:35 am train to allow for any delays?

5 - My father (age 65) is very fit but has some mobility/balance issues with his feet. He'll have a walking pole for assistance but does anyone have tips or warnings based on our planned activities above? If there are any particularly treacherous walking routes or things to avoid on a possible excursion to Titlis or Rigi, please advise.

6 - Since we won't have the Swiss Travel Pass, how easy will it be to buy train tickets and the golden pass ticket at the station for our excursions on the day of or day before - any general tips?

7 - Lastly, for the excursions I've described, for late July, would one warm layer/sweatshirt and a light but sturdy raincoat probably be sufficient? Or will we need to dress for winter with heavier coats, hats, and gloves?

Thank you very much!

Posted by
7209 posts

You would be well advised to verify your hotel has AC because it can get very hot and muggy in July. This week in Geneva the temps will soar into the mid and upper 90s. You don't want a miserable hotel experience.

Posted by
367 posts

Day 4 - the only cable car I've been up in that area is Stanserhorn, and I recommend it. The difference from the others is that it has an outdoor viewing area on the top. I'm pretty queasy with heights, but because it feels so solid and safe, and the railing is high, I was perfectly fine riding on the top. It's on the south side of the lake, but closer to Lucerne than Titlis, so less travel. The town of Stans is quiet charming so you could have lunch there.

We did a boat trip to Brunnen (gorgeous) and a lot of people got off at the Rigi stop, so that is also an idea.

Posted by
261 posts

We are staying at Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen right now and their outside terrace, food,
service and fair pricing is great...Andy Steves and a Best of Europe tour stayed here this week...good
pizza....cable car and connecting train to Murran is easy and a nice paved downhill hike to
Gimmelwald is enjoyable. Been near 80 here each day cooling down overnight.

Posted by
8889 posts

Sara, You can buy both the Swiss Half Fare Card and the half fare tickets from Basel to Luzern ahead of time on the SBB website: https://www.sbb.ch/en
For the Half Fare Card, see this page: https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-halffare-card.html
In both cases you will get self-print tickets (PDF files) at the same price as buying them at Basel station.

Note: At Basel the trains from Colmar stop in an annex. Because of building work, to reach the main part of the station you need to walk along the road for ~200 metres. Follow everybody else, or ask.

I would be flexible about dates to go up mountains, you need to pick a clear day, not cloudy. Read weather forecasts when you get there, and be prepared to swap days around.

Weinmarkt. What is the best way to get from Lucerne train station to our hotel with our luggage?

The Weinmarkt is right in the centre of the car-free old town. The station is on the edge of the old town. Walking will be easier, if you can drag your luggage.
Click here for route on foot, 650 metres, 8 minute walk. By car you have to go the long way around, 2 Km! (welcome to car-free Switzerland). If you are at the back end of the train you will have to walk an extra 200 metres to get to the front of the station in both cases!

Our flight back to the U.S. leaves at 11:45 am. Would taking the 7:35 am direct train from Lucerne, arriving at the airport at 8:44 be adequate? Or should we take the 6:35 am train to allow for any delays?

The question is really how early the airline says you need to be at the airport. Allow 5-10 minutes to get from the station platform to the check-in desks. 2-5 minutes late is not unknown (1 train in 5 or 10), 10 minutes late or more is very rare.
There is also an train at xx:10 (07:10, 08:10 etc.) which requires changing trains in Zürich HB (city centre station), still takes the same time.

My father (age 65) is very fit but has some mobility/balance issues with his feet. He'll have a walking pole for assistance but does anyone have tips or warnings based on our planned activities above?

As long as he is happy walking everywhere in Luzern old town - OK.

how easy will it be to buy train tickets and the golden pass ticket at the station for our excursions on the day of or day before - any general tips?

Ticket machines at all stations. Just select the "Chid/Half Price" button. Plus manned "Travel Centres" in all big stations, including Luzern. All tickets are valid on any train on the date shown on the ticket. By default the current date, but you can select post-dated tickets, i.e. buy the day before.