Hel getting from Lucerne to Zurich.

What time is your flight from Zurich? It would be easier to stay in Lucerne an extra night and just take the train from Lucerne right into the Zurich airport. This journey is just over an hour.

I travel with luggage and have found 1st class to be less crowded than 2nd class.

How are you getting to Luzern in the first place? By train? How long are you in Zurich?
SBB will ship your luggage same day from your location in Luzern to your final location in Zurich. It is pricey, but way less than a taxi/car service..
https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/before-your-journey/luggage/luggage/door-to-door.html

I've taken the train between Zurich Airport and Lucerne. No change involved. No steps either.

First class, not much more cost wise than 2nd class, is usually empty. If you can wheel your bag, you will be able to get on and off the train.

We will be in Lucerne for 2 nights after a river cruise . Our TA booked us in Zurich the day before we fly out of Zurich Airport. At this points its only a few weeks away and hotels can't be changed. We need to get to from Lucerne to Zurich.We'd like to go early so we can see a little bit of Zurich before we leave the next next day for the airport. . I'm not even sure how to get to train station from our hotel in Lucerne. We are booked at the Grand Europe Hotel in Lucerne and Hilton Garden Inn. in Zurich .The Hilton garden in sent step by step directions how to get to the hotel, taking train, switching trains , and then a tram. I am overwhelmed.

The river cruise ends in Basel, so is this an extension to Luzern by bus? I'll check on your hotel locations.
Grand Hotel Europe is about 1 1/4 mile from the Luzern train station, so a taxi would work to the station.

Yes river cruise ends in Basel, part of tour includes transportation to Lucerne from Basel. We need to get from Grand Europe Hotel in Lucerne to Zurich.

Fire your TA. The Hilton Garden Inn is in Dietikon, well outside of Zurich and not a very good location to get to the airport.

OK if you do not fire your TA, then at least have them cancel that booking and put you at Zurich Airport. The Radisson Blu is right at the airport. There is also a Hyatt close by. Once you get into your room, you can take a train into central Zurich in just about 10 minutes to visit the city.

Do not be afraid of taking the train, even with luggage. If your luggage has wheels, and you are able to walk while dragging it behind you, you will be fine.

Take the train to ZRH on the day you leave. You just roll your suitcase on the train to ZRH, there you roll it off again, take the elevator up, and if you are flying LH or one of the LH group airlines you have only one single elevator or escalator between the train and check in. If you are flying other airlines you will have another escalator, and a maybe 3-4 minutes walk.

Getting a car will not make this easier, since you replace the "walking from the train to chec in" with "walking from the car to checkin"

It is because the trains are so good that they are the first choice for most people going to the airport, and car services are mostly targeted at the "money is no object" crowd, and thus rather expensive.

I stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe last summer. It is very nice. It is a bit further from busy Lucerne center but a very picturesque walk along the lake’s edge. You will be less than 3 minutes ride to the train station. The hotel should be able to arrange the taxi. From there it’s an easy ride to both Zurich with no transfers (estimate 1 hour). SBB trains are efficient. You’ll can actually see the train station across the lake from your hotel and will certainly get within breathing distance of it when walking around Lucerne. Very sorry but I don’t have any details for the Hilton Garden Inn.

Is it the Hilton Garden Inn Zurich Limmattal? This is on the opposite side of Zurich from the airport and there’s not much nearby besides IKEA and a shopping mall. After a short tram ride you can catch a train from Dietikon to the airport without further changes but it will take about 45-50 min total. A Taxi to the airport will be very expensive, would advise against it.
The bigger annoyance will be getting to the hotel from Luzern. Are you sure you can’t rebook to an airport hotel or one in the city center instead?

Paying for the luggage transfer service offered by SBB is a good idea if you are leery of schlepping luggage. If you are a fit and healthy 72 and a light packer, you will do fine traveling by train.

I hope the Hilton Garden Inn isn't prepaid non-refundable because that hotel is way far from ZRH. You would be better off staying in Zurich proper and taking train from there directly to the airport. I think that some hotels with airport in their name are not on actually on airport grounds such as the Hilton Airport where we are booked.

That Hilton Garden is a very bad choice by your travel agent. No wonder you feel overwhelmed by the transport directions for getting there.

You should tell the travel agent you are very unhappy with being placed out of the city, with nothing nearby to see, and far from the airport as well.

They should be willing to make a change to a better location, either right in Zurich itself, or at the airport.. As Sam suggested, the Radisson Blu is right IN the airport and is very nice ( and no airport noise). We have stayed there quite happily.

Thank you for helping me. I spoke with my travel agent and got changed to the Zurich Airport Hilton. It will be much more manageable going on the train to the airport.

It is not as good as one of the hotels actually located at the airport (as opposed to one, like the Hilton, requiring a shuttle or taxi), but it is better already.
The easiest way to go there is probably to take one of the hourly trains from Luzern to Zürich Flughafen (Airport), and take a taxi at the airport (or the hotel shuttle, if available).

The Zurich Airport Hilton is not near the airport either, and adjacent to a freeway interchange. Not a great place if you like to roam a bit in the city afterwards, or have a drink in a bar somewhere. If you are after a bland US style experience it is fine, I think.

For a last night before a flight my choices would be:

• Downtown Zurich
• One of the three airport hotels that are actually at the airport (so you can just take a train in to the city).
• Or a hotel on the tramline.

Well, the Hilton is a step up from the previous digs. You can take the shuttle back to the airport for a train into Zurich. That is just a part of the problem of dealing with TA's that have absolutely no clue about the local area.

It is something I see with some of my US collegues as well (I do consultancy for a company that has us travel a lot): When selecting a hotel they first look for brands, whereas I always first look at location... It is maybe a US versus Europe thing, where in the US people expect to drive everywhere and that makes the logistics the same regardless of where you are. Europe functions a bit differently.

I might speculate that the travel agent is looking at his or her commission first and foremost.

I agree with acraven - it seems that the TA is first and foremost looking after their wallet, regardless of what is best for the customer

Not defending TA but she volunteered to give up commission when we had to switch hotels .

@WengenK
Thanks to your post re: the ZRH "Airport" Hilton where we'd reserved with a cancellable rate, I emailed the hotel for more information regarding getting from the airport train station to the hotel and back the next morning 3 hours prior to our 0950 flight. Kudos to the manager for his prompt response which included taxi rates and the shuttle schedule. After reviewing this information, I realized that there were too many hassles and potential snags for my comfort level, so instead I followed your advice and booked rooms at the Radisson Blu. Love that now we will be able to easily travel into Zurich for the afternoon/evening instead of being stuck in our hotel room!

I also have a reservation at Hilton Airport Zurich for our last night in Switzerland. It is 5 miles from the airport. While it is not right at the airport, it can't be that hard to grab a taxi or their shuttle. It was a couple hundred dollars less than Radisson Blu. For me, that 5 miles can't possibly be worth the difference in room cost . . . . . .

It is 5 miles from the airport.

My google maps shows more like a little less than 1 1/2 miles, but who's counting.

My google maps shows more like a little less than 1 1/2 miles, but who's counting.

You are correct, it is 1.5 miles and 5 minutes drive, I saw the 5 and thought it was miles. But this is even more to the point. How much can go wrong in 1.5 miles? Either their shuttle or a taxi should have no problem traveling the 1.5 mile or 5 minute drive . . . while actually walking to the terminal from your hotel room would be super convenient, I couldn't justify the expense when I would rather use that money seeing Switzerland.

@Jeanine
Quoting the email from the Hilton:
"Airport Shuttle:
Pick Up from the curbside lane upfront Arrivals 2 at Zurich Airport
Operating from 5AM until 12:00PM and 3:00PM until 11:00PM
Complimentary Ride from Zurich Airport towards the Hilton Zurich Airport
CHF 6.00 per person per ride from Hilton Zurich Airport towards Zurich Airport
(Tickets must be purchased at front desk)
Airport Taxi:
Pick Up from the curbside lane upfront Arrivals 2 at Zurich Airport
Discounted flat rate of CHF 17.00 per way in between Zurich Airport and Hilton Zurich Airport"

Factors in our change to the Radisson Blu.....
Since we'd be arriving from Wengen between 1200-1500 would need a taxi for CHF 17
Shuttle for 2= CHF 12. Assuming there would be space for the 10 of us on the 0610 ride.
Easier to travel into Zurich proper, though there does seem to be a tram within walking distance from the Hilton.
Price difference for Hilton Honors rate vs. Radisson prepaid member rate @ CHF 30 more for our date.

SHUTTLE
Zürich Hilton to Airport Airport to Hilton
05:00 05:40
06:10 06:40 06:00 07:10 07:40 07:00 08:10 08:40 08:00 09:10 09:40 09:00
05:30
06:30
07:30 08:30 09:30
11:30 12:20
16:30
19:30 20:30 21:30 22:30
10:45 10:00 11:10 11:40 11:00
12:10 12:00
15:10 16:10 17:10
19:10 20:10 21:10 22:10
15:40 15:30 16:40 16:00
17:40 17:00
19:40 19:00 20:40 20:00 21:40 21:00 22:40 22:00
23:00
Hotel to Airport: CHF 6.- Airport to Hotel: Free
Ticket available at the Front Desk Pick-up on the curbside lane at Arrival 2

when I stayed at the ZRH airport Hilton some years back they had a free shuttle that ran back and forth, no worries

@phred
Not the case no more. Shuttle at HIlton to the airport in the morning begins at 5am, then hourly from 6:10 to 9:10, 10:45, 11:10 and 12:10. CHF 6 per person. Shuttle is free from ZRH to hotel but on hiatus from noon to 15:30.
How many does the shuttle hold? Does it tow a trailer behind for baggage? Anyway, moot for us since we changed hotels.