My husband and I will be in Zurich on Sunday. We have an 11 hour layover. My husband has never seen Switzerland and I’d love for him to see Lucerne. I have a few questions. We arrive at 6am and leave at 5pm.
Thanks everyone
Is this enough time to see Lucerne.
yes
What should we do when we are there
Lock the bag in a locker at Zurich airport; take train to Luzern and take to boat from Luzern to catch the train up to Mt. Rigi and back
What’s the weather so is it worth it?
Check the day before and day off for the best accuracy. or look at the historical averages: https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/switzerland/lucerne/climate
I think you will spend a lot of time commuting by train and back and you will need 3 hours before flight to get back thru Zurich airport. Just left there yesterday and 3 hours was just enough time to get checked in, through security grab something to eat, do passport control and travel long distances between points.
You might train into old town Zurich, but still plan at least 3 hours at airport if you leave. Another option might be a partial stay at the Radisson Blu hotel connected to the airport. Lucerne was wonderful, but having just done two long flights with lay overs and delays, I’d get a room and rest, relax and stretch out on a bed fir some zzz’s
If you do it, I'd consider just a lake cruise. But I agree its not much time to play around with. Count three hours used up just in train time, assuming the timing is right. Getting off the plane, exiting through immigration, etc., takes another 1+ hours.
I'd head in to Zurich and spend some time there. They also have a nice lake.
I would agree with Jill's response. We were just in Zurich and loved it. You could take a short boat trip on Lake
Zurich, visit the Lindt Chocolate factory and walk around old town.
Zurich has the old town but the spectacular Mountain View is much more in the distance. My biggest thing is to have my husband experience the grandeur of the mountains.
Zurich is ok but Lucerne is so charming, I'd try for Lucerne. You could probably by there by 10:00 and out by 2:00. Enough time to see the Lion Monument, Chapel Bridge, some other sights, lunch, and a visit to the Laderach chocolate store (best chocolate in the world)!!!
You're adventurous going to Lucerne on an 11 hour layover. Take an hour to get off plane, get bags, store them, and find ground transport, plus another 3 hours before boarding, so you're now down to 7 hours. Trains would be 2-3 hours return, so you're down to 4 hours in Lucerne. Doable, but 7 hours of faffle for 4 hours of enjoyment? Up to you.
If it were me, I would stay in Zurich. I love Zurich:
a) the Swiss National Museum is adjacent to the main train station;
b) walk through the old town to the lakefront. See the outrageously expensive shop windows. RS Guides have a good walk through Zurich;
c) take a 90 minute lake cruise on the Zurichsee;
d) walk back along the Limmatt River to the Fraumunster and/or the Grossmunster;
e) walk back along the riverside Limmatquai back to the station.
Whatever you choose, enjoy!
11 hours is absolutely enough time to go see Lucerne
during your layover. Direct trains right from Zurich’s airport will get you there in 63 minutes. Lucerne’s train station is a 5-minute walk from the “Altstadt”—the Old Town which is likely what you’ll want to see. The Sunday forecast is for a couple showers amounting to less than 1/10” of precipitation during a 90- minute period— no big deal. The trains in Switzerland are always on time so no worries about that either.
Don’t worry-be 😊 happy and have fun in Lucerne!
