My husband and I are traveling from Lucerne to Salzburg on Tuesday, May 15. We would like to leave early in the morning from Lucerne. What is the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to travel? Do we need to book these train tickets in advance? We will likely not have a Swiss Pass, as we only plan to spend a few days in Switzerland.
Posted by
Chicago
8164 posts
You can search your train time options here for May 15
https://www.trainline.eu/train-times/luzern-to-salzburg-hbf
I would buy them in advance.
Posted by
OP
Iowa
12 posts
Thank you for the feedback - we are going to book in advance. I show some of these have a transfer from the train to a bus at Zurich. Has anyone used this before? We don't care whether it's train or bus. However, I show 12 minutes to connect. Will this be stressful trying to connect from one station to the other? How far apart are they? We do travel light, just a carry on suitcase
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
The ones that involve a bus are going via Munich (the bus is Zürich - Munich). You do not want that route.
There are direct trains from Zürich to Salzburg every 2 hours, for example:
09:35 Luzern (Lucerne), 10:25 Zürich HB, IR 2634
10:40 Zürich HB, 16:03 Salzburg Hbf (Main Station), RJ 165
or:
11:35 Luzern (Lucerne), 12:25 Zürich HB, IR 2642
12:40 Zürich HB, 18:03 Salzburg Hbf (Main Station), RJ 167
Both these trains are currently selling at €34. I would buy today, this price will only go up.
The above trains give you 15 minutes to change at Zürich HB. this is plenty as it is inside the station, You could also get an earlier train from Luzern and have more time at Zürich HB.
The Zürich - Salzburg train has reserved seats and your ticket will only be valid on that train.
Swiss internal trains, including Luzern - Zürich HB, do not have reservations and your ticket will be valid on any train that day.
Zürich to Salzburg is scenic in the first half of the route, as it is going lengthways through the Alps.
Posted by
OP
Iowa
12 posts
Thank you! What site do you recommend booking on? And I see some are refundable for a fee if cancelled the day before travel? We don't plan to use that, but good to have just in case.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
"What site do you recommend booking on?" - https://www.trainline.eu/ The site both Jazz+Travels and I got our info from.
You should get a "print at home" ticket. This is a PDF file attached to an e-mail sent to you. You have to print this file out and bring it with you to show to the ticket inspectors on the trains.
Posted by
OP
Iowa
12 posts
Thank you both for your help! This will save us some travel time too - and sounds like we will have some beautiful views