I am coming to Lucerne mid October having decided to stop here overnight enroute from Zurich to Zermatt.
It's a short trip, 1 nt Lucerne and 2 nights Zermatt.
I am trying to plan the trains, however I can't seem to find decent trains from Lucerne. The SBB train app seems to come up with a preference up and around via Aarburg and Bern. It seems to be quicker this way with presumably less stops.
But I had been thinking that as we would come back this way from Zermatt back to Zurich Airport, would it be possible (and looking like a shorter route) to travel via Andermatt and Fiesch?
The Glacier Express comes this way, although I didn't want to take it due to it's slowness, but I thought this route surely must service other trains? Am I not getting this right?! I would appreciate some advice from someone in the know. Many thanks
Posted by
Green Bay
20356 posts
I am using the on-line journey planner at www.sbb.ch/en. Put Andermatt in the "via" box and you get Luzern to Goeschenen to Andermatt to Oberwald to Fiesch to Visp to Taesch to Zermatt in 6 hours. Beginning Oct 16, it is a bus from Oberwald to Fiesch and Visp to Taesch due to a construction project on the rail lines.
Posted by
Wengen
2020 posts
The SBB website can be a bit daunting when you are not used to a railway that runs a lot of trains. But if you look at the results you should see that the fastest route is pretty straightforward: Luzern to Bern, Bern to Visp, Visp to Zermatt. Nothing complicated about that.
If you are not getting that, then maybe you are searching for a date where something out of the ordinary is on. What date is your travel?
Posted by
OP
Scotland
3 posts
Hi Sam
Many thanks, I had seen that but I thought I was missing something and didn't expect the route to take as long as 6 hours and have so many changes. Its a shame as I really wanted to take this route and return to Zurich via the Bern route. But I think 6 hours is too much and especially the works going on and having to jump on buses along the way. It makes it all a bit too complicated sadly. It's looking like the Bern route for 3.5 hours or so is looking like the best option.
Posted by
OP
Scotland
3 posts
Hi WengenK
Yes, I agree there's nothing complicated about the Bern route, but I'd mentioned I would be doing that route on the return from Zermatt to Zurich Airport and had hoped I could do the Andermatt Fiesch route on the way to Zermatt. Why do the same path when you can do a circular route and see more of the beautiful Swiss countryside?!
However it's looking very unlikley if as Sam said it's 6 hours and involves 2 buses along the route due to constuction works. I am travelling on the 16th too which is when the works start. So it looks like I will have to go and return via Bern, the same route.
Not to worry though, I guess it's more time to spend either that morning in Luzern or in Zermatt later!
Many thanks for your advice
Posted by
Wengen
2020 posts
On october 16th the route via Bern is 3h20 minutes. It does involve a rail replacement bus between Visp and Täsch, but that is not a big issue, as these things are very well organised.