I am planning to take a trip up to Pilatus Kulm. I would like to have plenty of time at the top to eat/shop/take in the view. I am deciding between taking the cogwheel train both up and down or taking the cogwheel train up and then the cable car down. My only question about this is regarding timing. If I book the cogwheel train both ways, I can schedule the exact time I'll be descending the mountain, but this is not an option if I take the cable car down. Does anyone know how the cable car works? Do I get to just hop on whenever I'm ready or do I go immediately from the train to the cable car? This is what I'm looking at for reference. https://shop.e-guma.ch/pilatus-bahnen/de/tickets/c/tickets-ab-alpnachstad-3606682
Posted by
Green Bay
21139 posts
Cable cars run continuously. I could not imagine needing a reservation. If the car fills up before you board, you just wait 15 minutes or so for the next one. If you are only 1 or 2 people, you can probably forgo seat reservations on the train, but who knows. if it is a busy weekend, maybe. A group of 10 would need them if they all wanted to get on the same train.
It is 35 minutes between trains. If you are going to Alpnachstad on the boat, these times could be busy if a lot of people are doing Pilatus as the boat unloads. If you go by train to Alpnachstad, arrive at a time when there are no boats docking and you can probably get right on.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
katie,
That's a very easy trip! You can buy a round trip ticket at the Lucerne rail station (in the T.I. as I recall) and they can answer any questions you might have.
I'd recommend taking the boat to Alpnachstad and then the Cogwheel railway up to the top. After you've had lots of time to "eat/shop/take in the view", take the cable car down to Kriens, as that provides diffferent views and they're incredible! The cable car is actually a two-stage affair. You'll travel on a larger cable car down to Fräkmüntegg and there you'll transfer to smaller "Telecabines" for the final leg down to Kriens. When you arrive there, you'll have a short walk (downhill) to the street where you'll catch the bus back to Lucerne station. It's a short ride, only about 15 minutes as I recall.