Stay in Basal or Lucerne overnight?

Posted by patsquilts on 11/14/15 03:56 PM

In early April 2016 we arrive at Basal airport at 5 pm. We do not have to meet our river cruise ship until the next day at around 1 pm or so. I was in Lucerne in 1967 and remember how beautiful it was.

Should we taxi to the Basal train station, take an hour long train to Lucerne the night of our arrival, get up early ( we are early risers) and spend the morning in Lucerne before heading back to Basal by train around noon time to meet the ship. Our ship does not sail until about 6 pm and people are to be on their own to see Basal if they want before sailing.

Is there a quick scenic boat trip on the Lake Lucerne we could take early in the morning and get back to Lucerne by 12 noon?
Any suggestions of pretty hotels that will give us the feeling of Lake Lucerne? In 1967 I used Fromer's book Europe on $5 a day (!)and we stayed in a small town with lots of cows near the city and lake --old beautiful and unforgettable.
Am I trying to fit too much into this 19 hours?

Posted by Chris F

Basel, Switzerland

11/14/15 06:48 PM

8889 posts

Hello Pat,
First, it is spelled "Basel".
Second, do not get a taxi to Basel station. Taxis in Switzerland are expensive, it will cost 30 to 40 Franks for a taxi; but there is a perfectly adequate bus (No. 50) that leaves from directly outside the door of arrivals and goes to the station, every 7½ minutes (8 times per hour). There is an SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) counter in arrivals, and an SBB ticket machine outside by the bus stop. Both will sell you a ticket to Luzern (local spelling for Lucerne) which includes the bus. Trains from Basel to Luzern are 2 per hour and it takes just over an hour.

But, I don't think your plan is practical. 1pm departure from the docks = arrive at Basel station 12:00 (allowing a safety margin, you don't want to miss the boat) = 10:30 train from Luzern (arrive Basel 11:44), or the 10:54 arrive 11:55. That is not much of a morning in Luzern. And you need time to check out of your hotel.

I would recommend staying in Basel for 1 night. There is plenty to see, it has a lovely old town, cathedral, museums etc. See here for more info: https://www.basel.com/en

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

11/15/15 04:52 AM

17418 posts

I completely agree with Chris. You do not have enough time to do this, and the expense will be high. Regular fare RT tickets will cost 66 CHF each, or 132 for two.

I understand the nostalgia, as I was in Luzern myself in 1967. This was February, and we were on our way to Engelberg to ski, so the time in Luzern was maybe an hour for lunch. we have been back since only once, but it is a lovely city.

You think it will only be an hour to get there from Basel. But the 1-hour trains leave once an hour, at :04. If you miss the 18:04 ( an hour after your flight is supposed to arrive, but it could be late), the next few trains take longer than an hour. Sonitncould well be 8pm before you arrive in Luzern. And then if you want to find that sweet village with cows, you will have to go beyond Luzern. But in April, in reality, the cows may still be in the barn as the pastures are not green yet.

If you really want to re-visit Luzern, maybe fly in a day earlier so you have time. But check boat schedules carefully to see if what you want to do is even possible. April is definitely early season.

Posted by patsquilts OP

11/15/15 06:22 PM

4 posts

Thank you everyone!
Yes, I felt we were trying to cram too much into the time allowed. maybe different if we were driving. While the boat does not leave until around 5 pm I feel we need to be there on the early side (1 pm) to get orientation information etc.-- the cruise line is giving everyone time after they check in to "see Basel that afternoon on their own". since we will have been there since about 5 pm the day before that will be redundant for us but that is the way the cookie crumbles.

Any suggestions for the scenic sights to be sure to see in Basel? and good hotel locations suggestions for pretty areas and close to main scenic locations?.

PS: In July of 1967 when I entered Lucerne on the train the sun was just rising over the lake and it was the brightest blue with brightly colored small boats bobbing on the water. What a painting ! The backdrop of the mountains and the gorgeous colors was never forgotten. Since we were using Fromer's book we used one of his better B&B's -- the house was built in the early 1800's -- we had a beautiful big clean room with antique furniture in it. We walked along the lake at night and knew the cows were near by because of the bells they wore.