Is it easy to find the train station in the Zurich airport? I am not sure which terminal I would be arriving in but I am looking to catch a train to Lucerne (non-stop is preferred).
Is it necessary to pre-purchase a ticket? (I will be arriving around 8 am May 17)
Same goes for the way back, I assume everything will be the same as far as arriving back at the airport and finding my terminal.
Thanks for the help!
Posted by
Chicago
8164 posts
It is super easy to find the train station at the airport. Everything is well marked There is no need to purchase the train ticket in advance.
However there are some Super Saver tickets offered at 50% off 30 days in advance but those are only good for a specific time and train. So if you were to buy one of those and miss the train you would have to buy another ticket.
Posted by
Schaumburg, IL
279 posts
Very easy to find train station -don't need to pre purchase train ticket
-plenty of trains straight to Lucerne.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33821 posts
There are no non-stops. It will stop at least at Zürich main station. On many trains you don't have to change (on others you do), but they all stop.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
There are really no non-stop trains. What you are probably asking for a non-change train. Lucerne and Zurich are close together so there are plenty of trains. It is easy to find the station or your terminal. Just follow the signs.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Look at the Swiss Rail website, I see that on that date from Zurich airport to Luzern, there is one nonstop train every hour, at 15 minutes past the hour (8:15, 9:15, etc). There are other trains with changes.
Everything at the airport is well signed. Just follow signs to the trains. When you get back, just follow signs for your flight.
As for tickets, you can buy single tickets for each ride, but most people do better with some kind of pass or discount card. Which one to get can be quite complicated. If you let us know the rest of your itinerary, particularly trips you know you are taking and trips you may be taking, we can help you figure this out.
Two to know about:
The Half Fare card gets you 50% off of everything that moves in the whole country, from local trams up to the very expensive Jungfraujoch ride. It costs 120 CHF, so if your total transportation comes to more than 240 CHF, you can't lose. You do have to buy tickets each time (machines always have a "Half Fare/Child Fare" option). When riding, if your tickets are checked, you must show both the Half Fare Card and the discount ticket.
The Swiss Pass gets you full coverage of everything that moves at low elevations (local transit, boats, buses, trains), and has 25-50% off of things at higher elevations (rack railways, high lifts). It also acts as a museum pass (a good deal if you're seeing more than a few, as Swiss museums are expensive). It's easy to use - for anything fully covered, just flash the pass (you can be required to show your passport with it). For anything not covered, you show the pass when buying the ticket, and they apply the appropriate reduction.
What the Swiss Pass covers varies from year to year, so be sure you're looking at the correct map. Here's a PDF for 2019; go to page 2, and zoom in as needed. Anything with a solid line is fully covered; anything with a dashed line is 50% off, unless it has a circled 1 near it, in which case it's 25% off. https://www.mystsnet.com/download/sts-area-of-validity-map-2019/?wpdmdl=9747&refresh=5c87da4d1c58b1552407117
Both of these can be bought in ticket office at the Zurich airport train station, so you don't have to do this in advance.