I will arrive in Zurich midday on a Saturday in July. Tour starts Monday at 5 pm in Lucerne.
How should I spend my 2 days prior to the start of the tour? I've been to Lucerne before and spent a few hours in Zurich ten years ago. Never been to Mt. Pilatus.
Options (one or more):
Stay in Zurich
Mt. Pilatus (overnight)
Small village in vicinity
Lucerne (boat excursions)
Don't stay in Zürich. Lovely but very expensive city, better to find some mountains.
Plan (A) take train direct from the airport to Luzern (1½ hours). Sunday and Monday excursions from Luzern on the lake or up mountains (Pilatus, Rigi, Titlis).
Plan (B), not my first choice as too much travelling, take train direct from the airport to somewhere in Berner Oberland. Sunday serious mountain hiking. Monday take train (via Brünig pass), back to Luzern.
We enjoyed Mt. Pilatus. Beautiful views! Recommend Rick Steves guidebook on how to get there and what you will see. Take the worlds steepest cogwheel train to the top, there is a mile long luge ride, suspension rope park, hiking.
If you're in to any kind of vehicles - boats, cars, planes and especially trains - give the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne a visit.
Hi Eric, we did the Best of Switzerland tour September 2016 (great tour)!
Suggest that you fly in to Zurich and take the train to Lucerne. You can do a day trip to Mt. Pilatus or Mt. Rigi. If you're interested in museums, try the Rosengart Collection or the Museum of Modern Art. Save the Transportation Museum and Mt. Titlis - they are included in your tour itinerary. Enjoy your trip!
There are some exceptionally beautiful lakeside villages easily reachable from Lucerne via boat. Weggis and Vitznau are the two villages I have in mind. We've stayed in Weggis on 2 different occasions. As is most every destination in Switzerland - it's stunning.
Eric,
When in July does your tour start? My husband and I just signed up starting July 31st. So excited. We did the GAS tour in 2014.
Sue
Thanks for the input on the different options. Still deciding.
I'm on the July 17 departure.
I loved Mt. Pilatus
