Best of Switzerland -- stay Zurich or Luzern before tour?

Posted by John (CA, USA) on 06/13/17 03:57 AM

I like to arrive a day or two before a tour starts in case their are any delays in getting to Europe and to start getting over jetlag. RS will tell you the name of the first hotel and I know people often book that if they arrive before the tour.

For those who have done this tour, would you recommend staying in Luzern or Zurich if arriving before the tour? Are there sights we could see on our own in Luzern the tour doesn't cover or easy day trips prior to the tour to do? Or, since the tour doesn't start until 5pm, would you stay in Zurich and just take train out that afternoon?

Posted by Rocket 🚀🧳

San Francisco area

06/13/17 06:30 AM

1888 posts

I just took this tour. I elected to spend a couple of days before the tour in London. I flew into Zurich and headed straight for Luzern. It's a beautiful city and I don't regret not spending some time in Zurich. I was lucky and got a room facing the lake, river and bridge. Optional activities include Mt Pilatus and Mt. Rigi if the weather is nice.

Posted by Sally

Nazareth, PA, USA

06/13/17 12:32 PM

6 posts

We took the tour last year. We elected to arrive in Switzerland the day before the tour began. We spent our first afternoon and night in Zurich. We took the tram from the airport to a stop just outside our hotel, which gave us an opportunity to see the larger city through the tram window. After dropping our luggage we followed the walking tour in the RS guidebook, took a boat ride on the lake, and had a nice dinner before going to bed on the early side. The next morning we took an early train to Luzern and had time to begin exploring Luzern before meeting our tour group at 5:00. While I don't think that we saw anything truly outstanding in Zurich, we did like wandering through the Niederhoff neighborhood. We thought that it was a good way to use our jet-lag day. Transportation into and out of the city was easy. Just and FYI - We were in Zurich on a Sunday and most shops and some restaurants were closed.

Posted by Wanderlustepicurean

Germany

06/13/17 01:43 PM

4 posts

I spent one night in Luzern on the way home from Tuscany and I wished I had booked more than one night there. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. We stayed at Flora see and seminar in Vitznau. Great little hotel facing the lake. At the hotel they have a heated pool, jacuzzi and hiking paths behind the hotel. I think it would be very easy to tour around the lake.

Posted by Barbara

Walnut Creek, CA

06/14/17 02:52 AM

368 posts

I took this trip last year and arrived in Lucerne two days before the tour started. I did not actually arrive until late on the day I traveled from the states. There are lots of things to do in Lucerne. Go to the top of mt. Pilates or Mt. Rigi. There are several museums or walk to the castle.