Lucerne Holidays by Train

Why Are Lucerne Holidays So Easy by Rail?

Few Swiss cities put the station, the lake and the old town this close together. Walk out of the main entrance and you're on the quay, where paddle steamers leave for the villages around Lake Lucerne. Turn the other way and the Chapel Bridge carries you over the Reuss River into the old town in a few minutes.

You won't need a car once.

The Chapel Bridge is the city's emblem, a covered wooden bridge with painted panels under its roof, beside an octagonal Water Tower that's even older. Much of it burned in a fire and was rebuilt, so look out for the scorched panels that survived. Beyond it, squares such as the Weinmarkt are lined with fresco-painted buildings, and the towers of the Musegg Wall march along the hill above. A short walk north, the Lion Monument is a dying lion carved into the rock, remembering the Swiss Guards killed in Paris during the French Revolution.

Calling all transport fans! The Swiss Museum of Transport (the Verkehrshaus) by the lake is Switzerland's most visited museum, and the Sammlung Rosengart holds a fine collection of Picasso's art. Our things to do in Lucerne guide has the rest of the city's history and sights.

Getting to Lucerne From the UK

Most people fly to Zurich, where trains leave from beneath the airport terminal. Some run straight through and others change at Zurich HB, and the at-a-glance box above has the times. Our Zurich to Lucerne train guide covers both, and the city's arrival page lists the direct services.

Prefer to skip the plane? Take the Eurostar to Paris, cross to Gare de Lyon for a TGV Lyria to Basel and change there for Lucerne, a long day with no check-in queue, and the train to Switzerland from London page walks through the connections.

Mountain and Lake Days Out From Lucerne

Mountain summits at the edge of the Swiss Alps and a whole lake of boat trips start within sight of your hotel.

Mount Pilatus is the big day. You sail to Alpnachstad, ride red railcars up a track so steep it looks like a staircase, then float down by gondola after lunch on top. The Golden Round Trip runs from May to October and the gondolas close for maintenance late in the season, so check the Golden Round Trip page and reserve a seat on the railway, as Pilatus recommends. Our Pilatus Golden Round Trip guide has more.

Mount Rigi, the Queen of the Mountains, is gentler. Europe's first mountain railway climbs from Vitznau on the shore and Rigi's trains run all year. Come up for sunset and the views stretch across Lake Lucerne as the water turns silver, then read our Rigi railway guide for the walking trails at the top.

Old Town Hotel or Lake Lucerne Village?

For a short break with day trips, choose a hotel in the city. The lakeside promenade, old town lanes and riverside restaurants are all on foot, and historic hotels such as the Hotel Wilden Mann sit right in the old town.

A Lake Lucerne village such as Weggis or Vitznau feels slower, with the boat as your commute and Rigi rising behind your hotel, though every outing starts with a sailing.

Scenic Trains That Start in Lucerne

• Luzern-Interlaken Express: over the Brünig Pass on a cogwheel section, past mountain lakes and waterfalls (see Zentralbahn and our Lucerne to Interlaken train guide).
• Gotthard Panorama Express: a lake boat to Flüelen, then a panoramic train to Lugano, from spring to autumn, with a seat reservation needed for the train (our Gotthard Panorama Express guide).
• On to Montreux: carry on from Interlaken on the GoldenPass Express, part of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.

Lucerne on Your Own or With an Escorted Tour?

Lucerne alone is easy. The harder part is stringing the big scenic trains together, with reserved seats, tight connections, luggage and a new hotel every few nights, and that's what the escorted tours on this page handle for you.

Travelsphere's The Best of Switzerland flies into Zurich and links the Bernina Express, Glacier Express and GoldenPass, with a Holiday Director taking care of every connection. In winter, Winter in Switzerland keeps you in one Interlaken hotel all week, with breakfast daily. Newmarket's Swiss Alpine Glories and the GoldenPass Train rides the GoldenPass from Château-d'Oex.

None of them sleeps in Lucerne. If the city is a must, ask the operator about extra nights, or book it as a separate short break by rail; our Swiss rail holidays page compares every tour.

When to Go

Summer brings the Golden Round Trip, the full boat timetable and long evenings on the promenade. Spring and autumn are quieter, while in winter the peaks turn white and Rigi's trains keep climbing. Our best time to visit Switzerland guide covers each season.

Questions people ask