phobia

hi, will be planning a europe trip with a couple of friends this may-june. im incharge of planning for our visit in switzerland. but will only be stopping over for about 2 nights. we will be coming in by train from venice to zurich and will take a night train from zurich to berlin after.
basically my plan is to just have an accommodation in zurich,
need help in planning a day trip down to lucerne. need some suggestion on a route where we are able to view the alps as well.
the next day will be just focusing on sightseeing in zurich and the rhine falls.
would be grateful if anyone knows the estimate cost for transport from zurich to lucerne etc. thanks

PalenQ

If coming from Venice you will take the Gotthard route to Zurich - at least this is the mainline way and on that route you will see plenty of Alps - IMO one of the most scenic mainline train lines in Europe - in a few years much of the fantastic Alpine Wonderland scenery will be in new tunnels not yet complete but for now this train trip will fulfill your desires - no train between Zurich and Lucerne will as that is not Alpine country on that short say 45 minute jaunt.

You seem to be on a far-ranging rail trip - I always spotlight these fantastic IMO sites for lots of great stuff on planning a rail trip, including answers to questions like you post - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com - if you wanted to take an extra day Milan to Zurich you could easily go via the fantastic Bernina Pass rail route, which goes from Tirano, Italy to St Moritz switzerland with onward trains to Zurich or Lucerne via Chur - to me in decades of incessant European rail travel the MOST awesomely scenic rail line in Europe - you could stop by Lake Como on the way and the train to Tirano stops in Varenna-Esino, which has lots of boat links to fabled Bellagio - stay there one night and pop up to St Moritz the next and be in Zurich or lucerne the next day. if you have a Eurailpass it would cover the whole route, including the Bernina Pass trains.

PalenQ

The Rhine Falls is fairly fall from Zurich - probably a few hours each way - first you must train to Schlauffhausen and then either take a sweet walk along the Rhine on footpaths to the Rhine Falls or you can take a local train (actually a German train I think - Schlaffhuasen sticks up into Germany) - that train station is smack at the falls - the walk is about two miles or less. Schlauffhausen is a neat town too - but with limited time I would rather go to Lucerne or putz around Zurich itself.

love_ch

Hello!

For the train cost between Zurich and Lucerne, a return ticket in 2nd class is CHF 46.-

To check timetables and prices, useful website: www.cff.ch

If you are traveling a lot with public transports, a swisspass or swiss flexi pass could be worth the price:
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/

Enjoy!

ira

Hi P,

We enjoyed our stay at http://www.st-josef.ch/

>sightseeing in zurich and the rhine falls. <

I don't think that the Rhine Falls is of sufficient interest to bother. It's not Niagara.

You can easily spend a pleasant day in Zurich

Have you considered visiting Lake Constance - Stein am Rhein (about 1 hr via Winterthur) is a pretty town, and Konstanz is very interesting.

PalenQ

Spend a whole day in Lucerne and take the lake boats plying idyllic fjord-like Lake Lucerne - the classic cruise takes about two hours to Fluelen at the southern end of the lake from where you can quickly take a train back to Lucerne. Some boats are paddle-wheel steamers - they had pubs and restaurants or you are welcome to bring you own food and drink on board. And oh to sit on the open-air upper deck on a fine day and watch the snow-girdled rugged Alpine peaks that hem in the lake on three sides is oh so AWESOME - boats go frequently and no need to book in advance.

quokka

With only two nights, i.e. one single full day, you don't have time for more than one destination. Lucerne is probably your best choice because it has an interesting old town and the lake and the option for alpine mountain excursions by cogwheel train or cable car at the doorstep (Pilatus, Rigi). Forget about Zürich, stay in Lucerne.

Pepper_von_snoot

I also highly recommend the Pension St. Josef in Zurich. It is just up the hill from Zurich Bahnhof and in a very quiet neighbourhood. You can walk everywhere and there is a Coop nearby.

For train ticket pricing and schedules, please visit www.sbb.ch

Tschuss,
Pepper

PalenQ

Yes forget about huge Zurich - a nice huge hectic city but not nearly so so dreamy as smaller and cuter Lucerne, which has one of the sweetest scneic locations of any European town IMO - smack on a fjord-like lake with high Alps popping up all around.

Simply go to Zurich to board the overnight train.

Byrd

I would certainly stay in Lucerne instead of Zurich.

Teh lake boat trip is really memorable, and, I think, was covered by our RR pass.

We stayed at the Hotel Des Alpes, located right on the river our room had a balcony with river view.

http://www.desalpes-luzern.ch/

Byrd

Pepper_von_snoot

I would hardly call Zurich a huge, hectic city.

Zurich bankers do not rush lest they crease their Brioni suits.

Tschuss,
Pepper

PalenQ

Teh lake boat trip is really memorable, and, I think, was covered by our RR pass> Yes one of the perks of a Swiss Pass - converse many boats on Swiss lakes and rivers - and to me these steamers as they call them are a great adventure not to be missed.

phobia

thanks for all the replies.. i think i'll just stick to lucerne instead... any suggestion on the route for the attraction?
so far my plan is to spend an estimate half day on the golden round trip that would cover mt pilatus. the other attractions im looking at would be the swiss transport museum, glacier garden, the nine towers and chapels bridges. are there any other places i shouldn't miss?
thanks once again =)

PalenQ

Yes the famous Panorama circular painting and the symbol of Lucerne - the Lion monument.