We will be in Germany in early June. We were thinking about making a side trip to Lucerne. Would it be better to drive or take the train? In addition to doing a a few things in Lucerne, the Fortress Furigen Museum of War History near Stansstad sounds interesting. Any comments/opinions on that?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Hi wsb,

I prefer taking the trains in Europe, and especially in Switzerland.

But -- are you returning to Germany? If not, you have to consider the hefty drop-off fee for leaving the car in another country than the original one.

The train trip isn't bad -- about four hours with one or two changes. Get a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery.

s

We will be returning to Germany after Lucerne. There are 3 of us and while trains might be easier, less work, stress, etc., it also seems like it is more cost effective to rent a car. My husband is used to traveling in Germany for business but it is the first time for us as a family (we have an 18 yr. old son.)

I suggest the car. As you enter and leave Zürich there will be some heavy traffic driving until you get toward Luzern. Then you pick up the freeway.

In Switzerland, make sure you know the name of the next town because the route numbers are less common than town and city names.

I drove some of it last year and did ok.

Like any American city, avoid Zürich at 5 pm rush hour.

Thanks for your input--even though I now have 2 opinions. I appreciate you giving me your thoughts and the benefit of your experience.

From a flexibility and cost perspective, assuming you were renting a car before or will be afterwards, you'll probably save (though you will need a sticker/vignette to drive the Swiss autobahns--can't remember the cost-and Luzern parking is around 12Euro/nt). From ease of travel, train is much more enjoyable, IMO. I guess your decision will depend on which factor is more important.