First, I must ask would it be insane at this time of the year (late March) to attempt the trip up to Mt. Pilatus-- weather being still fairly chilly. And secondly, how easy is it to get to from central Lucerne? On Lucerne's web site it lists a number of options, but states that some may not be available in winter. Does anyone know if the rail station sells a 'comination' fare that would include the trip to & up the mountain via tram??

We did what you are thinking of in Nov.,1995. I remember buying a combination ticket of the train, the single gauge railroad up the mt., and the cable cars to return. The day turned out to windy and cold and we had to return by the single gauge railroad. It was a very easy trip from the center of Lucerne and we really enjoyed being in the Alps.

Try this web page: www.pilatus.com/. <BR>It says the gondolas are open now. You reach the gondolas in Kriens by taking tbus # from downtown Lucerne (about a 15 minute ride). I can't answer your questions about fares, but there may be an Email address on this web site (I forgot to check that).

Can't tell what kind of day it's going to be on Pilatus from the calendar. I've been up in January and folks were sunbathing in deck chairs! Today at 1600 it was heavily misted (fog?) and visibility probably under 100 meters. Some days, even in the summer, the wind blows hard enough that they stop running the gondola on the last stage from Frakmunktegg to the summit. <BR> <BR>Anyway, it's our favorite trip in the area and you should give it a whirl if the weather is decent. Round trip from Kriens via cable cars and gondola is CHF59. (The rackrail from Alpnachstad doesn't run in winter.) <BR> <BR>There's a tram from downtown Luzern to Kriens that stops right at the terminus for the cable. Forget the number, but the tourist information folks in the station will be able to help you. Possible the tram number is on the Pilatus web site.

The bus from Luzern to Kriens is the Number One (1). Many stops in the city, but the easiest to find would be the one at Schwanenplatz and one quite close to the main station. Service in peak every 10-15 minutes.