Luzern/Mt Pilatus
 

My wife and I are ready to depart for Luzern in a few days. One of targeted places is Mt. Pilatus.

Our idea is to take a boat on Lake Luzern to Mt Plias and then take the Cogwheel up Mt Pilatus returing via boat to Luzern.

Would apprecite anyones comments on the itinery.

Any advise?

Gene

There are set "tours" that include everything you mentioned (plus a cable car). You can buy the tickets at the main tourist center close to the train station, if memory serves me correctly.

They don't tell you this, but you can go either way. You can start or end with the boat.

Does this answer your question?

Thank you it answers alot of questions we had.


Do you know if I can use my Euro Pass for the boat and discounts?

I appreciate your response and guidance,

Gene

Hi

We did this excursion. Well worth it. There is a restaurant at the top of the mountain. I think it was expensive from memory.

Are you talking about the Euro Pass for the trains? If so, I don't think so. It's a separate thing.

We did it by car to cogwheel railway. I know there's a way to go by boat - but not sure how you get from the boat to the rail station (not right on the lake). Perhaps they have a little shuttle.

We found it very interesting and the restaurant was standard standard chalet Swiss - the food good and filling but nothing special. Price seemed the same as other non-gourmet places.

Just be sure before you go that the top of the mountain isn't socked in by clouds. If it is you'll see nothing when you get to the top. (It was clear when we go there and we walked around and saw everything, then sat down for an alfresco lunch. About 10 minutes into the lunch the clouds rolled in - with rain - and we had to grab our plates and go indoors.

I found the link! We took the "Golden Round Trip."

You can go in either direction but we went this way:
1. cable car up
2. cogwheel down
3. boat back to Luzern

They advertise it backwards but we went the way listed above.

Here is the link:
http://www.pilatus.ch/content-n6-sE.html

We did the circle like ca_vol, but took the cog up and the cable car down -- I think the slow ride down in the cable cars is far more scenic and enjoyable that going up. And I like the cog going up instead of the braking all the way down.

And come to think of it, I think our Euro Rail passes gave us first class on the boat automatically. It has been a year. Sorry.

NeoPatrick-

I did it in your direction in 1990. Both are fun.

> but not sure how you get from the boat to the rail station (not right on the lake). Perhaps they have a little shuttle.

No need of shuttle. The rail station IS by the lake across the street from the pier.

Eurailpasses valid in Switzerland cover the Lake Lucerne boats in full and i think give 25% or so off the Pilatus train

The usual Pilatus scenario goes up one way and down another - two very thrilling and quite different conveyances - cog train from Alpnachstad (boat dock) to summit then aerial cable car down to Krens, on the edge of Lucerne with buses back to town.

That said i've been in Lucerne a zillion of times when Pilatus was shrouded in clouds, even when little else was

Consider the Rigi boat-train-cable experience a nice alternative if Pilatus has its head in the clouds and Rigi, one of Switzerland's most famous Alpine outlook peaks, does not. Boat to Weggis, etc.