Where is the best place to purchase tickets to Mt. pilatuz from Luzern ... the tourist office? I realize there are different avenues of getting their (car, boat) .. but wasn't sure the 'best' place to purchases the needed tickets. We are staying at the Hotel Wilden Mann and will have a car.
Thank you!

Train station is always the first place to look for tickets for any kind of transportation. There are often combined offers (train+cable car+boat) which cost less than the sum of single legs. If such a combined offer is available you would get it from any ticket machine in the station.

We stayed at a small B&B in Luzern last July. We bought tickets for the Rigi trip (boat/mountain train/cable car) from the B&B owner. It didn't cost anymore than we would have paid at the station. I think Luzern has a pretty well-organized approach to tourism. You might want to e-mail the hotel and ask them...

We did the Pilatus trip several years ago and bought tickets for that "round trip" at the boat-ticket office down at the dock. As the previous poster said, you can get a "combination" ticket.

These trips are expensive. If you have any kind of Swiss Rail pass, it will give you a discount. We had the 50% Swiss Cards this past summer (and a free pass for our daughter). My husband and I paid half-price and our 11-year old was free.

The Pilatus and Rigi trips are both spectacular, and even if it is overcast in Luzern, you may find a bright blue sunshiney day up above the clouds. Well worth even the full price!

Kathy

We did Mt. Rigi from Weggis. Purchased the tickets at the boat pier in Weggis, which included boat to/from Vitznau, and train up/back to Rigi.

Thank you for your help. I am going to contact our hotel and see if they offer tickets ..if not, I will look into the other places.

I wouldn't buy tickets until the day of the journey - i've been in Luzern many many times and rarely is Mt Pilatus in my experience does not have its head in the clouds it seems, which negates many of the joys of trekking up there. You can of course just drive to one of the two access routes and buy tickets there. But the classic journey involves a train from Alpnachstad and coming down the other way to Krens by cable car - so by car you must go up and down the same way - either missing one of the world's most thrilling mountain trains or one of the world's most thrilling aerial cableways.
Suggestion: take lake boats to Alpnachstad - take train up and come down by gondola to Krens, from where city buses whisk you back to central Luzern. tickets i think do not come with reservations - unless a price break see no reason for buying ahead of time or at least until you see Pilatus is clear!

Thank you PalQ for the great suggestion!

I know I've read on numerous posts about there being one particular side of the cogwheel that has awesome views .... this is of course going up to Mt. Pilatus. I don't recall which side or what post it was on ... does anyone know? Thank you!

I don't remember which side to sit on but there are several routes.

We took a train (many years asgo) from Lucern to Alpnachstad. Then the Cog Wheel train up. We returned down on the Cog Wheel train and took a boat back to Lucern.

Since it's not a tourist boat but a transportation boat, it stopped in various little towns.

In one town there was a band waiting and began to play. Can't believe they stand there all day waiting for boats.

My daughter took the same route going but took the cable car down the front to the little town (can't remember the name) at the base and a city bus back into town.

I think she might have bought a 'round' ticket.

When we were there we had a 3 day train pass that included the train, boat and discount for the Cog Wheel.

Thanks Myer. We are thinking of taking the boat to the little town, then the cogwheel, then hit the rodelbahn .. then take the cable car back to town and bus back to Luzern.

I nwould suggest you buy your tickets on the day you go up Pilatus and on the first form of transport you use that will sell you tickets for which route you choose. The round trip is fantastic, either way. Going to Alpnachstad on the boat and up the cogwheel railway and then back on the cable car and gondolas to Kriens and then the bus back into Lucerne. The bus route is the No 1 and it stops at the railway station.
Which ever way you go enjoy the trip