Pilatus from Zurich On Our Own
 

Next summer we are spending three nights in Zurich in order to take in some opera performances. We will be traveling with someone who has never been to Switzerland and we'd like to take him on the trip to either Mt. Titlis from Luzern or to Mt. Pilatus. Whatever we do is going to have to be a true "day trip" since we have to be back in the city for the operas each night.

I thought about doping the Berner Oberland but it seems too far for a day. We could do part of the Glacier Express (as far as Chur); Zermatt and the Matterhorn in overcast weather seems too risky somehow and Rochers de Naye seems too far. Titlis we have done several times but not Pilatus and am wondering if it would be better to do it on our own as opposed to some organized tour.

We'll do a boat trip on Lake Zurich another day and one yet another day a Zurich museum.

I am almost hesitant to even ask for suggestions but will do so nonetheless. Zurich is a GIVEN (I know there are those besides Tina Turner and myself who hate the place). thanks for any ideas. The person in question loves riding trains BTW.

Pilatus is a good idea.

I'd rather do a boat trip on the more beautiful Vierwaldstättersee(aka Lake Lucerne) than on the Zürichsee.

Actually you could combine a boat trip on Lake Lucerne with Pilatus.

Mount Rigi is another great option with a combination of boat and rack railway. Steam trains operate on Mt. Rigi, but not on Mt. Pilatus. If he really likes trains I'd do 1 day: Pilatus 2 day Rigi and Lake Lucerne.

Or take the Gotthard Panorama Express(including a boat trip on Lake Lucerne):

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holida...a-express.html

BDKR, thanks for your input. We've done the Zurichsee boat trip in the past and I would definitely be doing the 4 Forest Cantons lake boat portion so perhaps doing two boat trips is redundant.

I am one who likes Zürich very much :-)

Definitely do the Mt. Pilatus trip and do it on your own. Totally easy. Take the train to Luzern, boat to Alpnachstad, cog-train up. Cable car down to Kriens, bus to Luzern. That is absolutely doable in a couple of hours, so you will be back in time for opera.

If you plan to do a boat trip on Vierwaldstätter See then make sure to catch a paddle steamer - more fun. The so called Urner See (between Brunnen and Flüelen) is the most scenic part of the lake, btw.

Alll depend on the time you will need for transfers from your htoel to the railway station and to the opera house.
If you have to be back at Zurich main railway sttation at 5pm or so, your choices will be very limited, unless you leave Zurich with the first trains in the morning (not recommended after a late arrival in your hotel the niight before).
Lake Zurich, Lake Zug, Lake Lucerne, Rigi, Pilatus, Titlis, Lake Thun and Beatenberg, Rhine river boat Schaffhausen - Stein am Rhein, Lake Zurich cruise combined with Einsiedeln monastery
resp city trips to Bern, Basel, Bellinzona, Lugano, St. Gallen.
might be fine.

The hotel we usually use is across the street from the main rail station in Zurich and I am quite used to leaving hotels at the crack of dawn so no worries on that score.

Dukey, do you mind if I hitchhike on your thread? We will be in Luzern for 4 nights next year and I was wondering between Pilatus,Titlus, or Rigi, which one would be most recommended if we were only to see one this time? It seems that most people begin with Pilatus but I wanted to find out what the hive-mind here thinks. TIA

I agree that it would be easy to go from Zurich to Lucerne (from memory about an hour on the train) and then go to either Pilatus or Rigi. The boat station is right beside the train station in Lucerne, so easy to find. We've done both Pilatus and Rigi - loved both but Rigi gets the vote from me. Just a little less touristy, magnificent views from the top, but they are both beautiful places to visit and the combination of cograil and boat makes either an interesting day.

Titlis if you want to walk in snow (glacier). It is also most inside the Alps, really majestic high peaks are in close distance.

Rigi is excellent if you want to add a short hike/walk. There is e.g. the hamlet Rigi-Kaltbad where you can stop and look around, or hike longer to Rigi Scheidegg and table the gondola from there down etc. Many options. It is also a bit in a distance from the high Alps and gives you a good overview along the mountain chain - from Säntis in the East to Bernese Alps in the Southwest.

Pilatus is the perfect compromise IMO. Close to the high Alps, rugged so you get a more Alpine feeling than at Rigi, interesting cog-rail up and cable car down.