Appreciate train info from Basel to hotel at lakefront center, Lucerne. Thanks

Take a taxi to the train station and check timings at www.sbb.ch/en
You could possibly buy tickets on line and print them out at home

Thanks, Dukey1

Yes and with a ticket you can board any train to Lucerne - seat reservations are optional and at a few bucks worth it. You could buy tickets at same price at the station too - Lucerne's train station is right on the lakefront - may be close to your hotel so could walk if not too much luggage. Consider going first class too - anyway for lots of info on trains and what to expect like 1st v 2nd class check www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Is that the only train you will take - if going around Switzerland check out the Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare Card.

Trains from Basel to Lucerne every hr, from 5am until midnight. Journey time 1 hr. Standard fare 34 CHF.
For discounted supersaver tickets, have a look at https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-an...ns/saving.html
2 daily buses from Basel SBB to Lucerne, journey time 2 hrs, fare 10 CHF

Don't sweat seat reservations, if you can even get them; sometimes they aren't even available for train trips wholly within Switzerland. And altho I usually opt for First class for that trip Second would be more than adequate.

Inter-City trains take seat reservations - book Supersaver tickets early as they are limited in number sold.

Actually there are two trains per hour most of the day. One at 4 minutes after the hour and one at 17 minutes after. The ones leaving at 17 past take slightly longer.

For easy schedule referencing I always use the German Rail pan-European schedule site - www.bahn.de/en - so quick and so easy. Maybe Swiss site www.sbb.ch is to but I love the German site as gives schedules for all of Europe.

It is true you can make seat reservations but it is entirely NOT worthwhile. The trains to Luzern start in Basel with the exception of a few international trains a day (EC in the timetable). Just take a bus or taxi to the Basel SBB station, buy your ticket from a machine in the entrance hall (they "speak" English and take credit cards with Chip and PIN technology) and then see when the next train leaves. They run every 30 mins. Journey takes an hour. Getting off the boat in the morning you will not be travelling at rush hour and will have no problem at all in getting a seat.

Thank you all

I'd see how much more first class costs - if not much there is more roomy seats and more room for luggage - 2nd class is just fine as others say but first class finer-if not on a low budget consider first class - only there will you find solo seats - window and aisle seat both and two of those can face each other with a table in between. May seem like a little thing but I always loved those seats where you can also get in and out without bothering others.

Thanks

First class costs twice what second class costs and is well worth it. More space as noted and quieter.

Thank you for all of your information provided

Easy to use credit card w chip to buy train tickets
[and pretty much all in Amsterdam* & Rhine River Cruise stops & Switzerland]

About CFF 37CFF approx one way 2nd class
60CFF 1st class 1 hr 20 mins as no direct to Luzern Sundays
(Radisson Blu Hotel within 10 mins walking from train station in Luzern)

50CFF 1st class Luzern to Zurich about a hour
Direct last stop to Zurich airport
(We brought tickets a day ahead easily @ station)

Thanks again..

*Double Tree by Hilton within walking minutes @ Amsterdam
Central Train Station

Right now the precise fares are:
Basel SBB/Luzern 34frs in 2nd and 60frs in 1st
Luzern/Zürich HB 25frs in 2nd, 44frs in 1st

Fares will go up on 9 December. How much I do not know yet.

FWIW, if you want or need to talk to a ticket agent for any reason, it's usually much faster to go to the Bider & Tanner bookstore at Bankverein. There is an SBB outlet upstairs. The wait there is seldom more than 5 minutes, often less.