May be you got the fare for Interlaken - BERNE - Zurich airport: faster but more expensive than Interlaken - LUCERNE - Zurich airport (1 train change for both connections).

You may have a look at
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/

For hotels,suggest you try www.hrs.de
They list 36 free hotels for a onenight stay on August 3-but if for 3 persons,you'll have to leaf through....

http://www.hrs.de/web3/searchWeb1000...#initialLoaded

These 4 are mostly central:
De La Paix*** on Museggstrasse has triples,about 180 CHF
Ameron Flora Hotel **** on Seidenhofstrasse at 190 CHF
Alpha ** on Zaehringerstrasse has triples at about 150 CHF
and
Ambassador Garni *** on Zuerichstrasse has triples about 200 CHF.
Start there and look up tripadvisor input....!

For what it's worth, I would pick Hotel Flora Ameron, I've never stayed there but did check out the rooms for friends, the rooms are decently renovated for the price though it does have a sterile apartment feel to it. The location however is practical close to Globus, the chapel bridge & train station so you don't need a taxi when you arrive in Lucerne. I would hate to be stuck in Alpha, too far south and too old. I have never seen De La Paix or Ambassador, but I think the location is too far from the train station to drag your suitcase back & forth since you're only staying one night.

Of course, there is always the chic Des Balances.

And Hotel Wilden Mann, where my parents stayed when they came to Luzern before their tragic deaths.


Thin

Thanks for checking those hotels. It does get a bit overwhelming trying figure out the best location. I did look at the Ameron Hotel Flora & liked the proximity to the train. Some reviews complained about noise but I'll ask for a room towards the back. I think $327 was the best price I found.

I would love to stay at Des Balances or Hotel Montana.......maybe another time!

Should I wait until we arrive to purchase any type of boat/train ticket up to Mount Pilatus? Mt. Rigi?

I would wait to purchase your tickets.


Thin

Should I wait until we arrive to purchase any type of boat/train ticket up to Mount Pilatus? Mt. Rigi?>

Yes as I do not think the trains and gondolas up to those places even take reservations - just buy your ticket once at either place - you can take a boat from Lucerne to docks near railways to either.

Dawn: Kayak gave $219 at the Ameron when I entered 3 person for Aug 3. One downside, I remember the rooms were on the small side, nothing fancy/romantic but adequately comfortable and clean.

Thin, I stayed in Des Balance when it was old classic swiss, before they did horrible modern room renovations with cheap formica furniture (old tacky formica style not the new trend). The public rooms may still be nice but the 3 different modernized rooms that they proudly showed me were plain ugly, far from being chic.

Dax, I checked Kayak and it's showing $272 for the Ameron Hotel Flora. When I go to check out it adds the extra charge for the 3rd person. What about Des Alpes or Cascada?

Should I wait until we arrive to purchase any type of boat/train ticket up to Mount Pilatus? Mt. Rigi?>>

Boats TMK do not take reservations for individuals and are separated last I used them into first and second class - with a 2nd class Swiss Pass or ticket you can go sit in the open-air upper deck that is restricted to first class and then pay the difference between the normal first and second class fares - upgrade on the boat if you wish to sit in these IME much better seats for a view standpoint. Bring a picnic!

I would never recommend Des Alpes, filthy, dark hole in ghe wall rooms, terrible management,i've checked out ghe rooms personally. Our friends stayed there against my recommendation. The only redeeming thing is the rooms on the top floor that have balconies facing the river. They booked those but got a room on the other side instead, tough luck.

I have never seen Cascada but it looks quite nice online, we know a family of 3 that will be staying there in late June, I can ask them when they get back. They also couldn't get a room at the Waldstaettershof. I can see why you would pick that because the rooms seem to be bigger than at the Flora Ameron.

If I were you I would book Cascada on booking.com as long as it is cancellable

I would very much like to hear what your friends think of the the hotel after their stay. I looked at Waldstaetterhof again & had a room available for $10 more on HRS. Not sure what to do now. Already booked Cascada directly at $335. It does have free cancelation so I'll have to think about it.

Waldstaetterhof does have a much better location in terms of closest proximity to train station for arrival/departure, also closer to Chapel bridge, old town & car bridge to boat landing. Conveniences across the street: Mini Migros supermart opens late for food & drink supplies, Globus gourmet food store, McDonald and underground shops below the station. HOWEVER their room interior is more varied, I put my staff there because they have very spacious and airy single rooms (and very reasonably priced since I was paying) but I never saw the triple room. Some rooms have been very nicely renovated with new modern furniture but others are only halfway renovated keeping the old wooden nightstand and wardrobe mirror cabinet which they have had for ages.

The Cascada seems to have much better quality modern rooms online, but it does have a less strategic location so I never bothered to see it, but that may be a mistake. I have driven past the area because that's a route we take to park below the train station. If you stay at the Cascada, you'll just have to walk an extra 4-5 boring blocks to get to the Bahnhofplatz (train station/ Waldstaetterhof) where everything starts. If you don't mind walking & dragging the suitcase the extra 5 blocks to get to the Bundesplatz where Cascada is, I would recommend giving Cascada a try, I'll certainly let you know what our friends think after they get back in early July.

ttt