Skip Zurich & go straight to Luzern?
Jan 6th, 2005, 08:57 PM
#1
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Skip Zurich & go straight to Luzern?
Our plane gets to Zurich from the US in the afternoon on May 6. We have a car. In your experienced opinion would you stay one night in Zurich and one in Luzern or pass on the big city and stay in Luzern for 2 nights?
We're taking friends with us for their first time to Switzerland and want them to experience the Wow of Switzerland right off the plane. What say ye?
We're taking friends with us for their first time to Switzerland and want them to experience the Wow of Switzerland right off the plane. What say ye?
Jan 6th, 2005, 09:39 PM
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If you want to experience friday evening rush hour on the Swiss highway jet-lagged as you will be, go ahead to Luzern. Your friends will enjoy it.
Seriously, two recommendations:
Either:
Take the train from Zurich airport to Lucerne and pick up the car at Lucerne on May 7.
Or:
Pick up the car at the airport and stay the night at Zurich.
Seriously, two recommendations:
Either:
Take the train from Zurich airport to Lucerne and pick up the car at Lucerne on May 7.
Or:
Pick up the car at the airport and stay the night at Zurich.
Jan 6th, 2005, 09:54 PM
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I usually try not to do any driving (or major driving anyway) immediately after a transatlantic flight. Sometimes I feel terrific - but more often I am bleary eyed and jet lagged and a day or 2 w/o a car is a Godsend.
Raspberry's suggestion is a good one - to take the train directly to Luzern, wander Luzern that day, and then pick up a car the 2nd day.
Since there are four of you, there is a very good chance at least some of you will be exhausted and suffer jet lag. A day walking outside and car-less is a big help for recovering.
Raspberry's suggestion is a good one - to take the train directly to Luzern, wander Luzern that day, and then pick up a car the 2nd day.
Since there are four of you, there is a very good chance at least some of you will be exhausted and suffer jet lag. A day walking outside and car-less is a big help for recovering.
Jan 6th, 2005, 11:27 PM
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I agree with taking the train to Luzern...the WOW of Switerland will start with the fact that UNLIKE most cities in the US you can GET on the train right at the airport and they are fast, efficient, clean, and on-time.
The trip from Zurich to Luzern takes about an hour by train and for part of the way parallels the shore of Lake Zurich so it is fairly scenic.
One day in Zurich isn't enough to do it justice..those who have never stayed long enough to appreciate its many offerings would say one day/night is/are TOO much!!! Luzern is much more picturesque and for a short stay in Switzerland you are better off spending your time there.
The trip from Zurich to Luzern takes about an hour by train and for part of the way parallels the shore of Lake Zurich so it is fairly scenic.
One day in Zurich isn't enough to do it justice..those who have never stayed long enough to appreciate its many offerings would say one day/night is/are TOO much!!! Luzern is much more picturesque and for a short stay in Switzerland you are better off spending your time there.
Jan 7th, 2005, 12:30 AM
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The day before you arrive (i.e., Thursday May 5) is a holiday here in Switzerland (the Ascension) and most people are off work. Whether this will add more to the traffic on roads on Friday is hard to tell, but if you can arrange it, I would agree with the others that you take the train directly from the airport train station to Lucerne. The drive to Lucerne has very few if any scenic parts so you won’t miss anything going via the train, and on a normal Friday traffic will be quite bad around Zurich starting in the late afternoon, and you could also hit a lot of weekend traffic heading to the mountains.
What time does the car rental office in Lucerne close? Most offices close around 5 pm and as this is a holiday weekend, they may have shorter hours, so you may have to pick up the car in Zurich anyway. Confirm when and where you can pick up the car in Lucerne. As you are staying the night in Lucerne, you could also just go directly from the Lucerne train station to your hotel, stay the night, and pick up the car the next morning. Again check on opening hours for the car rental agency in Lucerne on Saturday May 7. You don’t need a car in Lucerne at all, so I assume you are going to outlying areas for day trips and therefore could pick up the car on Saturday without having to lug all your bags and baggage to the rental agency from the train station.
Zurich by the way has a population of 450,000 so it is hardly a “big” city, esp compared to places like Paris, Rome and London. I totally agree with the above poster that it offers so much to see and do, it has a huge wow factor in so much being packed into an organized, clean, safe and very charming small town.
What time does the car rental office in Lucerne close? Most offices close around 5 pm and as this is a holiday weekend, they may have shorter hours, so you may have to pick up the car in Zurich anyway. Confirm when and where you can pick up the car in Lucerne. As you are staying the night in Lucerne, you could also just go directly from the Lucerne train station to your hotel, stay the night, and pick up the car the next morning. Again check on opening hours for the car rental agency in Lucerne on Saturday May 7. You don’t need a car in Lucerne at all, so I assume you are going to outlying areas for day trips and therefore could pick up the car on Saturday without having to lug all your bags and baggage to the rental agency from the train station.
Zurich by the way has a population of 450,000 so it is hardly a “big” city, esp compared to places like Paris, Rome and London. I totally agree with the above poster that it offers so much to see and do, it has a huge wow factor in so much being packed into an organized, clean, safe and very charming small town.
Jan 7th, 2005, 02:09 AM
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The website for Swiss Rail is rail.ch. It is easy to use.
From the website, it appears that there is a direct train from the airport train station to Lucerne (i.e., no changes required) about every hour, departing at 47 minutes after the hour. Other than that, the is a train departing every hour at 13 minutes past the hour that goes to Lucerne via a change at the main train station in Zurich (Zurich HB or Zurich Hautbanhof). At some times, there is also a train to Lucerne via Zurich HB that departs at 20 minutes pas the hour. Check the schedule. The direct train takes about an hour, if you change in Zurich HB the trip takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Changing at the main train station is easy, and you will arrive and depart on the main ground level train platforms, so you won’t have a long walk between train platforms when changing trains.
With your arrival time, my guess is that you could maybe make the 17:47 direct train if you get through immigration and baggage claim quickly; otherwise you should easily make the 18:13 non-direct train, and could definitely make the 18:47 direct train. The airport is generally not crowded in the afternoons (most US international flights depart and arrive in the morning), so you might have a good chance of making the 17:47 direct train.
There is a ticket office in the airport train station, there are also automated ticket machines that are not hard to use. You can take luggage carts on the escalators all the way down to the train platform.
You don’t specify a hotel budget. My favourite hotel in Lucerne is the Park Hotel Burgenstock on the mountaintop, it has great views, but I am not sure it is open in the winter months, check with them. You would need to take another train up to it as it is in Burgenstock, which is above Lucerne. The Lucerne Palace is also a very good hotel in town. Both are fairly expensive. Take a look at lhw.com for details on both. Run a search here for other hotel suggestions as Lucerne is popular on this board.
If you aren’t wedded to staying in Lucerne and want to actually be in the mountains for hiking, skiing and just shear beauty, go to Wengen or Murren and stay there for a few days.
From the website, it appears that there is a direct train from the airport train station to Lucerne (i.e., no changes required) about every hour, departing at 47 minutes after the hour. Other than that, the is a train departing every hour at 13 minutes past the hour that goes to Lucerne via a change at the main train station in Zurich (Zurich HB or Zurich Hautbanhof). At some times, there is also a train to Lucerne via Zurich HB that departs at 20 minutes pas the hour. Check the schedule. The direct train takes about an hour, if you change in Zurich HB the trip takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Changing at the main train station is easy, and you will arrive and depart on the main ground level train platforms, so you won’t have a long walk between train platforms when changing trains.
With your arrival time, my guess is that you could maybe make the 17:47 direct train if you get through immigration and baggage claim quickly; otherwise you should easily make the 18:13 non-direct train, and could definitely make the 18:47 direct train. The airport is generally not crowded in the afternoons (most US international flights depart and arrive in the morning), so you might have a good chance of making the 17:47 direct train.
There is a ticket office in the airport train station, there are also automated ticket machines that are not hard to use. You can take luggage carts on the escalators all the way down to the train platform.
You don’t specify a hotel budget. My favourite hotel in Lucerne is the Park Hotel Burgenstock on the mountaintop, it has great views, but I am not sure it is open in the winter months, check with them. You would need to take another train up to it as it is in Burgenstock, which is above Lucerne. The Lucerne Palace is also a very good hotel in town. Both are fairly expensive. Take a look at lhw.com for details on both. Run a search here for other hotel suggestions as Lucerne is popular on this board.
If you aren’t wedded to staying in Lucerne and want to actually be in the mountains for hiking, skiing and just shear beauty, go to Wengen or Murren and stay there for a few days.
Jan 7th, 2005, 08:08 AM
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I'd get the car in Zurich and head for Rapperswil, one of the lovliest places for an introduction to Switzerland, and an easy drive from Zurich. There are several nice hotels in Rapperswil with a view across the lake. Good luck.
Jan 7th, 2005, 12:32 PM
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I second or third the recommendation to skip Zurich and head directly to Luzern. Train ride is easy and views are great. Also, car parking in Luzern is expensive. If you don't need the car till leaving, you might delay your pickup until just before heading out of town.
As for hotels, we've liked two with river/Pilatus views: Des Alpes and Schiff (both 230-25 chf/nt double with breakfast included. More expensive ones with great views are Des Balances and National, Schweizerhof and Montana.
As for hotels, we've liked two with river/Pilatus views: Des Alpes and Schiff (both 230-25 chf/nt double with breakfast included. More expensive ones with great views are Des Balances and National, Schweizerhof and Montana.
Jan 7th, 2005, 01:35 PM
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Personally, I would get a luxurious room @ Bar au Lac in Zurich, (my wife and my favorite hotel in Europe), go into Old Town and get some schnitzel and goulash(soup) and rosti and then get a wonderful nights sleep and shower before heading out on your adventures. just my opinion, don't under rate Zurich, it's a great town, very polished.
