katzen

We will be picking my sister up at Zurich Airport in August. She is flying in on Air Canada. We will not be going into the airport ... we will be leaving Luzern that morning (we'll have a car) and hope to just swing by the airport and pick her up. Is there any 'arrival' platform or area this easy to get to and pick her up? None of us have been to Zurich airport so don't know what to expect.
Thanks!

kleeblatt

Yes! Find out which arrival building she'll be in and pick her up right in front of the building. Google Zürich Airport for more info.

Remember, you can't park there long so make sure she's on time. If not, I'd recommend parking your car and waiting for her at the arrival gate. I believe the first half hour at the airport is free.

swandav2000

Hi katzen,

You can get a map of the airport at www.zurich-airport.com.

I think it'll be a lot easier than you imagine!

s

katzen

Thank you both .. I just found the website right after I posted.!! I didn't realize I could pick her up right outside her building. That is very nice. I was envisioning the U.S. where you have to take trams and it takes 30 minutes to get out of an airpot and where we pick people up in the "arrival area."

I went on Via Michelin to get driving directions from Luzern to Aéroport Zurich-Kloten and it shows close to 30 Euros (Yikes) to drive from point A to point B!! I'm assuming there are back roads to take .. or is there a quicker way that involves main roads where we aren't paying 30 Euros. I also didn't see any 'toll' symbols or 'ticket' symbols .. so not sure where they got the tolls. Something tells me I'm missing something!

Eloise

Go to www.mappy.com and enter "Luzern" and "Flughafen Kloten". Click on "Without tolls".

It can be done, and it doesn't take that much longer than on the toll road.

Cicerone

I used to live in Zurich. If you want to pick here up curbside in the Arrivals pick-up area, you will have to follow signs for "Ankünfte" (may also say "Arrivals&quot as you approach the airport. You will need to know which Arrival Hall she will come into (there are two). Note that this area can be crowded with cars, buses and taxis, and as in the US is heavily policed and they don't allow standing for more than 10-15 minutes. If you are early, you may have to circle around a few times. It is in a downstairs covered area and is somewhat dark as well. I would suggest you tell her that after she exits Customs with her bags, she stay on this ground level, and follow signs straight out the door for "Taxis" and then looks for you somewhere to the left along this covered street area in back of the taxi stand. She may need to cross one street to get to an area where non-taxis can wait. I think you might miss her at this area especially as none of you know it. I can't suggest a partiuclar place to meet her in this area, as I always parked and met people as they came out of Customs (see below).

As an alternative, I would suggest that you park in the parking garage and meet her in the Arrivals Hall where she will exit Customs. You can't go to her actual gate, but as in the US with international arrivals, you go to the area where she will exit with her baggage after Immigration and Customs. It is very easy to park as the parking garages are right at the terminal and have elevators into the terminal, you then just walk to the arrivals hall and wait at the exit doors. I would park in Car Park 1 or 2 as they are about equidistant to the Arrivals Halls (not sure which hall your sisters flight will come in, Air Canada seems to arrive into both Hall 1 and Hall 2; if she arrives in Hall 1, then park in Car Park 1, if Hall 2 then park in Car Park 2). Follow signs as you approach the airport for the car parks. The parking is not expensive as per Swiss prices. You pay for the parking in the terminal before you go back to get your car, there are machines which take credit cards or cash which are located inside the terminal at the elevators leading up to the car parks, and there is also an English-speaking clerk at a kiosk near the elevators for Car Park 1.

With regard to the 30 Euro change for the highway, this is NOT a toll road, this is the cost of the highway sticker which must be attached to the windshield of your car to drive on any highway in Switzerland. (There are no toll booths on Swiss roads.) Most likely your rental car will already have this highway "vignette" attached to the windshield. This is a yearly charge for driving on all Swiss highways, it is not just the charge to drive to Lucerne. While you can take back roads to avoid it, it is IMO, very hard to entirely avoid driving on highways in Switzerland, as sometimes you are on a highway without knowing it (i.e. the road between Meringen and Interlaken is a highway but you probably won't know it as there is no true interchange when you join the highway) and if you are caught by the Swiss police diving on a highway without a vignette, you will be fined quite heavily. If your rental car does not have a vignette already attached, IMO it is just worth paying for it and then not having to worry about it. You can buy them at gas stations or the car rental company may sell one to you.

katzen

Cicerone, Thank you so much for the very helpful information regarding the sticker and the Zurich airport!!!!

sebinah

katzen, I don't know about the Zurich airport but often in the US it is easier to meet someone by having them go to the sidewalk at the departures. Usually both are not busy at the same time. The reverse could work if you are leaving at the same time a lot of other flights are leaving. Have a great trip.

Sebina

Cicerone

Yes, I was going to recommend departures as well (which is where I would meet local friends when picking them up), but then her sister has to find the same depature area where they will be, and as there are two departure terminals, I thought that might get complicated for them as they don't know they airport, and could also require her sister to walk from one terminal to the other with baggage. It seemed too complicated. I think parking is the best way.