genoajim

My wife and I are planning to spend 4 or 5 days in Lucerne and want to do day trips to places like Mt. Titlis, Mt. Pilatus, Jungfrau and whatever else you might recommend. My question is primarily related to how to best do the trips. I have read about Viator and City Discovery that have "packaged" tours, but am wondering if it is reasonable to put the trips together on your own via bus, boat, train etc. The Jungfrau is especially daunting - I guess you have to get to Laterbrunnen somehow and start from there?? I would appreciate any advice/recommendations that your experience could provide. I am assuming that Lucerne is a good base to work from, right?
Anyway, thanks in advance for any help you can provide. Jim

Dukey1

For Mount Titlis you can easily get the train up to Engleberg. From there it is an easy walk (10 minutes max) to the cable car station. The cable car ascent has three different stages; the last one is on the "rotair" an Italian model which rotates as you ascend the final stage.

You can easily do this entire thing ion 1/2 day. There is no need to do it on a packaged tour of any sort. be aware, however that the ascent is not cheap (if you have a rail pass you get a discount).

here's a useful link for you:

http://www.titlis.ch/en/titlis/titli...lyer_chairlift

Pepper_von_snoot

It is difficult to do a day trip to the Jungfraujoch from Luzern because the weather can change rather quickly.

You would have to be certain of the weather when you leave Luzern, as it is a very long journey to the Jungfrau.

There is no use paying a lot of money to go up if you can't see anything because of cloud cover.

If you really want to go up, you should stay in
Lauterbrunnen or Wengen.

Train schedules: WWW.SBB.CH

Luzern>Interlaken Ost>Lauterbrunnen>Kleine Scheidegg>Jungfrau

Thin

swandav2000

Hi genoajim,

I wouldn't try to get to the Jungfraujoch from Luzern; that will be about 4h30 of transport in each direction, so about 9h of sitting inside a closed-up moving box in one day.

There is so much to see and do in Luzern that it makes no sense to waste a day doing that. There are many other peaks you can see, lakeside villages to visit, ferries on the lake to enjoy, hikes, bike rides, museums, etc. You can also visit other nearby cities such as Bern or Basel.

If you feel that you must see Jungfraujoch, best would be to have a base that is nearer, maybe Thun or Spiez or Bern.

Have fun as you plan!

s

neckervd

I suppose you know the ticket prices:
Lucerne - Jungfraujoch and back 260 CHF/280 USD
Lucerne - Titlis and back 120 CHF/139 USD
some reductions with Swiss Pass, Half Fare Card, etc

Dukey1

If you have a SwissPASS the train ride back and forth to Engleberg would be included; the cable car ride at a 50% discount. BUT I wouldn't purchase a pass for that trip alone.

genoajim

Dukey1, Pepper_von_snoot, swandav2000, neckervd: Thank you all very much for your helpful input. I will definitely make use of it as we plan. Jim

genoajim

Thanks again for the input. Now I have additional questions. Based on your input I will rule out trying to do the Jungfrau from Luzern. From Luzern I see the mountain options are Titlis, Pilatus, and Rigi. If you were to do only two of these, which would you choose? I hadn't really thought about visits to lakeside villages, but that sounds great. Any suggestions on which ones would be best? Also suggestions on bike rentals and routes? I am finding that the prices are quite high for about everything so I am hoping to make good choices on how to best to spend 3 or 4 days.

Thank you, Jim

PalenQ

I suppose you know the ticket prices:
Lucerne - Jungfraujoch and back 260 CHF/280 USD
Lucerne - Titlis and back 120 CHF/139 USD
some reductions with Swiss Pass, Half Fare Card, etc>

Not some reductions but major reductions - the Swiss Pass covers travel in full to Wengen or Grindelwald, both high above Interlaken - you only have to pay anything from those stations up.

I would suggest basing in the Interlaken-Jungfrau Region which to me and many is the essence of the Alpine wonderland Switzerland etched in manuy folks' minds' eyes - to me both the literal and figurative high point of Switzerland and doing a day trip from there to Lucerne - just about two hours from your Jungfrau base.

Lucerne is nice but after a day or two it bores me - you'll never be bored in the Jungfrau region where there are so so many varied things to do.

Anyway a Swiss Pass can pay off for you if riding trains 4 days in a row - a 4-consecutive-day pass would cover nearly everything from city buses and trams to lake boats (great floats on the two lakes book ending Interlaken and on Lake Lucerne - fully covered by a pass - passes also good for free entry to 400+ Swiss museums such as those in Lucerne.

For lots of great info on Swiss trains and passes, etc I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sources - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Mt Pilatus is a great trip but every time I've been in Lucerne it seems the summit is fogged of hazed or clouded in so if doing that hop on it if there is a clear day.

mokka4

Pilatus Golden Roundtrip utilizing the boat the Alpnachstad was impressive. At the top there are a built -up center with possibility to climb mostly tame steps to the three accessible summits for wonderful views.

Rigi has a multitude of medium to easy (and more challenging) hikes.

But I liked the three stage ascent to Titlis very much as well, with the possibility of getting out at Truebsee (lake) for a stroll around the lake with the beautiful mountain peaks reflected in the lake. You can partake of a packed picnic lunch before continuing the ascent to the top (or, if in reverse, the descent to the bottom). You also glide over the impressive blue-ice glacier on this one.

So, it depends on whether you like to hike more, etc
You can't go wrong with any two!

mokka4

As for Luzern lake area towns, I stayed for a week in Brunnen, a fair-sized town accessible by boat, rail or bus--recommended.
Click on my name in blue for Trip Report from last October!

PalenQ

Brunnen is a sweet stop on a lake boat tour of Lake Lucerne - rather fjord-like at this point - opposite it is I believe the famous Rutli Meadow where the Swiss Confederation was born centuries ago - from the boat dock a short steep path takes you to the historic meadow which has nice views over the lake. Brunnen and Rutli can make a nice boat day trip - Brunnen has frequent trains back to Lucerne via Arth-Goldau.

Edward2005

"From Luzern I see the mountain options are Titlis, Pilatus, and Rigi. If you were to do only two of these, which would you choose?"

I have done all three and you really can't go wrong. If I had to drop one, I suppose it would be Titlis. It's a really nice walk down from the Rigi peak and the lake cruise to get to Weggis at its foot is enjoyable.

PalenQ

Rigi however is not at all like the rugged Mt Titlis or Mt Pilatus peaks - true snow-and-ice girdled mountains most of the year - Rigi is relatively low altitude - one reason you can walk down from it - I walked to Arth-Goldau train station from the summit and it was incredibly nice - through cow fields at one point - Rigi is known for its lateral vistas over the spiny ridge of central Switzerland with so so many famous peaks in the distance and not known for glaciers, etc like you see at Mt Titlis and Engleberg, right up there with the Jungfrau and Zermatt areas for the dramatic Alpine scenes you may associate with Switzerland but which will not be found at Rigi.

Not to say that Rigi is not a great choie - just depends on what you are looking for.

genoajim

PalenQ, Edward2005, mokka4 ... thank you very much for this additional input, great dialog, great information. Jim