Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern
Why we like it: Five-star grand hotel from 1845 on the lakeside promenade, owned by the Hauser family, with 101 rooms that each tell the story of a guest.
Duration2 nights
From SpainPlane to Zurich (ZRH) and train, a little over 1 h
Getting aroundOn foot, by boat and by cog railway
CarNot needed
Best timeMay – September; Pilatus only from May to October
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for flying to Zurich on Friday and returning on Sunday evening, without a car. From May to October, Saturday is for Pilatus; the rest of the year, for the Rigi, which runs all year apart from November servicing. On Sunday the Galliker and the Old Swiss House are closed: that day you eat at the Rathaus Brauerei.
Friday
- 115:00Flight to Zurich and train to Lucerne
From the airport, a little over an hour by train. Leave your suitcase at the Hotel des Balances, five minutes from the station.
- 218:00Chapel Bridge and old town
The 14th-century wooden bridge, the Water Tower and a loop back over the Spreuerbrücke, with the lights already on.
- 320:00Dinner at the Rathaus Brauerei
House beer under the town hall arcades, sausages or Lucerne cheesecake. Kitchen until 22:30.
Saturday
- 108:50Golden Round Trip to Pilatus, or the Rigi
From May to October, a boat to Alpnachstad, the cog railway to Pilatus Kulm and a gondola ride down to Kriens: CHF 119.80. The rest of the year, a boat to Vitznau and the cog railway to Rigi Kulm: CHF 84 plus the boat, children free with an adult.
- 213:15Lunch at the Wirtshaus Galliker
Chügelipastetli, rösti with sausage and, if it's Saturday, pot-au-feu. Book by phone.
- 315:30Lion Monument
The lion of 1821 carved into the rock, free and a quarter of an hour on foot.
- 419:30Dinner at the Old Swiss House
The Wiener Schnitzel fried in butter at the table, CHF 66. Book; the kitchen closes at 21:00.
Sunday
- 110:00Swiss Museum of Transport or a boat on the lake
In the rain, the museum, open every day: CHF 37, children CHF 16. In the sun, the lake day pass and a paddle steamer towards Flüelen.
- 214:00Lunch at the Rathaus Brauerei
Open on Sundays too, with hot food all afternoon.
- 317:00Train to the airport and flight
A little over an hour to the Zurich terminal: leave a margin for the flight.
Lucerne is the easiest Swiss getaway from Spain: you fly to Zurich, go down to the airport station and in a little over an hour by train you are facing the lake. With two nights you get an afternoon for the city of wooden bridges, a whole day to go up one of its two mountains, Pilatus or the Rigi, and a morning for the lake or the Swiss Museum of Transport before heading back. You don't need a car for a single minute.
How do you get there?
By plane to Zurich (ZRH), which has direct flights from several Spanish cities. The station is beneath the terminal: trains to Lucerne take a little over an hour, direct or changing at Zurich HB. If you have the Swiss Travel Pass, the train is included. Lucerne station is facing the lake, five minutes on foot from the old town. See the "By plane" panel on the Lucerne page.
Where to sleep
| Accommodation | Area | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel des Balances | Old town, on the Reuss | Four stars five minutes from the station, with rooms overlooking the river |
| Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern | Lakeside promenade | The grand hotel of 1845, for a treat |
| Lucerne Youth Hostel | By the Rotsee, by bus | For spending little, with doubles and breakfast included |
Pilatus or the Rigi
If it is your first time and you are going between May and October, Pilatus with the Golden Round Trip: higher, more rock, more spectacle, and a loop that never repeats. If you are going with small children, with the Swiss Travel Pass or out of season, the Rigi: gentler, open all year, free for under-16s with an adult and included in the pass.
With children
Lucerne is a city of transport: boats, cog railways, gondolas and a whole museum of trains and aircraft. The centre is flat and compact. On the boat, the children's pass for ages 6 to 15 costs CHF 12 a day, and at the Museum of Transport under-6s go in free.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Lucerne, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Lucerne
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Lucerne by train and boat, without a car
Lucerne is one of the Swiss cities where you need a car least. The station is by the lake, the old town can be walked in an hour and the two great mountains, Pilatus and Rigi, are climbed by boat and rack railway from the landing stage opposite. The budget is set by the hotel and the ascents: choose one or two and combine with the boat.
150–320 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayLucerne Youth Hostel, doubles and…
- Getting aroundOn foot over the Reuss…
- Where to eatRathaus Brauerei, open every day…
- ServicesLucerne Station, with trains to…
Where to stay
- Lucerne Youth Hostel, doubles and rooms of 4 to 6 beds with breakfast, on bus 19
- Hotel des Balances, in the old town, five minutes from the station
- Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, on the lakeside promenade, for a treat
Getting around
- On foot over the Reuss bridges, through the old town and to the Lion Monument
- SGV boats from the station landing stage to Vitznau, Alpnachstad and Flüelen
- Rack railway to Rigi from Vitznau and to Pilatus from Alpnachstad; bus back from Kriens
- S3 train or buses to the Museum of Transport
Where to eat
- Rathaus Brauerei, open every day, with its own beer
- Wirtshaus Galliker, Lucerne cooking Tuesday to Saturday
- Old Swiss House, for the schnitzel prepared at the table
Services
- Lucerne Station, with trains to Zurich airport
- Tourist office on platform 3
Fly to Zurich and take the train to Lucerne
Lucerne has no airport, but Zurich's is a little over an hour away by train and has direct flights from several Spanish cities. The station is beneath the terminal: you get off the plane, buy your ticket or activate the Swiss Travel Pass and board the train, direct or with a change at Zurich HB. In Lucerne you do not need a car: the centre can be walked and the excursions leave by boat and train from the same station.
- Getting thereZurich (ZRH), with a railway…
- Getting aroundThe Swiss Travel Pass covers…
- Where to stayHotel des Balances, five minutes…
- ServicesLucerne Station, with direct trains…
Getting there
- Zurich (ZRH), with a railway station beneath the terminal and trains to Lucerne in a little over an hour
- Basel (BSL) and Geneva (GVA) as alternatives, with more hours by train
- In Lucerne, the station is opposite the lake and the boat landing stage
Getting around
- The Swiss Travel Pass covers the train from the airport, the lake boat and the ascent of Rigi; Pilatus is half price
- On foot through the old town and over the Reuss bridges
- Bus 19 to the youth hostel; S3 or buses 6, 8 and 24 to the Museum of Transport
Where to stay
- Hotel des Balances, five minutes on foot from the station, if you arrive late
- Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, on the lakeside promenade, across the bridge
- Lucerne Youth Hostel, with breakfast included, by bus from the station
Services
- Lucerne Station, with direct trains to Zurich airport
- Tourist office on platform 3 of the station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel des Balances
Why we like it: Four-star hotel from 1836 on the Weinmarkt, with a painted facade and a terrace over the Reuss, five minutes on foot from the station and the KKL.
Lucerne Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge Luzern)
Why we like it: The Swiss Youth Hostels hostel next to the Rotsee nature reserve, with double rooms and rooms of 4 to 6 beds, breakfast included and open all year.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Lucerne
Wirtshaus Galliker
What to order: the Lozärner Chügelipastetli, the Lucerne vol-au-vent, and the rösti with pork sausage and onion sauce; the pot-au-feu, if it is a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.
Book by phone; the house strongly recommends it.
Rathaus Brauerei
What to order: a house beer with the Rathaus Bier Würstli, CHF 24, or the Lucerne cheese tart, CHF 15, or the Graubünden barley soup.
The terrace cannot be booked; the dining room can, by phone for up to four people.
Old Swiss House
What to order: the house Wiener Schnitzel, prepared in front of you on the trolley, CHF 66; it is served with ribbon noodles, crisp crumbs and cranberry compote.
Hot food at lunchtime until 13:30 and in the evening until 21:00.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you are going to use the train from the airport, the boat and a mountain, work out whether the Swiss Travel Pass pays off: the Rigi is included, the boat and bus for Pilatus too, and the ride up Pilatus is half price.
We'd skip it
Don't plan the Golden Round Trip from 19 October to 27 November 2026: the Kriens gondolas and cable car are being serviced and you can only go up by cog railway from Alpnachstad. Do the Rigi, and check its November servicing first.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
With a mid-range hotel, trains, a mountain, a boat and meals, from around €600 per person for the two nights, excluding the flight. Lucerne is expensive.
Do I need a car?
No. Everything is done on foot, by boat and by train from the station.
When is the best time to go?
From May to September for the mountains. In December there are Christmas markets.
Can I do it with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, and with two or three days of trains and boats it usually pays off. Work it out for your route.