Quickest route fom Lucerne to Stoos with Swiss Travel Pass
Steve is planning a hike on the Stoos Ridge in September and wants to know the quickest way to get there, considering he has the Swiss Travel Pass. He is looking for travel advice, specifically whether to take public transport or rent a car for the day.
- Take the train from Lucerne to Schwyz, then a bus to Stoosbahn; the total journey takes about 1 to 1.5 hours and is fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.
- After reaching Stoos, you will need to pay for the chairlifts to Fronalpstock and Klingenstock, with Fronalpstock offering stunning views.
- Consider using public transport for a scenic experience, including a boat ride back to Lucerne, which can be a fulfilling option for a day trip.
AI-generated summary-
I am planning to go to hike the Stoos Ridge in September and am trying to determine the quickest way to get there.
Train/bus route or rent a car for the day, as we have the STP.
Any thoughts and directions would be appreciated.
Steve
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Hi Steve,
The most convenient route would be to take the train from Lucerne to Schwyz. In Schwyz you then take the bus (direction Muotathal) to Stoosbahn. The bus stops directly in front of the funicular base station. In total, the journey takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hour and is covered fully by the Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/).
Please use the Swiss timetable to check train and bus schedules: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/
Regards,
Anna
Hi Anna,
Thanks for the advice on the travel from Lucerne to Stoos. To clarify, when you state “In total, the journey takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hour and is covered fully by the Swiss Travel Pass” are you saying that this is a round trip timeframe?
Thanks
Hi Steve,
That’s one way. You can find details via Anna’s timetable link.
Hi Steve,
I took exactly the route Anna has suggested this past September. The train to Schwyz is about 45 minutes from Lucerne, depending on which one you catch. The bus from there is just under 20 min. The funincular itself is less than ten min. The train, the bus, and the funicular are all covered with the STP. (At least as of last Sept. Check the validity of the STP (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/) for this year, although it’s probably the same.) When you do get to the Stoosbahn valley station, you will need to pay for the chairlift(s) that are up there in the village of Stoos. (Once you are up there, it is an actual village.) There is one chairlift to take you to Fronalpstock and one to take you to Klingenstock. I believe I had paid for both of them, although I only went up Fronalpstock. The views from Fronalpstock are closer to the lake itself and have a broader panoramic view than at Klingenstock, as it’s a bit further ‘inland’, if you will. To get to the Fronalpstock chairlift, follow the path out from the funicular, which will curve around to the right. When at the first ‘intersection’, you should be able to see the church up on a hill, looking towards the right. (Probably an 8-to-ten min walk.) Head for it, and you will see the lift just below it. For the Klingenstock lift, there will be a path on the left when leaving the funicular, (on that same path that curves around to the right). That looks to be about 15-20 min or so just to get to that lift. So, depending on which direction you may want to travel while hiking the ridge, those are basically your choices of starting points. I did not go to Klingenstock, nor did I hike the ridge. But the views from Fronalpstock were pretty amazing. You can see all the way towards Lucerne in the distance, as well as Mt Pilatus (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/pilatus/) , and pretty much into Fluelen on the left. Stunning. Just stunning. Figure on the better part of a day if you are going to do the hike. When I headed back to Lucerne, I took the first train down to Brunnen (from Schwyz) and hoofed it down to the boat dock and went back to Lucerne on a nice scenic 2 hour boat ride. (I put my STP to work on this particular day.) I would personally use the STP since you have it. It’s possible the car may be quicker, but that’s entirely your decision. I hope this helps and you have a great weather day. Have a great trip.
Regards,
Danielsan
Hi Danielsan,
Thanks, as always, for your detailed replies. Our plan is to hike the ridge trail from Klingenstock across to Fronalpstock, which I understand is about 3 miles. I was told that this direction has the best views throughout so you dont have to look over your should for views.
I’ll have to take a vote with my group of 6 if they want to do the train / bus / boat route for a full day experience or the car. While the 1st option seems fullfilling, especially the boat ride back, I’m sure there are some other scenic spots we could explore by car in the area TDB!
Thanks again
PS We also plan on hiking Oeschinensee from our base in Wengen. I believe the quickest way is bar car, about 1 hr. I suppose the other option would be a combined train, to Interlaken, boat trip to Spiez then bus to the lake? No idea how long that would take each way.
We may also consider an alternate hike doing the Schynige Platte Hike. Any thoughts on which one to choose?
Hi Steve,
If you’re staying in Wengen, basically, the trains are about the following: 13 minutes down to Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost is about 20 mins. Interlaken Ost is about 20 mins to Spiez. From there, it’s about 20 mins to Kandersteg. From there, you can bus (or walk) to the valley station to go up to Oeschinensee.
The boat from Interlaken West to Spiez is about an hour and a half. Be aware that the walk from the ferry dock in Spiez is about a 20 min walk, mostly uphill to get to the train station. Just as an FYI.
As far as Schynige Platte (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/schynige-platte/) goes, the funicular is located at the Wilderswil station, which is the last stop before arriving in Interlaken Ost from Lauterbrunnen (roughly 15 min ride.) I believe the cogtrain is about 45 min to an hour. As far as which one to see, I would try to see both (time permitting). I did try to see both last September, but the weather wasn’t in as much of a cooperative mood as I was.
As far as renting a car for the Oeschinensee excursion, you may want to keep in mind about having to park it down in either Lauterbrunnen or one of the Interlakens after finding a rental service. (Im not sure if there is car rental service in Lauterbrunnen, as I’ve never looked into it.) That way, you can train it to Interlaken and drive from there? (I’m not familiar with the parking at either Interlaken, but I would assume it can be done.)
Hope this helps. Have a great trip.
Regards,
Danielsan
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