MySwissAlps.com includes Lucerne-Rhine Falls with Lucerne Travel Pass and Swiss Half Fare Card
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In planning this trip so far I have made some assumptions, can you advise me if they are ok or alternatives please?
1. The Luzern Travel Pass is good for journeys north as far as Zug, or is it Baar?
2. The two main trains I see on the SBB website are IR70 and IR75 and there is not considerable advantage in using one or the other.
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Hello again Paul
Lucerne Travel Pass to/from Zurich
Get out a map of central Switzerland
The IR70 trains are the fastest trains between Luzern and Zurich and stop ONLY AT ZUG. If you have a Luzern Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/lucerne-travel-pass/) and you want to travel to Zurich (or further afield) you will need a point-to-point ticket valid from Zug northwards. Similarly, if in the southbound direction you get on an IR70 at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, you will need a point-to-point ticket valid to Zug.
The IR75 trains are slower, and stop at Rotkreuz, Zug, Baar, and Thalwil. If you have a Luzern Travel Pass and you want to travel to Zurich (or further afield) you will need a point-to-point ticket valid from Baar northwards. Similarly, if in the southbound direction you get on an IR75 at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, you will need a point-to-point ticket valid to Baar.
Doing a little bit of research on http://www.sbb.ch I see that a point-to-point ticket Zug to Zurich Hauptbahnhof with a Half Fare Card is 9.10 CHF. Baar to Zurich Hauptbahnhof with a half fare Card is 7.30 CHF.
The difference between the two fares, 1.80 CHF is a bit more than I expected. But for maximum flexibility I would buy tickets valid from/to Zug.
Best wishes
Roger
Luzern to the Rheinfall Routing
A further thought occurred to me, soon after finishing my earlier reply.
Get out the map.
The nearest station to the Rheinfalls on the north bank of the Rhine is Neuhausen.
Travel as follows. This schedule repeats itself every hour. I will assume you leave Luzern at 08 35.
Travel from Luzern to Baar on the 08 35 IR 75. Get off at Baar at 09 01.
Catch the 09 07 S24 train from Baar bound for Thayngen. Sit upstairs on the right hand side of the train. When the train changes direction at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, do not change your seats.
This S24 train will be going to Thayngen via Wintherthur. About eight minutes after leaving Andelfingen the river will appear on the left hand side of the train. The train crosses the river just above the falls, and reaches Neuhausen at 10 42.
The Return Journey
Now you could go back the way you came. The S24 leaves Neuhausen 18 minutes past each hour. If you caught the 15 18 and changed to the IR75 at Baar (or Zug) you would be back in Luzern at 17 25.
Return from Scloss Laufen am Rheinfall
This small station is on the south bank of the river. The S24 trains do not stop there. However catch the S33 train at 26 minutes past each hour, or an S12 train (bound for Brugg) at 51 minutes past the hour and travel to Winterthur.
Change at Winterthur to the S24 bound for Zug (From Winterthur the S24 is every 30 minutes.) All S24 trains stop at Baar; your Luzern Travel Pass is valid on the short section of the S24 between Baar and Zug.
Catch any train from Zug to Luzern.
Best wishes
Roger
Hello again Roger,
yet another reply with additional information that helps tremendously!Many thanks, once again!
Hi Paul,
You can find useful planning tips for your visit to the Rhine Falls here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/rhine-falls/
From Lucerne, you can take a direct train to Zurich HB. Then continue on the suburban train S9 to Neuhausen Rheinfalls. See attached screenshot. This service runs hourly.
The Lucerne Travel Pass is only valid for Central Switzerland. You would need to purchase additional tickets – I would recommend getting a ticket from Zug – Neuhausen Rhinefalls (return ticket cost CHF30 with a half fare card).
Hope this helps.
Anna
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