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Mt. Pilatus Golden Round trip from Lucerne

Short summary – read this first

Linda and her husband are about to spend a month in Switzerland and are planning a scenic trip from Luzern to Alpnachstad, then up to Mt. Pilatus and back down via Kriens. They have the Swiss Travel Pass and need help understanding if they require reservations for boats and transportation, and how to easily navigate their route back to Luzern.

Key takeaways:
  • You can take the boat to Alpnachstad without a reservation; it's included in the Swiss Travel Pass.
  • The cogwheel train to Mt. Pilatus and the cable car down to Kriens both offer a 50% discount with the Swiss Travel Pass, and no reservations are needed.
  • To return from Kriens to Luzern, local buses are available for free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
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InfoAI-generated summary
  • Anonymous
    Inactive
    83504 posts
    28 July 2022 at 13:13:58 #827905

    My husband and I are heading for a month in Switzerland 5 days from now. We want to take the boat from Luzern (Pier1???) to Alpnachstad. Then the cogwheel up to Mt. Pilatus and then the cable car down to Krienz and then back to Luzern. We have the Swiss Travel Pass.

    1. Can we just go to the pier(1 ?) and get the boat to Alpnachstad without any reservation? Is this included in the STP?

    2. At Alpenschstad is it easy to or how do you get to the cogwheel train up to Mt. Pilatus? Is this included in the STP?

    3. Is the cable car down to Krienz included in the STP? Do you need a reservation for the cable car?

    4. From Krienz back to Luzern (Hotel des Alps) what transportation should we use and is it clear how to get it at then of the cable car in Krienz?

    THANK YOU SO MUCH for enduring all of my stupid questions! I really do try to research first but these details are escaping me!

    Linda Neubig

  • User
    Inactive
    83504 posts
    Reply 1 of 5 • 28 July 2022 at 13:45:43 #944876

    Hi Linda,

    the Golden Round Trip is described here: http://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus/gettingthere.

    1) It is either pier 1 or 2, it depends on the date and time you are traveling. You can check it in the SBB timetable. Use the advanced search and choose the ‘ship’ as Transport type’. Once you see the results, click on one of them, so you see the details. No reservation is needed, and yes, it is free with the Swiss Travel Pass. (See the validity map here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity.

    2) They are next to each other.

    3) You get 50% off with the Swiss Travel Pass, you can buy your tickets here, if you want or on the spot, it is up to you: http://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus/tickets. No reservation is needed. Check the weather forecast first, before buying the tickets.

    4) There are different buses, depends on when you arrive there. Like bus 1 or 5. The best if you check it on Google Maps once you are there. Yes, free with STP.

    I hope this helps,

    Ildiko

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    User
    Inactive
    83504 posts
    Reply 2 of 5 • 28 July 2022 at 13:53:07 #944877

    MANY thanks, Ildiko.

    User
    Inactive
    83504 posts
    Reply 3 of 5 • 28 July 2022 at 21:46:06 #944878

    Alpnachstad is basically a small collection of chalets where the Pilatus railway base station is situated and the boat landing stage is adjacent, and there is also a railway station on the ZB line from Luzern to Interlaken

    Kriens is part of greater Luzern so as such you can use any buses of the Luzern city transport company. Like all urban transport this is free on STP

    Danielsan
    Participant
    745 posts
    Reply 4 of 5 • 29 July 2022 at 7:08:40 #944879

    Hi Neubigl,

    Directly across the street/plaza from the Lucerne train station, there is a little booth/kiosk that is an info center for boat rides, and they can give you info for the boat to Alpnachtstad, which will put you in front of the cog railroad for Mt Pilatus. With the STP, it should be a 50% discount for the ascent ticket. I would assume (but not positive) that the descent tickets for Kriens would be included in that part, which would essentially be the Golden Triangle trip, with a bus ride back to Lucerne. Have fun planning and a great trip.

    Danielsan

    Arno
    Moderator
    15750 posts
    Reply 5 of 5 • 30 July 2022 at 7:47:30 #944880

    Thanks for your input Danielsan. It’s very helpful that you’re sharing your experiences with other travelers!

    Yes, both the Pilatus ascent and descent are 50% discounted with the Swiss Travel Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus/tickets). A return ticket allows you to travel up and down in any way you like. So you’re right: a ride up from Alpnachstad and down to Kriens is perfectly possible. Any additional boat and bus rides that are part of the Golden Round Trip (https://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus) are for free.

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