[Use]

5 November 2024 at 2:04:26 #2116496

Traveling to Switzerland in February – Planning Our Lucerne to Mount Rigi Trip

Hi everyone!

We’re traveling to Switzerland in February and planning to reach Lucerne by around 12 p.m. I have a few questions about our itinerary for Mount Rigi and returning to Lucerne in the evening:

1. Gondola and Boat Timing: After arriving in Lucerne, we’re hoping to take a boat from Lucerne to Vitznau, but the next scheduled departure I found is at 2:15 p.m. This will delay our journey slightly. From Vitznau, we plan to take the cogwheel train up to Rigi Kulm. Given this timeline, how much time would you recommend spending at Rigi Kulm to fully enjoy the views and atmosphere?

2. Return Trip Options: We’re concerned that by the time we descend, it may already be 5 p.m. or later, which could limit our options. I read that some boat services might end by this time in February. If we return to Vitznau or nearby areas like Weggis later in the evening, are there alternative transport options to get back to Lucerne? Or would it be challenging to find transportation at that hour?

Thank you for reading this (I know it’s a bit of a long post!), and I really appreciate any advice you can offer to help us make the most of our day trip!

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[Roger Sexton]

Reply 1 of 4 • 5 November 2024 at 8:48:58 #2118002

Hello  Use

Welcome to MySwissAlps

First, one general observation.  Swiss public transport is the best in the world.  Most train AND BUS services run 365-days-a-year, from about six in the morning to up to about midnight.  Better still, every line/route of importance has at least an hourly service.  Best of all, public transport services are timed to interconnect.

However, mountain lines such as Rigi, and boat lines, are USUALLY confined to daylight hours. (In February daylight will be about 08 00 to 17 30 (5 30 pm).  (Note that from now on I am using 24 hour clock.)

Luzern to Vitznau by Boat I have just looked at the winter boat timetable and there are boats from Lucerne to Vitznau at 12 00, 13 00 and 14 12. They take a bit under an hour.

Luzern to Vitznau on dry land,  There are trains from Lucerne to Kussnacht am Rigi at 06 and 39 minutes past each hour.  At Kussnacht you change to the 508 bus which runs to Vitznau (and Schwyz) via Weggis. The total journey time to Vitznau is just under one hour.

Vitznau to Rigi Kulm (Kulm = summit)  Trains from Vitznau up to the summit run hourly at 15 minutes past each hour.  The journey takes 32 minutes.

Rigi Kulm to Vitznau  In the winter the last train DOWN is at 17 00, just as it is getting dark.  The journey down takes 40 minutes.  (Safety is paramount.)

Vitznau to Lucerne by boat  The boats leave Vitznau at 49 past each hour;  the last boat is in winter at               17 49!   If you were to literally ‘miss the boat’ (very unlikely) the bus/train route via Kussnacht runs twice an hour until very late in the evening.

Rigi Kulm down to Arth-Goldau  This is an alternative route from the summit.  Trains leave the summit in February hourly at 16 minutes past the hour.  The last train is at 17 16.  (Double check that time on the day of travel.).  From Arth-Goldau there are frequent main line trains to Lucerne.

The Glories of the Swiss Travel Pass.  As I hope you already know, this STP pass is valid on all Swiss public transport: buses, trains, trams(streetcars), boats.  However, lines which simply go up mountains are usually excluded from the STP.   But, glory be!, the cog-wheel lines up the Rigi are FREE with the STP.

(I hope to deal with your other queries later today.)

Best wishes

Roger

 

[Use]

Reply 2 of 4 • 5 November 2024 at 9:12:00 #2118753

Hello Roger,

 

Thank you so much for your detailed answer—I really appreciate the time you put into it. Your response has helped clear up my confusion.

 

Although I don’t currently have one, I’m planning to get the Eurail Pass rather than the Swiss Travel Pass, as I’m also traveling to other countries. After checking the options, I believe the Eurail Pass will be a better deal for me, even though I’ll be spending the majority of my time (around 7 days) in Switzerland.

 

As for Rigi Kulm, I’ve calculated my itinerary and plan to stay there for about 1 hour, which I think should be sufficient.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

[Roger Sexton]

Reply 3 of 4 • 5 November 2024 at 9:22:45 #2119143

OK, I take your point about Eurail.  And I will keep it in mind when I answer your other queries.

I have no personal experience of Eurail (I am British so I do not qualify for one) but I believe it gives discounts for travel on the Lake Lucerne boats and on the cog-wheel lines up the Rigi.  There is no discount when you use buses.    (NB buses in Switzerland are just as good and as well organised as trains.)

Best wishes

Roger

 

[Anna]

Reply 4 of 4 • 5 November 2024 at 20:23:13 #2121531

Hi Use,

For the onward journey to Mt Rigi, I think it would be best to take the train as the service runs at regular intervals. For example, if you reach Lucerne at 12pm, you could potentially catch the 12.18 or 12.39 connection to Arth-Goldau (it’s a direct service and takes roughly 30 mins). You could be in Rigi in less than an hour. That will give you plenty of time to spend at the top and later catch the boat from Vitznau to Lucerne at 15.49 and reach Lucerne before it gets dark. The last boat leaves Vitznau at 17.59.

You can find information about how to travel to Rigi here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/rigi/

If you have a Eurail Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/eurail-global-pass/), the train journey from Lucerne to Arth-Goldau is free. The cogwheel train journey from the base station to Mt Rigi and from Mt Rigi to Vitznau is discounted 50%. The boat ride from Vitznau to Lucerne is also discounted 50%.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Anna