Alpnachstad to Weggis by ferry schedule?

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    7 December 2017 at 2:23:40 #813788

    After spending the day on Mt. Pilatus, we’d like to take the ferry from Alpnachstad to our base in Weggis next June. However, I cannot find any ferries on the timetable without going first back to Lucerne by train and then the ferry from there to Weggis. Is there no more direct route to Weggis or even with stops that does not entail going back to Luzern? At least we’d get to see a different part of the lake.

    This is a great travel site with such good help. Thanks in advance!

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    rockoyster
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    7 December 2017 at 3:50:04 #872653

    Hi Stacy,

    I think the only way to get to Weggis from Alpnachstad is via Lucerne. You can of course take the ferry from Alpnachstad to Lucerne and thereby see a different part of the lake before continuing on to Weggis by ferry or train/bus.

    Or if you really want to miss Lucerne (just) than see attached.

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    7 December 2017 at 7:43:19 #872654

    Thanks for the reply and attachment. I appreciate it.

    Slowpoke
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    8 December 2017 at 11:08:58 #872655

    Hi Stacy-

    You’ll have to specify “When.” The boat schedules vary with time of year.

    This gives all the boat schedule. Scroll down. In German, but not hard to figure out:

    http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/ timetable-fares/timetable/

    Near the bottom of that sight is a map….upside down… it looks southward from Luzern. Shows routes/ stops.

    I think there might be such a connection early in the day and late in the day, maybe to Brunnen..

    Not sure, but you maybe might be able to get a boat along the west shore with a connection from Alpnachstad, thence onto a boat boat that stops at Beckenried (or Rütli or Treib). Both have connections across the lake to Brunnen, for a bus or boat to Weggis.

    There is bus service to/from Beckenried from the vicinity of Hergiswil. Took it once many years ago.

    There is a (car)ferry across the lake from Beckenried to the lake shore road west of Gersau. Probably connects with the lakeshore bus.

    Try the SBB time table for the bus.

    Any of those roundabout routes would take a lot of time.

    Fastest including lake boats would most likely be train or boat to Luzern, then approximately hourly boat to Weggis and Vitznau.

    Slowpoke

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    8 December 2017 at 17:01:19 #872656

    Thanks Slowpoke. Very helpful!

    rockoyster
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    9 December 2017 at 4:19:22 #872657

    Hi Stacy,

    Actually my earlier comments were wrong. If you look at the timetable for June (goo.gl/yQLLHa) there is ONE connection to Weggis from Alpnachstad via Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock but it leaves at Alpnachstad 11:00am which won’t suit your timing unless you set off for Pilatus real early. See attached extract.

    There is one other departure from Alpnachstad at 15:10 which goes to Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock but then continues back to Lucerne.

    Another if you are keen to experience a different part of the lake might be to go from Weggis departing 11:05 via Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock to Alpnachstad arriving 12:10 then cog-wheel to Pilatus then cable car to Kreins and back to Weggis via Lucerne.

    rockoyster
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    8889 posts
    9 December 2017 at 6:09:55 #872658

    . . . and yet another variation, triggered by Slowpoke’s comments, attached (Trains/Bus/Boat)

    Slowpoke
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    7567 posts
    9 December 2017 at 8:00:48 #872659

    Hi Stacy –

    I had a little more time to look at schedules in the SBB timetable and the lake boat schedule. In my reading, I do not find those boats referred to as ferries. The distinction may be important or have to do with exact translations, but only the boat from Beckenried to near Gersau, which carries automobiles, is called a ferry. In German, die Fähre or eine Fähre. By the way, the ferry landing station in Beckenried is some distance from the lake boat landing, about a km.

    map.search.ch/?pos=678409,202649&z=25 6

    You can put together a route at many times during the day from Alpnachstad to Weggis by taking a bus with changes to Beckenried, and a boat to Weggis. You can also take a boat from Beckenried to Brunnen, and catch a bus or another boat to Weggis many times during the day. Look at the map and you’ll see what I mean.

    There is bus service from Alpnachstad to Beckenried taking 45 minutes every 30 minutes during the day in June. I picked the 19th as a random date. The route involves changes at Hergiswil and Stans with easy (6 or 7 minute) connections. The time table says that this service “Does not operate daily.”

    You could check the timetable for your preferred day; my guess is that service is limited on the weekends. Actually, I checked some weekend dates and there is service. So, I don’t understand the comment, but you can check on the day you prefer.

    Once at Beckenried, there are boats to Weggis approximately once per hour usually at xx32 from 1132 to 2032, plus one at 1000.

    There are also approximately hourly boats from Beckenried to Brunnen mostly at xx27 from 0927 until 1627 plus one at 1800. From there, there are a few routes to Weggis.

    Using the SBB timetable, from Brunnen, there is bus service along the lake shore to Weggis at xx27 and xx56, taking 40 minutes. There is some boat service at xx49 taking 1 hr and 26 minutes. There is also a possibility of train to Küssnacht am Rigi and the same bus in the reverse direction ( toward Brunnen) which goes through Weggis.

    Those buses stop at Gersau Schiffstation, for “die Fähre”, about 12 minutes after leaving Brunnen in the direction for Weggis., for example.

    As noted, that trip via Beckenried will not be fast.

    If you wish to make it even slower, with a nice funicular scenic ride, you can take a bus from Beckenried up to Seelisberg, and ride the funicular down to Treib, which is a boat stop for all the boats from Beckenried to Brunnen. Or, you can put a break into the route on the boat from Beckenried to Brunnen by getting off at Treib ( small tavern) and riding the funicular up to Seelisberg and then back down again. It is a nice trip.

    I have stayed at Seelisberg a few times. Although I did not stay at this particualr hotel, the views across the lake from the terrace of the Hotel Sonnenberg ( up the hill a km or ride the bus two stops) are spectacular. See attached panorama. Also, at the left edge of the picture of Selisberg from a lake boat, you can just see the Hotel Sonnenberg.

    So, if you wanted to take a couple of hours in additional in the afternoon to make that detour, you’d probably enjoy it.

    A few photos are attached, including some from a Photobook that I prepared in 2009 about a trip with my daughter and granddaughter. The panorama with text was taken from the terrace of the Hotel Sonnenberg

    On our trip, we also visited Riemenstalden, above Sisikon. If you go up there, take the Postbus up the hill. It is a steep narrow one lane road with turn outs for passing. If you are going up, you have to give way to those coming down, and back down to the last turn out to let them pass. ;-( The Postbus always has right of way.

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
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    9 December 2017 at 8:25:31 #872660

    G’Day Rockoyster –

    Not too different in total time from the route through Luzern…might actually be faster if the connection at Luzern is a long one.

    Also, we did not explore the possibility of returning via Kriens and Luzern. Probably least preferred choice.

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
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    9 December 2017 at 10:46:32 #872661

    G’day Rockoyster –

    Actually, you did mention the route via Kriens.

    I missed it in your earlier post.

    Slowpoke

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    10 December 2017 at 2:09:36 #872662

    Attached are a few photos taken on the boat trip from Alpnachstad to Lucerne (taken early June 2017) and if you don’t want to go back to Luzern here’s yet another Slowpoke inspired variation:

    Catch the boat back to Lucerne but hop off at Stansstad (pics attached).

    Train to Stans then Bus to Seelisburg then Funicular to Treib (pics attached) where you can pick up the steamer which plies between Flüelen and Lucerne (it stops at Weggis).

    This is where a Swiss Travel Pass comes in real handy. Cook up a route on the fly. No tickets to buy – just hop-on, hop-off (apart from Pilatus in 2018 unfortunately).

    Slowpoke
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    7567 posts
    10 December 2017 at 2:24:36 #872663

    Grüetzi rockoyster –

    Nice shot of the Aufzug ( elevator) at Hammetschwand in A-L #2.

    Disappointed in treib-3. No train. Funicular tracks are only interesting to train buffs. Had you no patience?

    See my nice picture “mit der Zug” in the earlier post.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/do cs/systemlibrariesprov ider/rail/treib-and-the-treib-seelisberg-bahn-from-photobook.jpg?sfvrsn=0

    Slowpoke

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    10 December 2017 at 3:50:17 #872664

    >> Attached are a few photos taken on the boat trip from Alpnachstad to Lucerne (taken early June 2017)

    Nice photos, thanks! I haven’t been to Alpnachstad on the boat – have only taken the train: including a wasted trip one time, when I got to Alpnachstad only to find the cogwheel had closed a few days earlier! So I headed off to Kriens for the gondola, but only got as far as Krienseregg (the first station) before they shut the higher sections of the cableway down for the rest of the day due to high winds 🙁

    Alpenrose

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    10 December 2017 at 8:10:33 #872665

    Rockoyser, I like the second idea of taking the boat from Weggis to K-Burgenstock to Alpnachstad! I noticed that there is a change of boats at K-Burgenstock to Alpnachstad with only a change time of 3 minutes. This hardly seems long enough to get off the first boat and board the connecting boat. Do I actually change boats or do the boat numbers just change?

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    10 December 2017 at 8:24:35 #872666

    Would we have enough time to do Mt Pilatus and also go to Stansstad – Stans – Seelisberg – Treib _ Weggis trips in one day? It seems like an awful lot for one day!

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    10 December 2017 at 8:37:56 #872667

    Hi Stacy,

    You wrote “Do I actually change boats or do the boat numbers just change?

    That I can’t tell you but when I was in Switzerland I just surrendered to the fact that their public transport system is the most efficient in the world. It never let me down.

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    10 December 2017 at 8:45:06 #872668

    Hi Stacy,

    You wrote “Would we have enough time to do Mt Pilatus and also go to Stansstad – Stans – Seelisberg – Treib _ Weggis trips in one day?

    Well, I guess it depends on how much stamina you have and how soon you start your day. We did the round trip from Lucerne to Pilatus via Kriens and the boat back from Alpnachstad to Lucerne by 1.00pm. Depends on how much time you spend up top at Pilatus. Relaxing on the steamer from Treib to Weggis is not going to be to challenging – especially with a nice glass of Swiss wine.

    You can always take a shortcut from Beckenreid to Weggis if the trip to Treib looks a bit long. With your Swiss Travel Pass you can play it by ear. I found that everything looks a long way on the map but then I realised when I got home that Switzerland is only ⅔ the size of Tasmania.

    The SBB Timetable is the bible for working out what is doable. http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

    Removed user
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    10 December 2017 at 8:56:54 #872669

    We’ll probably start from Weggis around 9:00 AM depending on the ferry schedule to Lucerne. I’m researching the time it takes to do the trip up to Seelisberg, etc now. That will give me a better idea. My sister and I are in our early 60’s and, although the mind is willing and eager, the body sometimes says “You ain’t no spring chicken no more, girl!” Darn.

    rockoyster
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    8889 posts
    10 December 2017 at 8:59:13 #872670

    Don’t sweat it Stacy. I’ll be 70 next year and just did my first trip to Switzerland this year.

    If you leave about 9:00am forget the boat. Go by Bus/Train – see attached,

    Removed user
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    10 December 2017 at 9:08:47 #872671

    Good to know!

    Why should we forget the boat if we leave Weggis around 9:00?

    It looks like the trip from Alpnachstad to Seelisberg takes about 1 hour 10 min. So if we finish seeing Mt Pilatus by 2:00-ish, there should be no problem.

    rockoyster
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    8889 posts
    10 December 2017 at 9:10:32 #872672

    From what I can see the first boat form Weggis doesn’t leave until 10:05!

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