How to spend 2 days in Lucerne?

We, group of 8, are going to the Viking river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam in November 13,2016. We will arrive Zurich on Nov,11,2016 morning and already book a hotel in Lucerne, we never been in Switzerland, what's your suggestion to spend these few day? Any local guide you would recommend? Thanks

Welcome to MySwissAlps Stephen!

There are plenty of independent trips you can make, and you can also book guided trips if you like. You'll find many tips on the Lucerne page (don't skip the "What to do" tab!).

Hi Stephen-

In case you have not discovered the timetable:

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

I have attached a screen grab showing a little bit of the frequent service from Luzern to Basel on November 13th.

I have expanded details for two of the journeys by clicking on the "+" to the left of the journey.

Toward the bottom of the page, just out of sight on my screen capture, is a place to click for earlier or later trips.

Slowpoke

Thanks for your reply. Please advice if we can get to our hotel at Lucerne from Zurich airport by public transportation? If yes, which pass shall we buy ? we would like to spend one day to join a day trip on the second to see mount Alps. What would you suggest? Lastly, is there public transportation from Lucerne to Basel? Can we buy one pass to cover all this trips? Thanks

Hi Stephen-

Please read my reply to you on August 31.

What hotel will you stay at in Luzern?

Slowpoke

Hi Slowpoke,

Thanks again for your prompt reply.

We will be staying in Radisson Blu Hotel.

What confused us on the train schedule and the passes that we should buy, are they all at the same station or at different locations? From the hotel that we stay, is it easy to walk there or we need to take taxi to get to the station?

From Zurich airport, it is easy to get to our hotel by train ?

If we buy the 3 days Swiss travel pass, will it covered the destinations we are going to? Namely, 1) from Zurich airport to Lucerne-the hotel that we stay, 2) take the train to join a day trip next day , 3) from Lucerne to Basel - embark to Viking cruise. Thanks again

Hi Stephen,

Your hotel is just a few minutes on foot from the station. Please see the Swiss Travel Pass map for what's covered.

Hi Stepehn.

The timetable has all the answders.

i have attached a screen grab in which I have expanded one journey (by clicking on the "+" sign to the left) to show details.

if you do that yourself in the actual time table, you can click on Map in the footnotes, then destination, to see the exact route.

The other choice is to use this map and enter the hotel name

map.search.ch/?q=radisson+Blu+Hotel+L uzern&near=637296%2C15 6096

I have a faint and unreliable memory that there might be a passage from the lower level of the main station to the hotel. Check with them.

In any case, it is a very short walk over level paved surfaces. If your luggage has wheels, it will be really easy.

Slowpoke