Lucerne-Interlaken-Zurich 3 days

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    22 October 2019 at 20:33:36 #824281

    Hi

    We are travelling to Zurich as a family of three (a 18 month old) as a stopover for 3 days. Reaching 26th December in the morning and leaving 29th December around noon. Because 26th is St. Stephen day and a holiday, we are unsure what is the best thing to do. I know even though Christmas markets are not there anymore, Christmas lights are still up. What other things would be recommended to spend time in Zurich? Is old town one of the favourites?

    1. Is it worth staying back in Zurich and spending time there instead of going to Lucerne? Can we take the train back to the airport on the 29th morning straight from Lucerne and not be late for our flight?

    2. We were thinking of going to Mt. Rigi/Pilatus/Titilis. Which one would you all recommend? Titlis is definitely the most popular of all but from what I have been reading Rigi is the most preferred due to the expansive views.

    3. We are thinking that we can go to Interlaken on the remaining day. Is it worth taking the trip to Interlaken or we are better off spending the remaining day in Lucerne/Zurich depending on if we stay the first night in Zurich/Lucerne?

    4. What is the best way to travel? Swiss Travel Pass seems a overkill to me. I was thinking of the Saver Day Pass, but not sure if thats the best way to go.

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    22 October 2019 at 23:28:02 #924090

    For a short trip I recommend you stick to one area. There is more than enough in the Luzern area to keep you going. Luzern is not too far from Zurich so you can easily make a noon flight by leaving Luzern early morning.

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    23 October 2019 at 14:12:41 #924091

    Hello agptmd,

    Welcome to MySwissAlps!

    1. December 26th is St.Stephen’s day so everything will be closed in the old part of Zurich. The only thing open will be the shops in the Zurich main train station. I will attach links about Zurich for you though:

    Zurich and Lucerne both have their own individual charms. I will attach some links about Lucerne so you can decide for yourself. Many find Lucerne to be too busy and there are A LOT of tourists. However, I like Lucerne and each city has it’s own individual charm:

    The train ride from Lucerne to Zurich airport is only 1 hour and 10 minutes. I will attach the train time table for you:

    2. My own preference is Mount Rigi but that is just me. Everyone has their own opinions and it’s difficult to say which one you should visit. I will attach some links of each of the mountains. Please look at the photos and the altitudes. If you bring your toddler see if they will be okay with the altitude change. Some children and even adults can’t cope with the altitude adjustments. Sorry, don’t be to worry you, just something for you to consider.

    Mount Rigi:

    Mount Pilatus:

    Mount Titlis:

    3. This depends on how your flight goes with your toddler. The train from Zurich airport to Interlaken is about 2 hours and 11 minutes. The trains and the railway office is in the airport. The transportation system is easy to get around in Switzerland. I think it should be possible with 2 adults and a toddler to go from flight to your destination point. I would highly recommend bringing one of those toddler backpack carriers. It’s a convenient to use when you are here. If you bring a stroller, bring the lightest and the most compact one you have. Your child can fall asleep in there when he/she is tired, and it’s nice to have the extra storage space that is under the seat of the stroller.

    Interlaken information:

    4. I definitely would recommend traveling by train throughout your 3 days in Switzerland. If you decide to get the Saver Day Pass, you should get the Swiss Half Fare Card in combination because you will get addition savings on top. The disadvantages of the Saver Day Pass is: you have to make sure you will travel on that date (for example, poor weather) and you need plan your trip ahead of time. It doesn’t include discounts on mountain railways either.

    Here is a link to help you decide which rail pass to get:

    Saver Day Pass:

    Swiss Half Fare Card:

    Overall, a 3 day Swiss Travel Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass) might still be the better option. In any case it’s the easiest and most flexible solution by far.

    Train timetable:

    I hope this helps.

    Best regards,

    Suzanne

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    23 October 2019 at 16:58:57 #924092

    Hi Suzanne

    Thanks for your reply.

    1. As you said pretty much all of Zurich will be closed on the 26th. Do you think its worth going to Lucerne rather than go around Zurich on 26th. I was thinking may be we can return on the 28th afternoon and stay that night in Zurich before flying out on 29th morning.

    2. If I stay in Lucerne on 26th-27th night. I was thinking of going to Interlaken on the 27th from Lucerne as that trip is little shorter than going to Interlaken from Zurich. Do you think it will be too much to expect from a 3 day trip?

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    23 October 2019 at 18:51:14 #924093

    Hello agptmd,

    Thanks for your questions!

    1. I would personally going directly to Lucerne on December 26th instead of staying in Zurich on that day. Switzerland can feel like a ghost town when nothing is open. Lucerne is open because it is considered a “tourist town” therefore majority of the shops there are open.

    You could always go to Zurich the night before you leave. Mind you the train ride from Lucerne to Zurich is just under 1 hour, one way.

    2. You could definitely go to Interlaken from Lucerne on December 27th. It’s not too much to expect for your 3 day trip. I would recommend looking at the train time table at https://www.myswissalp s.com/timetable and even downloading the app on your phone.

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    24 October 2019 at 17:54:32 #924094

    Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate your help with planning my itinerary. So below is what I am thinking.

    Reach on 26th morning Zurich -> Take train to Lucerne -> Check out Lucerne walk around/Rest -> 27th December go to Mt. Titlis/Rigi -> 28th December Day trip to Zurich or Interlaken ->29th Depart

    Is there any way to go on a scenic train route?

    What do you think about this itinerary with a young son.

    Best Regards,

    Ankit

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    24 October 2019 at 18:33:23 #924095

    Hello agptmd,

    Thanks for your question! I am happy to help.

    Your above itinerary looks good to me, and certainly possible with your young son. If you are at Mount Titlis or Mount Rigi and your young son starts crying for no reason, it could they don’t feel well because of the altitude change. I mention this just so you are aware of it.

    That is a good idea if you want to take a scenic train ride, especially since you don’t have too much time in Switzerland. I would recommend doing that on December 28th on your itinerary. In that case, go to Interlaken because the train ride along the way is beautiful because you will see Lake Thun.

    Lake Thun:

    I hope that helps!

    Best regards,

    Suzanne

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    24 October 2019 at 19:03:34 #924096

    Hi Suzanne

    Thanks for letting me know of the things need to know when traveling at altitude. You mentioned the train ride from Lucerne to Interlaken is quite scenic. Do you think we would have some time to fit in a few hours of sightseeing in Zurich. I know its tight but don’t want to miss looking around Zurich a bit.

    Also you had previously mentioned to get the 3 day Swiss Travel pass. Because we arrive on 26th and leave on 29th, would it be valid for travel the last day when we go back to the airport?

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    24 October 2019 at 19:08:10 #924097

    Also, do you think Tell pass will be cheaper and better than the 3 day Swiss travel pass as we will mostly stay in the Lucerne area?

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    24 October 2019 at 20:23:27 #924098

    Hello agptmd,

    Thanks for your questions!

    From Lucerne you could take the train to Interlaken and then head to Zurich. Just start off your day early and factor in what time you would like to be in Zurich. Please refer to the train timetable I attached in previous messages to calculate the travel times.

    On your first post, question 4, you wrote this: “What is the best way to travel? Swiss Travel Pass seems a overkill to me. I was thinking of the Saver Day Pass, but not sure if thats the best way to go.” Sorry, I’m merely correcting what was stated in previous comments. Thus, in response to your question about the “3 day Swiss Travel Pass,” it would not cover the day you leave (Dec. 29) if you already used the pass on the day you arrive (Dec. 26). However, if you changed your mind and you’re now thinking of getting the Swiss Travel Pass, there is a 4 day one: https://www.myswissalp s.com/swisstravelpass. This would definitely cover your time in Switzerland!

    I hope that clears things up.

    Best regards,
    Suzanne

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    24 October 2019 at 20:41:02 #924099

    Do you know anything about the Tell pass? I read on a few forums and mentioned it as good option for Lucerne area

    Slowpoke
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    25 October 2019 at 0:44:05 #924100

    <<“Can we take the train back to the airport on the 29th morning straight from Lucerne and not be late for our flight? “..

    It would be helpful if we knew the time of your flight.

    Slowpoke

    rockoyster
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    25 October 2019 at 0:50:27 #924101

    For details of the Tell Pass see http://www.myswissalps.com/te llpasswinter.

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    25 October 2019 at 18:00:55 #924102

    Our flight leaves Zurich on 29th at 11:45 AM

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    25 October 2019 at 18:01:11 #924103

    Thanks for the info

    Anna
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    25 October 2019 at 19:59:49 #924104

    Hi agptmd,

    For more details about the Tell Pass Winter, you can look it up at the following links, which Rockoyster had kindly shared in an earlier post. This Pass is ideal if your trip involves mainly exploring Lucerne and the surrounding areas (otherwise known collectively as Central Switzerland).

    If you decide to get the Tell Pass over the Swiss Travel Pass, please be aware this pass doesn’t cover your journey from and to Zurich. You would have to buy separate tickets and in this case, you could consider getting the point-to-point tickets. A single ticket Zurich – Lucerne would roughly cost CHF30 per person.

    And since you mentioned you would really like to see a bit of Zurich, I suggest you do this on the first day (26th) before you continue your journey to your hotel in Lucerne. As your flight arrives in the morning and you probably don’t need to check-in until later in the afternoon, that gives you some free time in between to do a little tour of Zurich. It might be a ghost town on the 26th but I think it’s better to walk around without the crowds 🙂 It’s not a big city. You could do a quick walkabout in about an hour. Trains from the Zurich Main Station to Lucerne leaves regularly and takes less than 1 hour.

    Best regards,

    rockoyster
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    25 October 2019 at 20:26:31 #924105

    With an 11:45 flight you should have no problems reaching the airport from Luzern but try to get there at least 2 hours before you flight time. The direct (no change at Zurich HB) IR75 trains are probably best. Zurich is a complex station with many platforms.

    For a recommended walking tour of Zurich see http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/zurich.

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    28 October 2019 at 20:25:57 #924106

    Hi again

    For our first day. We are reaching 6:25 AM in the morning. I believe we should be able to finish the immigration and get the baggage within the next 2 hours. We should be ready to leave the airport with our bags by 9 AM. We may try to grab some quick breakfast before we head out. Our hotel check in is at 2 PM. I feel we would be wasting the day if we just spend the time in Lucerne. I was thinking of doing a day trip to one of the mountains around Lucerne, possibly Mt. Rigi (as it is the smallest amongst the three – Rigi, Pilatus and Titlis). This will help us access how our son does with the altitude. If after doctors’ recommendation, we decide to do another mountain we can choose to go to Titlis or Pilatus the next day. Is it reasonable to have this in the itinerary?

    rockoyster
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    28 October 2019 at 20:36:18 #924107

    If your plane is on time there is a good chance you will be in Luzern by 9:00am so a trip to Rigi is certainly feasible. Rigi is not really much of a test of altitude tolerance though.

    Try to catch a direct (no change at Zurich HB) train. The airport station is straight forward but the main Zurich station is complicated will be very busy at that time of the morning.

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    28 October 2019 at 20:49:00 #924108

    If the flight is one time and as you said, Rigi is not much of a altitude test should we try doing Pilatus instead. Just want to be sure that our 16 month old son would not have any altitude sickness. Also, because we are flying out on 29th at 11:45 would it be possible to just walk around Zurich a bit to explore a city (may be for an hour). I am finding it hard to figure out what would be the best way to explore Zurich a little bit. We will have luggage too. I was thinking of keeping luggage at the airport and only have 1 luggage as we will have our baby. too. Are the large unattended lockers big enough to store two big checked in bags? I couldn’t find any info on the website. Can we be too ambitious, store the 2/3 bags at airport carry 1 bag, go to Zurich city center get down walk around a bit head out to Lucerne say around 1030. Reach hotel by noon. Have lunch rest and head out for Pilatus/Rigi?

    rockoyster
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    28 October 2019 at 21:28:50 #924109

    If you want to walk around Zurich then I’d suggest leaving your bags at Zurich main station. Otherwise you would need to back track the Airport to collect them. There are lockers and a left luggage office at Zurich HB. You can find a map of the station at http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/railway-stations/shopville-zuerich-main-station.html.

    You will find a suggested walking route at http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/zurich.

    Personally I would get straight to the hotel at Luzern, drop the bags off there and then decide on Rigi or Pilatus based on the weather conditions and how you are feeling after the flight. I wouldn’t place a 1-hour walk around Zurich at the top of my priority list.

    Everyone is going to have different objectives so you’ll have to decide what’s best for you and what you want to experience.

    Here’s a trip report I made after a visit to Luzern in 2017.

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