Train stations to get the boat to Weggis

We are coming from Munich to Lucerne and was wondering what train station do we need to go to in order to get the boat to head to our hotel. We are staying at the Hotel ALPENBLICK in Weggis. Also can anyone recommend anything that would be great to do for a day? Thank you!

Hi Becky,

My colleague already answered this question through e-mail. This is what she wrote:

"There are no ships on the direct route, but you could travel to Brunnen or Flüelen by train and take a boat to Lucerne from there: http://www.myswissalps .com/ boatlakelucerne

The boats, and the trains within Switzerland, are free if you have a Swiss Travel Pass: http://www.myswissalps .com/ swisstravelpass"

This applies to both Lucerne and Weggis, which are different towns on the same lake. Please feel free to let us know if you have any other question.

Thank you, I have been trying to figure out if buying the eurail global pass is what we need or just to buy our tickets at each country. We will be in Munich for 4 days and then Switzerland for 5 and then flying to Veinna for six. I want to buy the best pass/tickets for the best price. I want to purchase in advance and not worry about any transport once we get to Germany. One less thing not to worry about :) thank you so much for your quick repsonse! Becky

Hi Becky,

The best pass depends on what exactly you plan to do. If you just stay in the city of Munich I am sure there is a city pass, although I don't have any details about that. If you do longer day trips, a Eurail Select Pass might be handy. Note that Eurail passes do not include buses, transport within cities and not a lot of mountain transport either. You can compare passes here:

• myswissalps.com/ eurailselectpass
• myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpass
• myswissalps.com/ tellpass
• myswissalps.com/train/ ticketspasses/ practical/ chooserailpass

If you want an additional scenic train ride, then take the train to Vienna instead of flying: myswissalps.com/ traintickets/austria.

Hi Becky-

In addition to what Arno wrote, there is a bus that runs along the lake shore from Brunnen to Küssnacht am Rigi. It connects with the train station at each end. it is likely faster than the boat, but less scenic.

This map will help you:

map.search.ch/?pos=685184,210944&z=16 &poi=haltestelle,zug

I have used the menu under Points of Interest to turn on Traffic and checked train and bus stops, so you can see them on the map. Zoom in and out.

This link to the map shows that your hotel is halfway between two bus stops (Weggis Dörfli and Weggis Parkseehaus). It is about 450 meters from the Schiffstation, uphill:

map.search.ch/Alpenbli ck-Hotel-Restaurant,Weggis,Luze rnerstr.31?poi=haltestelle,zug&po s=675494,209486&z=256

Lake Boats -

The boats to Weggis indeed can be reached from the train station at Flüelen (close to boat dock) or at Brunnen ( 10-15 minute easy walk ors huttle bus from train station.

Coming the other direction ( southbound) on the boats, certain boats from Luzern stop at Weggis. The ship landing at Luzern is a 2-3 minute walk from the railhead, out the main doors and across the plaza.

This link gives all the boats on Lake Lucerne ( der Vierwaldstättersee):

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

Note that there are several routes on the lake.

There is a map somewhere on that site.

Timetable:

To understand the timing and station stops (and even route maps, down in the menus after a journey is selected) use the timetable. It will get you from Germany ( e.g., München) to any public transport stop in Switzerland, including bus stops. It includes all public transport in Switzerland, including boats, cableways, etc.

Unless forced by selection of a "Via" or "Connection" it defaults to the fastest route.

It has a LOT of information and can take a while to understand the details buried in the menus.

Please read the instruction at this link. They are very useful:

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

I have attached a screen grab for a trip from München Hbf to Weggis Dòrfli bus stop near your hotel. ( I misspelled Dörfli in the title of the file....ooops.)

<<"Also can anyone recommend anything that would be great to do for a day? Thank you!">>

What are your interests? When are you traveling?

Luzern has a lot:

Apart from the obvious and famous, one of the best museums in the world for Picassos and Klees is the Rosengart collection, 3 minutes from the main station.

www.rosengart.ch/museu m_rosengart_en.php5

The tourist information office by track 1 at Luzern main station is very helpful and the staff really know their stuff.

Look here-

www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne

The Rigi -

The Rigi is easily accessible, although it is a 10-15 minute uphill walk from your hotel to the lower station ( "Talstation" (valley station) ) of the cableway ( Luftseilbahn, LSB) The LSB goes up to Rigi Kaltbad-First. It connects with the cog rail train from Vitznau to/from Rigi Kulm. (Kulm is related to the English word "culmination" and means the top or the finish or the end. Usually, the top of a mountain .)

www.myswissalps.com/ri gi

Are you hikers? Ages of your party?

Some nice pictures toward the end in this link:www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne

I've attached a couple of pictures of the lake shore one shows Weggis at the foot of the Rigi) taken from Hammetschwand, on Bürgenstock, as well as one one of Bürgenstock from Luzern.

Slowpoke

Hi Becky-

There is excellent train service from Switzerland to/from Vienna West.

"Railjet" service of Austrian Railroads from Zürich takes 8 hours, and deposits you right in the heart of Vienna. Overall, probably not as fast as flying, but sometimes there are special fares....often fully booked....

Check the time table.

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

And, Vienna is closer to Münich than is Switzerland.

Slowpoke

Wow, thanks Slowpoke! That is a great deal of information that we can use. I have been looking at the rail passes almost all last week and this weekend and just trying to figure out if buying a rail pass is the best or do we just book our point to point with the trips we know for sure that we are taking. We will be in Munich for 4 days and want to go and see the castles on one of those days and then just hang around the city for the other three, unless someone can tell me if there is anything that we should really go and see while we are in Munich other than the castles that require train passes for. We are going from Munich to Luceren and then from Lucerne to Montreux, for a day and over night trip. We were thinking of doing the Golden Pass to take us from Lucerne to Montreux, it is suppose to be very pretty ride but it's a slow way to go and is it really worth it or should we just take a faster train to Montreux? We are going there for a festival that happens every year there in October. Then we are going to take a train from Montreux to Geneva for a couple of days and understand that there are trains running all the time and it should not be a problem to get a train that morning to head to Genea. Then we are flying from Geneva to Vienna, thought it would be a lot faster and then we have our 6 days in Vienna. We are for sure going to do a day trip from Vienna to Salzburg and then a day trip from Vienna to Budapest so i thought we should purchase those trips point to point and we know the dates. But still, would the eurail pass still come in handy with these travels or should be just use the local transport in each city to get around?

Thank you so much if anyone could help me with getting the passes. I like to have this all taken care of before leaving and not worrying about our transportation when we arrive. This will make it a better vacation with less worries about how and what we need to do. Have it all done! Thank you again for your replies and it helps us plan our trip!!!! Have a pleasant day :)

I have to apologize if I post this again, it's been a rough morning!

Becky

Hi Becky,

Definitely take the Golden Pass route. It would be a shame not to see it! I can't help with tips for Vienna and Munich. As for the best (cheapest) pass: there is no other way than listing all your trips and doing the math as explained on myswissalps.com/ train/ticketspasses/ practical/ chooserailpass. If this takes too much time then simply pick the Swiss Half Fare Card and buy tickets as you go, or the Swiss Travel Pass which includes most trips, so no tickets needed. You can forget about the Tell-Pass I mentioned earlier as I did't knew you were also going to Montreux.

Both the Swiss Half Fare Card and Swiss Travel Pass are easy to purchase in advance: go to www.swissrailways.com/ en and enter the number of passengers and your address. Then pick the "Online Ticket" delivery option from the bottom of the list. They will e-mail your pass in 1-3 business days so you can print it at home and use it immediately upon arrival.

Hi Becky-

<<"Then we are going to take a train from Montreux to Geneva for a couple of days and understand that there are trains running all the time and it should not be a problem to get a train that morning to head to Genea.">>

Please use the timetable before you go and get used to it, You will find it extremely valuable once you are there.

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

Slowpoke

Thank you again for your help! I can't wait to start our adventure! It's going to be amazing.

Becky

Hi Becky.

Glad to help.

Do you have any specific interests....hiking, museums, ????

Slowpoke

We are pretty much open. I like to do a lot of things. I will have to ask my friend if she wants to hike. I would like to do some hiking. We both like museums. We just have really one full day in Lucerne and want to make the best of it. Then we are off to montruex for the festival.

Mount Rigi (myswissalps.com/rigi) offers good views and various very easy walking trails. A good option if you have just one day. The trip is free with a Swiss Travel Pass.

I have another question. We are looking into going to Mont Blanc. Do we have to take a tour or can we catch a train and go on our own? Would the tour be better? Just wondering, we would like to go while we have a day in Geneva. Is it worth the trip to see?

Thank you!

Becky

Hi Becky,

You can do it on your own or book a tour, that's a matter of personal preference. In this case transportation would be easier and quicker with a tour (direct coach to Chamonix). If you go on your own you can opt for the longer but scenic train trip via Martigny and Vallorcine.

You'll find several tours here: myswissalps.com/ geneva/activities.

Thank you Arno. I have been looking and think we will do the tour. Your information was very helpful. Just got to nail down our train pass verse point to point. Think I'm getting better at it🙆. Just want to have it done. I am founding that some of the connections from Lucerne to Montreux are slim pickings. So I think we should get our golden pass soon. Thanks again for everything! Have a wonderful weekend.

Becky

<<"I am founding that some of the connections from Lucerne to Montreux are slim pickings.">>

I think I do not understand that...perhaps you are speaking of reservations in the special cars?

Otherwise, there will always be seats.

Slowpoke

Hi Becky,

I'm not sure what you mean here, but Golden Pass is a train route, not something to buy. A Swiss Travel Pass gets you on all trains. You don't need anything else.

myswissalps.com/ goldenpass/ tickets

Good morning,

I am sorry for using our american slang. I should have said when looking at the connections on the Golden Pass from Lucerne to Montreux some of stops like in Zweisimmen have few trains leaving from the station and you have to plan to make sure you don't miss your next train. I hope that makes sense now. They didn't have a lot to choose from. Like I mentioned, I am trying to get this down better. I thought that I had to purchase each stop separte from Luceren to Montreux. I am learning. I thought it would be better to purchase the tickets so we don't have to worry about getting them there and they seem to be better priced if we do so.

Sorry again for not being clear to you both. You both have been very kind and helpful. Have a wonderful weekend!

Becky

Hi Becky,

No problem :-) As for the train schedules: there are hourly trains on the entire route, perhaps an occasional 90 minute gap here and there. All trains connect within 10 minutes or so if you do the entire trip without breaks. You can find all of that in the timetable Slowpoke referred to.

As for tickets: you don't need any with a Swiss Travel Pass. If you choose the Swiss Half Fare Card you simply purchase tickets before you board, or whenever is convenient for you. Prices don't change.