Train Zurich-Lucerne-Bellagio via Gotthard route?

My research still leaves me confused. We fly into. Zurich from the US in September and would like to travel directly from the airport to Lucerne via train. We plan to spend 4 nights in Lucerne with a couple of possible day trips in that area and then move on to Bellagio. My husband and I are both in our early 70's (if that matters).

My questions:

1. I am thinking that any of the Swiss discount ticket options would not be very helpful to us since our travel is fairly limited--or am I incorrect about that?

2. We would like to take a scenic train ride between Lucerne and Belllagio. It seems that the Bernini Express does not make sense for us so we are thinking the route of the Gothard Express but have been told that there are very acceptable options for the same route--that there are nicer ships and that other options allow for more flexibility rather than booking the Gothard Express specifically. I have not been able to figure out exactly how we would do that--what ships, what trains, how to purchase, etc.

3. Are there any of these tickets that we should purchase ahead of time online rather than waiting until we are in Europe and trying to figure tings out at that time.

Thank you for any insight you may be able to share!

Mary

Hi Mary,

If you are planning to do day trips during your 4 days stay in Lucerne, you might want to consider getting the Tell Pass. It's a regional railpass covering the Lake Lucerne area and most part of Central Switzerland. The pass provides free travelling on public transport as well as selected mountain transportations. Have a look at the validity map here: www.myswissalps.com/tellpass/validity

I agree with you that it might be more sensible to travel from Lucerne to Bellagio via Lugano. In this case, the Gotthard Panorama Express would be a great option if you'd like to incorporate a panoramic train ride into your itinerary. The GPE route is described in detail here: www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/gettingthere

You can also travel on the same route with the regular trains. You can use the SBB timetable to check train schedules and plan you journey.

You can buy most your tickets in advance. But if you have a railpass you might not need tickets for each trip. Find more details here: www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland.

Information about tickets to Italy here: www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Anna

Hi Mary,

In addition to Anna's tips: you can find the several options to travel on the Gotthard route under "Regular trains and boats versus the official Gotthard Panorama Express" at www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress. That might help you choose.

If you don't use the Gotthard Panorama Express train and boat, you can check boat schedules for Lake Lucerne through the link under "Information on other websites" at www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne/gettingthere.

Both of these replies have been very helpful to me. I will make the time to research all this information and circle back if I have any follow up questions. Thank you so much!