Lucerne – Fluelen – Rigi – Villars by boat/train

  • Removed user
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    10 June 2016 at 12:30:32 #809409

    Good day admin

    I would like to know if it is possible to do the following in one day at the end of July. And hopefully on a clear sunny day.

    -Boat from Lucerne 8 o’clock to Fluelen then

    -Train to Arch

    -Up to Rigi mountain

    -Down by ‘train’ to Vitzau and then

    -back to Lucerne by boat.

    -From Lucerne we must travel back to Aigle before 7 o’clock because last train to Villars-sur-ollon(home) is at 7:30.

    We going to buy a swiss travel pass 2nd class. Must we upgrade to 1st class if we want to go all the way down to Fluelen.

    Thanks for all the helpful tips in this forum

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    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    11 June 2016 at 7:08:30 #852927

    Hi heystkc-

    Welcome to My Swiss Alps;

    I think you mean Arth-Goldau not “Arch” ?

    You can use the timetable to find your answer and routings.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

    You may have to break the search into two or three parts, in order to force first part of the trip to use the lake boat.

    I made a start, using “Advanced Search” to get multiple “via” connections.

    I did not have time to do the whole trip exactly as you state it.

    I found that it takes about 8 hours to Aigle if you use a train from Luzern direct to Arth Goldau at the start. I did not go further in my search, but I estimate boat to Flüelen +train to Arth Goldau would add about 3 hours or more, depending on connections.. That makes it extremely tight and requires very careful and thorough use of the time table.

    Let us know if you cannotfigure it out.

    Slowpoke

    Annika
    Moderator
    7103 posts
    11 June 2016 at 8:00:21 #852928

    Hi heystekc,

    You should be able to manage this if you leave Lucerne no later than 16h00, as even the quickest connections to Aigle take more than 2h45. There are quite some options to cut down on your traveling times, e.g. by not crossing the entire Lake Lucerne all the way south to Flüelen. A trip up to the Rigi, combined with a shorter boat trip over the lake, may be just as rewarding. You’ll be able to figure out all options using the timetable mentioned above, plus the information listed at our Lake Lucerne and Rigi pages. Links to specific boat and cog train timetables can be found on those pages too.

    Most boats at Lake Lucerne offer both 2nd and 1st class decks, so upgrading to 1st class with a 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass isn’t required. You may still like it though, as July is tourist high season and especially 2nd class decks can be quite crowded. Please refer to this page too. You can decide on the spot, by buying an upgrade ticket at the ticket counter on board.

    Purchase options for the Swiss Travel Pass are listed here. I’d recommend to get print at home passes from http://www.swissrailways.com/ en.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    11 June 2016 at 14:20:36 #852929

    Hi heytekc –

    Annika has suggested one possible alteration in your journey. It would result in your using the same boat route twice, but, other wise is a very scenic and more relaxed option.

    If you would like to spend a little tiome to consider alternatives, there are enough travel options around the lake that you could figure out many possible combinations.

    It is somewhat like doing a jigsaw puzzle, but you can fit the pieces together in many different ways.

    Use timetable, plus this map:

    map.search.ch/?x=23832m&y=16656m&z=8& poi=bergbahn,haltestel le,zug

    In the menus on the map I have turned on symbols for public transportation. If they are too confusing, select points of interest, then traffic and uncheck the boxes.

    All parts of the lake are beautiful, but I prefer the southernmost part, the Urner See.

    For some images of the area, please see this link:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne

    I find it helpful to look at the boat schedules separately from the timetable, even though you can make the timetable show the boat journeys. For boat schedules on Lake Lucerne and some maps ( I recall) see this link:

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

    Note that there are several different routes and combinations available.

    One idea, out of many possibilities, is to travel from Luzern to Flüelen by train. Catch a lake boat to Vitznau and then finish your journey by going up to the Rigi from Vitznau and descending via cog rail to Rigi Kaltbad and cable car to the Weggis valley station, followed by a 10-15 minute walk downhill to the boat dock at Weggis, with a boat back to Luzern. That covers almost all of the lake boat route; you would only miss a very short stretch between Vitznau and Weggis. I think you could put that together within your time constraints and see all of the sights you wish to see, except the trip up to the Rigi from Arth-Goldau. In my opinion. that is the least scenic of the three options. The critical timing would be to get the boat from Flüelen to Vitznau.

    Her is another, slightly more complicated option.

    Take the train to Flüelen, boat to Brunnnen. Shuttle bus or ten minute walk from lake boat dock at Brunnen to Brunnen train station. Short train ride to Arth-Goldau, then finish your journey as originally planned. I think that can fit within your time constraints, too. You miss the short stretch of the lake boat ride from Brunnen to Vitznau, That is abit more than yu miss on the first route that I suggested.

    Both of those ideas depend on making good connections with no more than short delays. Check them with the timetable. I did not do so, but I estimate that they should work. The only way to be sure is to work through them with the timetable. They both save time because they eliminate taking the lake boat on the northern part twice in two directions; they only take it once.

    In any case, Annika’s advice about being back in Luzern by 1600 is a good target for any travel plan around the lake.

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    12 June 2016 at 15:24:37 #852930

    Hi Heystekc-

    I spent a little time with the time tables.

    Here is my suggestion. There are certainly other ways to go, but this fits your time constraints. You definitely have to catch a 1600 train from Luzern.

    I checked the schedues on a week day- July 27th; sometimes there are extra lake boat circuits on weekends. Did not check.

    Take the 0818 train from Luzern to Flüelen, arrive at 0914. There is a note about possible delays due to track work on that train. You may choose the 0740 train if you are extra cautious. I’d check with the tourist office by track #1 in Luzern main station to see, but I’d be surprised if the delays on the 0818 would cause you to miss the next connection.

    Take the 0946 boat from Flüelen(See) – which is the lake boat landing one minute walk from the train station – and arrive at Vitznau at 1148. (“der See” means”the lake” in German.)

    Walk 50 meters to the train and take the 1215 cograil train to Rigi Kulm, arriving at Rigi Kulm at 1247.

    From Rigi Kulm you have 3 obvious choices for your return.

    1.- return to Vitznau departing at 1400, arriving Luzernbahnhofquai at 1547, in time for the 1600 departure to Aigle. That permits completion of the entire lake boat trip from one end of the lake to the other.

    2.- Return via Arth Goldau departing at 1404, arriving Luzern at 1541. Not as scenic, does not complete the boat ride.

    3.- Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad by cograil at 1300. if you wait for 1400, you can’t get to Luzern in time. You have 13 minutes at Rigi Kulm.

    Luftseilbahn ( cable car) from Rigi Kaltbad…at 1340 … to Weggis bottom station, 15 minute walk to Weggis Schiffstation at about 1405. Just miss the 1405 boat – wave at it as it leaves.

    Bad connection timings along this route means that you cannot wait for the 1400 departure from Rigi Kulm. At Weggis Schiff station you may wait almost an hour for the boat to Luzern at 1505 which will get you there at 1547.

    Or, you make take the 1435 bus to Küssnacht am Rigi at 1453, , pick up a train to Luzern at 1500, and arrive at Luzern at 1520

    Disadvantage – no time at Rigi Kulm. Bad connection timings.

    Advantage – Luftseilbahn from Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis is very scenic. Pickup boat and complete almost all of the lake boat journey.

    Use a map to track these options:

    map.search.ch/?x=22232m&y=14096m&z=8

    Not sure where/how you would et lunch on these various routes. Maybe pick up sandwiches in Luzern before you leave, or eat on the boat from Vitznau. The schedule has the synbol for “minibar’ which means sandwiches, drinks, snacks are available .

    Your thoughts?

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    13 June 2016 at 5:07:18 #852931

    Thanks allot Annika and Slowpoke for your input.

    I did take parts of both of yours ideas and change the route for that day.

    Thanks for this forum it is a BIG help!

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    13 June 2016 at 8:02:25 #852932

    Hi heystekc-

    You are more than welcome.

    If you did not already do so, please double check your final route plan against the timetable.

    Have you already stayed at Villars before?

    It has a special meaning for me, as I stayed there on my first tourist visit to Switzerland.

    I recall the train ride up from Bex. The train from Geneva was “normal” for me, but the mountain train up the valley to Villars was a totally new experience. We were amazed.

    That was a long time ago.

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    13 June 2016 at 10:10:16 #852933

    Hi Slowpoke

    No we have never been there. The house belong to a friend of my sister. I have been to Switzerland before but did not stay in one place like we going to do now. So planning is a big part of the day. We going to travel everyday and came back to Villars.

    I will double check the timetable every day.

    Thanks again for the help

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    15 June 2016 at 6:13:16 #852934

    Good day admin

    I just want to understand the boat trips in Lucerne.

    What I can see is that the trip from Lucerne to Fluelen and it go on to Locarno is called the Wilhelm Tel trip.

    Do this boat stop anywhere or does it go straight to Fluelen.

    Then is there other boats that stop at multiple cities for ex Brunned, Herttenstein, Meggen, Tellsplate and whole lot more. So that you can hop of and on as you like.

    Can you for instance get on at Lucern hop of at Beckenried, Will there be a boat to take you to say Fluelen spend time there and then take a boat to Brunnen or Vitznau and continue to Rigi Mt down to Weggis and catch a boat back to Lucerne.

    This is just a scenario if you want to do something like that

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    15 June 2016 at 7:20:48 #852935

    Hi heystekc,

    There are many options. You’d better take a look at the timetable. There’s a link under “More on other websites” on myswissalps.com/ boatlakelucerne.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    15 June 2016 at 8:28:05 #852936

    Thanks i’ve got it.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    15 June 2016 at 8:39:36 #852937

    Hi heystkc-

    The hop on hop off scenario that you describe ( and others) are possible.

    The thing to watch out for is that the boats are nowhere near as frequent as the trains. Since most boat landings have some form of food and drink available, you can always stop and relax while waiting for a boat.

    And, late in the day, schedules become infrequent. Most locations, but not all have some kind of bus or train backup. However, if you wish to hike near a boat landing late in the afternoon, be careful that you can get to some form of operating public transport. Going up those hills, or coming down, can be a bit slow.

    This link might interest you:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne

    Many of the walks near Lake Lucerne may be a bit of stretch if Villars is your base. That 1600 departure from Luzern in order to get to Aigle in time for the last train to Villars is quite limiting. Lots of work for the timetable 😉

    And, in addition to the regular SBB time table, the timetable specifically for the lake boats will show you with quite a bit of detail that there are several routes or circuits:

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

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    15 June 2016 at 9:00:32 #852938

    Thanks Slowpoke

    We did reconsider our day to Lucerne and deside to stay 2 nights in Lucerne. I think time wise it will work better.

    We are looking at all the time tables. It is quit a time consuming thing to sort out all the boat/train time tables. But that is part of the fun.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    15 June 2016 at 9:12:43 #852939

    <<“It is quit a time consuming thing to sort out all the boat/train time tables. But that is part of the fun.”>>

    It certainly is, both of those things.

    I started doing it when on-line timetables were not readily available. Have you ever seen the three books with all of the timetables for all public transport in Switzerland? Two for buses – yellow – and one for trains, cableways, boats – blue? They are each about 5 cm. thick.

    In those days, you had to go to the Swiss Tourism office and collect paper brochures from various towns and villages to see where the hotels were located. I had to go into Manhattan, from the suburbs.

    I find that a map showing train/ bus/ boat stops is useful, and i use this map for that kind of work:

    map.search.ch/?x=17912m&y=18352m&z=16 &poi=bergbahn,halteste lle,zug

    I have turned on those symbols under “Points of Interest.”

    Glad to hear that you will spend time in Luzern.

    There is a lot to do in the area….more timetable work…;-)

    Slowpoke

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