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Hello! This is our first time in Switzerland and we are staying 3 days in Lucerne and 2 days in Basel. We arrive at Zurich but depart the same day to Lucerne. Please tell us what you recommend we see and if we should get a swiss rail pass. We are excited about our trip!
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Please tell us what types of things you like doing. Are you interested in hiking, or going to museums? Or perhaps serious mountain climbing, or paragliding, or sledding? Or just looking at the scenery from a train?
Hi MimiG,
To help get you started, have a look at our suggested activities for those towns first:
https://www.myswissalp s.com/lucerne/activiti es
https://www.myswissalp s.com/basel/activitiesAlso be sure to read through our list of activities for all of Switzerland, so you can see where you might like to travel to from those towns: https://www.myswissalp s.com/activities
As pvonk says, please tell us your interests so we could suggest something you might like. 🙂
Once you know where you are going each day, you can then decide on the best rail pass for your trip.
https://www.myswissalp s.com/train/ticketspas ses/practical/choosera ilpass
Don’t miss the Swiss Transport Museum at Lucerne. An amazing collection from the Penny Farthing to Space Travel, just brilliant. https://www.myswissalp s.com/museumoftranspor t
Wallaby
I am intetested in nature but not able to hike long distances , we can definetly walk half an hour or so. Would like to see the country but not long trips such as going all the way to Jungfrau. As far as museums go it would have to be a very good one mostly intrestred on outdoor views.
Thank you , Lucas, I was hoping to get suggestions from you because I have read your posts. I am interested in short trips to see the scenery and get to know the country. We can walk but are not hikers or mountainclimbers. We love nature and enjoy brisk walks. We are looking forward to cooler temperature after being in Florida summer!
Thank you I will definitely try to see it. I am glad you recommend it. I am still confused about “tourist type trains” It seems some of those 5 hour train rides are too long to try to get back on the same day. I would prefer to take shorter rides get off train walk around the town because we have to return to our hotel in Lucerne. What do you suggest? Thank you!
Lucas, perhaps you or someone in forum can recommend which train rides are best because it seems to me that even if views are lovely I do not want to be in a train 5 and a half hours each way. I am staying in Lucerne and would return to my hotel each day in Lucerne so please help me decide what is best. I chose three days in Lucerne thinking it was a good central & lovely city. Was that wise move? I am not interested in doing things that are very touristy or crowded. I would rather have a true experience of the country. Thank you much!
Hi Mimi,
A day trip to Mount Rigi definitely qualifies as a lovely shorter train trip from Lucerne. Easy to combine with a boat ride. When will you be in Lucerne?
By the way, if a scenic train trip takes 5 hours it doesn’t always mean that the way back takes the same amount of time. If you would take the Gotthard Panorama Express to Bellinzona for example, there are express trains back to Lucerne.
Rigi and the Lake Luzern boat ride as Arno mentions are great ideas.
Look at the Voralpen Express to St. Gallen. I talk about about doing part of the trip from Zurich here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/forum/topic/st-gallen-voralpen-express-from-zurich – but it is direct from Lucerne so much easier.
Also the Zugerberg is nice, easy and close; as is a trip to Solothurn (haven’t been but heard great things).
Hi Mimi –
When are you traveling?
Why did you pick Basel?
If short level walks appeal, you could walk along he lake shore at Luzern from the Transport Museum back to the center of the Old Town. And, you can get to the transport museum by one of the many lake boats, leaving from the docks near the main station.
I’ve been thinking about my favorite walks near Luzern, and essentially all f them…even the shortest …have significant altitude changes. The Swiss don’t seem to notice that when they are walking, but I do. 😉
If you live in Florida, a ride on the lake boats on Lake Luzern will remind you that there are some vertical elements to a landscape. You could also walk the shore trail ( level) between Weggis and Vitznau, as part of a Rigi trip.
Slowpoke
Great advice! I will look into your great recommendations . I see now the return may not take as long as the scenic ride up. There are so many options it is good to get help to discern what is best. My husband and I will arrive at the begining of Sept. We are going to Basel because we are taking a river cruise. Should we stay in Basel only the night before? Should we just arrive to Basel the day of the cruise?As students we lived in Spain and love Europe. Thank you!
Hi Mimi-
Lucas gave you a link describing Basel. I really like the heavy dose of art museums there. Not to mention the Tinguely water-sculpture.
http://www.basel.com/en/Media /Attractions/Sightseei ng/Tinguely-Fountain
Not my idea of a first choice for a nfirst visit to Switzerland, however, but the only way to decide is to study the information provided.
When are you traveling. approximately?
Slowpoke
I would love to see as much as possible and after hearing Basel would not be a first choice I am thinking of staying in Basel only one night and going to Interlaken from Lucerne and staying there one night. Is that a good idea ? Any recomended hotels in Interlaken and or in Basel? May I take train on same day that we are to depart on river cruise if I travel from Interlaken to Basel by train? How long is the trip? Thank you for your help, Carmen
Hi Carmen,
Interlaken to Basel is about 2 hours by train. you can find schedules and duration of train trips etc. with the Swiss railways timetable here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/timetable
You can find our hotel suggestions for many Swiss towns here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/wheretogo/towns
click on the town you are interested in and then click on the hotel tab.Find Interlaken here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/interlaken/hotel s & Basel here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/basel/hotels
Hi Carmen-
I asked when you are traveling because the season of the year is quite important in the Jungfrau region.
<<” May I take train on same day that we are to depart on river cruise if I travel from Interlaken to Basel by train?”>>
What time of day do you arrive in Basel?
Do you have a lot of luggage?
Slowpoke
Thank you for advice. We will have one or two small suitcases per person and we will be traveling in September. We canceled Basel Hotel because of recommendations on Forum and will stay in Interlaken instead for two days. We are also unsure about buying a Swiss rail pass since they are for 8 days or 3 days and we need it for 5 or 6 days. Another couple is joining us. We would like to know why we cannot find cost of train trip between Lucerne and Interloken West. We chose Hotel near train station and now cannot find tickets to Interloken West. Was that an error on our part? We do need advice on rail passes.
Dear Forum Members, Since we have 5 night and 6 days in Switzerland, we think the Swiss rail pass with consecutive days will not work because three or four days is too little ( 8 too many) so Is a flex rail pass a better option for us? We have a new itinerary. We arrive in Zurich Sept 2 go to Lecerne for 3 days, during the time in Lucerne go to Pilatus, ride boat on lake Lucern , then go by train to Interlaken on day 3 and stay there 2 nights . What should we visit while in Interlaken? Should we go to Schilthorn from Interlaken? Should we visit nearby towns in the alps? We have the day we arrive in Interlaken , the next day free, then we depart on third day by train to Basel since we depart Switzerland from Basel.Thank you, MimiG
This may help on what to do near Interlaken:
http://www.myswissalps.com/be rneseoberland
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion
http://www.myswissalps.com/in terlaken
Slowpoke
Hi Mimi,
To know which rail pass is best for you you’ll need to plan out each day’s trips and do the math to compare costs against rail passes. https://www.myswissalp s.com/train/ticketspas ses/practical/choosera ilpass
An 8 day Swiss Travel Pass is often cheaper than buying point to point tickets each day for 6 days. I’d still look at it for sure. https://www.myswissalp s.com/swisstravelpass/ price
You can find prices for all trips on the Swiss railways timetable here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/timetable you can find prices to Interlaken Ost (33chf one-way is the regular price – the first price you will see is the 1/2 fare price).
Do not worry about wasting any days on a Swiss Travel Pass just go for the 8 day one as if you are doing any travelling about it is a great investment. In Lucerne we booked a small motorboat from the lakeside for half an hour and had a great time on the lake, you can also take a ferry to France either Evian or Yvoire (we spent a morning in Yvoire from Nyon and it was stunning) with the rail pass you can just hop on/off the boats and trains to suit youself.
Den
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