Grand Hotel National Luzern seen from Lake Lucerne

Zurich and Lucerne

Easy first or last nights by the lake

Zurich and Lucerne

Zurich and Lucerne are the easy first or last nights of a Switzerland trip: Zurich as the gateway, Lucerne for its old town, the Chapel Bridge and swimming in the lake in summer.

I base it at Grand Hotel National Luzern, on the lakefront since 1870.

Researched profile: this page is written from my planning research and partner knowledge rather than a stay of my own here, and when that changes, this line comes off.

What and Where It Is

Zurich is the gateway, with its airport about an hour from Lucerne by train. Lucerne is a lakeside town with an old town and the wooden Chapel Bridge across the Reuss river.

What You Do Here

Walk the old town and the Chapel Bridge, and in summer swim in the lake. Lake steamers leave from the quay for Weggis and Vitznau, and day trips go up Mount Pilatus, the Rigi and the Bürgenstock. This is the gentle start or finish that lets the mountain bases in the middle do the heavy lifting.

Best Time to Go

Summer is best, when the lake is warm enough to swim and the mountain half of the trip is open too. The towns work in other seasons, but plan the trip around the mountain bases first. See my guide to Europe in the shoulder season for which hotels are open when.

Month by month

  • January: Mixed.
  • February: Mixed.
  • March: Mixed.
  • April: Good.
  • May: Very good.
  • June: Excellent.
  • July: Excellent.
  • August: Excellent.
  • September: Excellent.
  • October: Very good.
  • November: Mixed.
  • December: Mixed.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Fly into Zurich. Lucerne is about an hour away by train, and trains reach St. Moritz and Zermatt in about three to four hours. I plan one or two nights here at the start or the end of a trip.

Where to Stay

Grand Hotel National Luzern has stood on the lakefront promenade since 1870, a short walk from the old town, and suits couples and families who want a traditional hotel in a central lakeside position. The style is classic and formal. The lakefront road runs in front of the hotel, so lake-view rooms also look over the promenade and its traffic.

Pairing

St. Moritz and the Engadin or Zermatt for the mountains, linked by train. The Switzerland guide covers the whole country.

Plan this trip with us. $250 planning fee, credited in full toward your trip.

Culture & Sights

  • The Chapel Bridge: Lucerne's wooden bridge across the Reuss river, by the old town.
  • Lake Lucerne: Swimming in summer, and lake steamers from the quay to Weggis and Vitznau.
  • Pilatus, the Rigi and the Bürgenstock: Mountain day trips from Lucerne.

Ready to plan your trip?

Every itinerary begins with a 20-minute planning call. From there, a $250 planning fee, credited in full toward your booked trip and non-refundable if you don’t book. I brief the property before you arrive — that's what the fee funds.

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