What is the difference between luzern and lucerne

There is a direct train from the Zurich airport to Lucerne and the trip lasts only an hour and 15 minutes. Many travelers who choose to stay in Lucerne stay the whole time and catch the train to Zurich on the day of their international flight — they get off right inside the airport terminal.

Others, however, prefer staying in Zurich the night before, e. Travelers who choose Lucerne for their stay suggest exploring Zurich the first day when arriving in Switzerland before moving to Lucerne, keeping your luggage in a locker at the train station.

An alternative to the train is the bus from Lucerne to the Zurich airport see this site which runs even earlier than the train and also takes you right to the airport entrance. For those looking to travel a lot in Switzerland, the Swiss Pass can save you money as it gives you access to city transits and lake boats, while also including free entrance to close to museums and sights including in Lucerne. The Half-Fare Card is another competing discount pass.

Check out this site for detailed info on Swiss transport. This makes it a better base than Zurich for experiencing Alpine excursions. Besides nature trips, Lucerne is great for strolling around the lake and feeding swans, taking a boat cruise, wandering in the nice shops, or enjoying a comfortable hotel with views and a spa. Some travelers who used to enjoy Lucerne some years ago now complain about the large number of tourists.

Buses are constantly flowing into the old town and masses of tourists flocking into the stores small souvenir shops, Bucherer watch store etc , lake, Lion monument, etc. Other travelers, however, feel that while a few stores and attractions like Chapel Bridge do tend to get packed with tourists, most restaurants do not get so overcrowded.

Zurich also has a lake as well as two rivers with pristine water. Travelers generally find Zurich has Swiss character despite being a bigger city. Zurich is a popular place for luxury shopping on the Bahnhofstrasse, eating out in upscale restaurants e. Terrasse at Baur au Lac , or tasting delicate Swiss confectionary e. Spungli or Laduree Confiseries.

Lucerne has scenic lakeside paths. They can get crowded with many tourists taking photos near the main bridge connecting the old town to the modern shopping street and train station. You can also take a boat ride for enjoying the great view on the snow-capped mountains. According to the press release, Lucerne came in just behind the top-ranked Austrian destination of Kleinwalsertal.

With Zermatt ranked in sixth position and Engelberg in 13th place, two further locations in Switzerland were ranked among the leading group of the 15 most successful Alpine destinations.

Greg first hiked in the Alps in as a teenager backpacking through Europe. A best-selling and award-winning author, he lives most of the year in the Swiss Alps, near the border of France and Italy. Latest posts by Greg Witt see all. Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. Subscribe to the Blog Be Swiss-travel savvy! You're free to opt out at any time.

A short walk across the river in the center of Interlaken is this gem of an old town. Featuring buildings as old as the 13th century, you will feel like you have stepped back in time! Switzerland keeps its old towns in very good nick condition and you will love this one. You can also find such Interlaken sites as:. Museum of Tourism — 3 floors or history on Tourism in the region.

If you are taking a walk along the river in Interlaken you might just stumble across this gem. It is a well-maintained example of the kinds of bridges that were common in Switzerland way back when.

Both lakes offer some great activities including boat rides, stand-up paddling, and mountain cablecars. More on this in the next section. As a base for exploring the Bernese Oberland and the impressive local peaks , Interlaken is perfect.

A trip to the Jungfraujoch is by far one of the most amazing experiences you can have in Switzerland, bar none. If you come to Interlaken, or any other nearby town more on that below this is an absolute must. Jungfrau mountain itself is one of the highest in the area and sits in a row with Eiger and Monch. The Jungfraujoch is a mountain saddle that sits between the Jungfrau and Monch. Not only is the journey itself quite amazing, passing through mountains, but there are stops along the way to give you direct views to the valley below via windows in the mountain face and another view onto a nearby glacier at Eismeer.

A stunning sight indeed. There is also lots of fun things to do up there including:. Also check out all the things you can do at First ski resort , including the awesome cliff walk and other adventures.

There is no other place in Switzerland with as much adrenaline! Of course, if you are NOT up for adrenaline, there are more walks and hikes in the region than you can poke a stick at. This is a hikers paradise!