Lucerne travel guide
Lucerne Tourism | Lucerne Guide
You're Going to Love Lucerne
With a population of 57,066, Lucerne is the largest city in Luzern, Switzerland by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Lucerne deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Lucerne
Tours
Where to Eat in Lucerne
If you’re looking for affordable options, Wirtschaft zum Schützenhaus (93 Horwerstrasse) and Soul Chicken (Löwengraben 31) are great picks.
When to visit Lucerne
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Lucerne in July, when the average temperature is 64.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 75.2 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 26.6 °F, with an average temperature of 32 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 6″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Lucerne, with an average rainfall of 2.4″.
How to Get to Lucerne
Plane
Although Lucerne doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Zurich Airport (ZRH), which is located 30 miles from Lucerne. Zurich Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from SWISS, United Airlines, Lufthansa and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest flight to Lucerne from the United States departs from New York and takes around 7h 35m.
Train
SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Lucerne, followed by SBB. The train journey from Lucerne to Basel takes 0h 53m and costs around $20 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Milan, expect to pay about $42 for a 4h 17m trip. Located 1.2 miles from the city center, Lucerne Allmend/Messe is the busiest station in Lucerne. Another popular train station is Lucerne, located 0.3 miles from the center.
Car
Another option to get to Lucerne is to pick up a car rental from Zurich, which is about 25 miles from Lucerne. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Zurich.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Lucerne, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and MarinoBus. From Mulhouse, the bus ride to Lucerne takes 120 miles and will cost you around $18. From Stuttgart, the ticket costs about $34 for a journey of 190 miles. Lucerne’s bus station is located 5 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Lucerne
Where to stay in Lucerne
From 5-star hotels such as the The Hotel Lucerne, Autograph Collection to great affordable options like the Hotel Anker Luzern, Lucerne offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $254 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $505 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Lucerne, with prices from $58 to $795 per night. Littau is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Lucerne are about 33% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Lucerne
Most booked hotels in Lucerne
Renting a car in Lucerne
Renting a car in Lucerne costs $121 per day, on average, or $241 if you want to rent if for 2 days.
You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 38% more expensive than at Zurich.
Expect to pay $7.84 per gallon in Lucerne (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $94.03 and $125.37. Compact (Renault Captur or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Lucerne, while also 67% cheaper than other types, on average.