Read our insider tips with a complete guide on the best viewpoints, walks, restaurants, coffees, nightlife, musuems, activities and hikes around Lucerne.
Located in the heart of Switzerland, Lucerne is easy to reach from all directions. We recommend using public transportation to travel to and from Lucerne.
• from Zürich-HB 50 min., every half hour.
• from Basel 1h, every half hour.
• from Bern 1h, every half hour.
• from Fribourg 1h 25min., every hour.
• from Lausanne 2h 16min., every hour.
• from Geneva 3h, ever hour.
Emergency numbers
Police (Polizei): 117
Fire (Feuerwehr): 118
Ambulance: 144
The emergency numbers 112 or 911 will automatically be redirected to the Police.
Money
The currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF). 1 CHF is about 0.8 euro or 1.1 dollar. Many places accept Euro bills, but don’t fret when you get Francs in return. Major credit and debit cards are widely accepted, make sure that you can pay abroad with them before leaving (own experience!). You can also get Swiss Francs from the ATM and choose to be billed in euros for a reasonable fee.
Transportation
Due to Lucerne’s small size, most things are within walking distance. For the rest, the public bus network will get you anywhere. Make sure you have a valid ticket, which can be purchased at the ticket machines at every bus stop. If you stay in Lucerne overnight, most hotels will provide you with a bus pass that includes all of the cities bus-lines.
If you want to explore outside of the city via train or ship we recommend you purchase your tickets either at the SBB help desk at the trainstation (upstairs) or the tourist information centre at the trainstation (ground floor, next to platform 3 ). There you can also buy tickets for nearby mountains and activities.
When using a taxi, only use licenced and registered cabs. You can see this at the taxi sign with the registration number on the roof. Use taximeter or ask for a fix price before you enter the taxi. Although Uber has tried to push into Lucerne, it is not yet officially regulated.
Drinking water
All water fountains found in public will have drinking water if not declared otherwise (“Kein Trinkwasser” = no drinking water).
Opening hours
Opening hours are strictly regulated by law.
MON-WED stores will close at 19:00 (6.30 pm)
THU+FRI stores will close at 21:00 (9 pm)
SAT stores will close at 17:00 (4 pm)
SUN stores remain closed
Restaurants or bars are not affected by these opening hours. For most daily necessities we recommend the train station, where you will find a Coop or Migros (grocery stores) that have prolonged opening hours.
During public holidays – and Lucerne has many of them – stores will be closed for the entire day and close early on the previous day.
Swiss law
Alcohol: 16 years for Beer and Wine, 18 years for liquor
Smoking: Minimum age for smoking in Lucerne is 16 years. No smoking inside public building, bars or restaurants unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, smoking is prohibited in public transportation and the train station.
Cannabis: CBD-Cannabis is legal in Switzerland, but Cannabis containing THC is illegal and will be fined.
Identification: While you do not have to carry an ID-card with you, it is recommended at any time.