You want to see Lucerne, the lake and the mountains without first fighting your way through fare zones, passes and abbreviations. We understand that. We live here and still find the Swiss ticket system confusing. Public transport in Lucerne is dense, punctual and cheaper than the sheer number of offers suggests. So we have boiled it all down to what you actually need, with the prices that apply at our bus stop. We are Jan, Nadine and Paul, and we rent out a family apartment in Dierikon, 450 metres from that stop.
The short answer: You do not need a car. The bus stop is 450 metres away and takes you to Lucerne station in about 20 minutes. And our stop still belongs to the city fare zone of Lucerne, so the ride into the old town costs no more than a ride within the city itself.
The essentials at a glance
Tap a ticket and the full section is further down the page. Prices are for adults in 2nd class, children under 6 travel free everywhere.
- Day pass for zone 10
Into the city now and then. CHF 9.60, children and half fare CHF 6.80 - SBB Mobile with EasyRide
No thinking at all. The app charges you the cheapest fare automatically - Lucerne Travel Pass
Mountains, boats and the city nearby. From CHF 240 per adult, children CHF 30 - Swiss Travel Pass
A round trip across Switzerland. From CHF 254 per adult, children free - Swiss Half Fare Card
Only one or two big excursions. CHF 150 per person for one month
Which stops are near the apartment?
Right outside the door you can choose between bus and train. The stop Dierikon, Migros is 450 metres away, a good 6 minute walk. Bus 23 leaves from there every 10 to 15 minutes to Ebikon station, where you change to the local train or to trolleybus 1 into Lucerne. The whole trip takes around 20 minutes.
If you would rather not change at all, walk a good kilometre to the stop Ebikon, Fildern. Trolleybus 1 runs every 7 to 8 minutes and takes you straight to Lucerne station and on through the city. And Buchrain station is one kilometre away, about a 13 minute walk, from where the S1 train reaches Lucerne in just under a quarter of an hour. The S1 runs every half hour, bus 23 much more often: take the bus for spontaneous trips, the train for the fastest ride.
On weekends the Lucerne region night network runs all night long, and no night surcharge applies. Your normal ticket is valid on night buses too. Still, look up the last connection from Lucerne in the app in the afternoon, then you will not have to do the maths late at night.
Why is the ride into Lucerne cheaper from here?
Central Switzerland is divided into fare zones, and the more zones you cross, the more expensive your ticket becomes. Zone 10 is the large city zone of Lucerne. The good news: our stops in Dierikon, Buchrain and Ebikon still belong to that zone 10, even though we are 9 kilometres outside the city. So you pay the normal city fare to reach us, not a suburban surcharge.
In practice this means one single ticket for zone 10 covers everything you do in and around Lucerne. Buses, the S-Bahn trains and all city buses in Lucerne are included, you can change as often as you like and you never have to work out which line to take.
What it adds up to: you need no rental car, you never look for a parking space and you pay no city parking fees. A family of four travels all day, as often as they like, for CHF 32.80. And if you do come by car, the garage with its charging point belongs to the apartment and is included in the price.
Which ticket suits your stay?
What does a single trip to Lucerne cost?
A single ride in zone 10 costs CHF 4.80, or CHF 3.40 with a half fare card and for children. As soon as you travel back the same day, take the day pass instead. It costs exactly the same as two single rides but is valid all day until 5 in the morning. So the rule is simple: as soon as you travel there and back, take the day pass, and every ride in between is free. A single ticket only makes sense if you are not travelling back the same day. You can buy both in the SBB Mobile app, at any ticket machine, or online from the Passepartout fare network.
| Zone 10, 2nd class | Adults | Children 6 to 15 and half fare |
|---|---|---|
| Single ride, valid 60 minutes | CHF 4.80 | CHF 3.40 |
| Day pass | CHF 9.60 | CHF 6.80 |
Is there a way to travel without thinking about zones?
Yes, there is. Download the SBB Mobile app and switch on EasyRide. You swipe right before you board, travel, and swipe back when you arrive. The app works out your route and charges you the cheapest ticket for it. If all your rides in one day would add up to more than a day pass, you only pay the day pass. You never have to count zones or decide in advance where the day will take you. For guests this is the most relaxed option by far, and it works all over Switzerland. The SBB explain it on their EasyRide page, and the app itself is at SBB Mobile.
Is the Lucerne Travel Pass worth it?
If you plan several mountain railways and a boat trip in one week, almost always. It is valid for 3, 4, 5 or 10 consecutive days and covers the big mountain railways in full, not merely at a discount: Pilatus, Titlis, Rigi and Stanserhorn are free, and so are the scheduled boats on Lake Lucerne. It starts at CHF 240 per adult for three days and CHF 290 for five days, and here is the part families love: children aged 6 to 15 pay a flat CHF 30 when travelling with you, no matter how many days you choose. Anyone can buy it, including residents of Switzerland.
From our place you use it on the train from Buchrain station and on the buses of Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern within zone 10, which includes the ride into the city. Buses run by other companies beyond zone 10, for example towards Root and Rotkreuz, are not included. You can buy it directly at lucernetravelpass.ch.
When is the Swiss Travel Pass the better choice?
If you want to see half the country rather than Lucerne alone, yes. It is valid for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days throughout the country on trains, buses, boats and city transport in more than 90 towns, and it includes entry to over 500 museums. Prices start at CHF 254 per adult for three days. Children aged 6 to 15 travel free with the complimentary Swiss Family Card as soon as one parent holds a valid pass. You can only buy it if you live outside Switzerland.
One difference matters in our region: Rigi and Stanserhorn are free with the Swiss Travel Pass, while Pilatus and Titlis are only half price. So if your mountains are here in Central Switzerland, the Lucerne Travel Pass serves you better. If you want to see half the country, take the Swiss Travel Pass. Nobody needs both. You can order it before you travel from SBB, Swiss Travel Pass.
Is the Swiss Half Fare Card enough?
If you are planning only one or two big excursions, it is. It costs CHF 150, is valid for one month and halves the price of almost every journey in Switzerland, including boats and most mountain railways. Here too your children travel free with the complimentary Swiss Family Card. It pays for itself from around CHF 300 of fares per person, which is roughly two mountain trips or three longer train journeys. It is available from SBB, Swiss Half Fare Card as well.
When does a pass actually pay off?
A pass does not always pay off. If you go into Lucerne twice in a week and otherwise enjoy the garden and the trails around the Rontal, you pay four day passes on each of those two days, CHF 65.60 in total. Any pass would be wasted money.
It looks different as soon as the mountains join in. Not every day has to be a mountain day, but once you really do the big excursions it gets interesting. Here is a week with four excursion days, calculated for two adults and two children aged between 6 and 15.
| Excursion | Price for 2 adults and 2 children |
|---|---|
| Golden Round Trip up Mount Pilatus | CHF 359 |
| Rigi day pass | CHF 168 |
| Titlis, up and down | CHF 306 |
| Boat trip on Lake Lucerne | CHF 196 |
| Total bought separately | CHF 1’029 |
| Lucerne Travel Pass for 5 days | CHF 640 |
In this example you save around 390 francs and never have to queue at a ticket desk again. That is the point at which we recommend the pass, not before. For how the two big excursions actually work, see our pages The Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus and A Day on Lake and Mountain.
Are you working out what your week will cost?
Then price the apartment while you are at it. From CHF 190 per night, final cleaning, garage and pets included, and the bus stop is 450 metres from the door. You book directly with us, Jan, Nadine and Paul, at the best rate and without platform service fees.
Do children travel free on public transport?
This is the part many families learn too late, and it makes the biggest difference. Children under 6 travel free when accompanied by you, with no ticket and no registration. Children aged 6 to 15 pay a much reduced fare, and as soon as one parent holds a Swiss Travel Pass or a Swiss Half Fare Card, they travel completely free with the Swiss Family Card. You simply request that card when you buy the pass, it does not cost anything.
The mountain railways are friendlier to families than most people expect. On Rigi, children under 16 travel free when accompanied, and on Stanserhorn they pay a quarter of the adult fare. Do ask at the ticket desk, these reductions are rarely advertised in large letters.
Do I need a SwissPass?
This red card shows up in every search and reliably causes confusion. The SwissPass is not an offer for visitors, it is simply the plastic card on which residents store their season tickets. You do not need it for your stay. Do not mix it up with the Swiss Travel Pass, which really is a ticket for guests.
Do we get a visitor card for free local travel?
Guests ask us this regularly, so here is the honest answer. The visitor card is funded by the local visitor tax. Whoever receives one has already paid for it through the room rate. It therefore exists only in municipalities that levy that tax, among them the city of Lucerne and Kriens. Dierikon does not, so there is no visitor tax on your bill either.
The only item on top of the rate is the cantonal accommodation levy of CHF 1.10 per adult per night, and children and teenagers under 16 are exempt. The free local travel the card includes applies only from the city of Lucerne and from Kriens anyway. From our stop you pay the same city fare, because we belong to zone 10: CHF 32.80 for two adults and two children, all day, as often as you like. And if you like, we will sit down with you when you arrive and find the best connection for your first excursion.
What else should you know?
Download the SBB Mobile app before you leave home and add your credit card, then you will not be standing at the stop in the rain looking for a ticket machine. Always buy your ticket before you board, there is no sale on buses or trains. With EasyRide this cannot happen to you, the app handles it when you get on and off. Prams travel free.
What does a ticket for the dog cost?
Your dog needs its own reduced fare ticket, which in zone 10 means CHF 3.40 for a single ride and CHF 6.80 for a day pass. For a full day across Switzerland there is a SBB guide to travelling with dogs explains the dog day pass for CHF 25. Small dogs in a carrier travel free. Mountain railways and boats have their own dog fares, just ask at the ticket desk.
For the excursions that are worth your time and how long each one takes, see our page on experiences and surroundings. And if you are still working out how to reach us in the first place, that is on How to find us.
A holiday without a car
Bus stop 450 metres away, Lucerne in 20 minutes, mountains and boat trips on the same day. Our apartment starts at CHF 190 per night, pets and garage included.