From Zurich
Lucerne and Lake Lucerne
Two hours of driving out of eight. The rest happens on foot, by the water.
Loop
151 km
Driving time only
2 h 17
Suggested hire
8 h
From
800 CHF
Lucerne is a hundred and fifty-one kilometres from Zurich Airport, a little over two hours of driving for the full loop. Out of eight hours of hire, that leaves nearly six on the ground: the best ratio of all our days out of Zurich.
The city fits into a small space — old town, Chapel Bridge, quays — but the Lion Monument sits apart and the lakeshore stretches out towards Weggis. That is exactly what a car with a chauffeur solves and a rail ticket does not.
We drive and we wait. We sell neither boat tickets nor mountain-railway tickets, and we have no link with the operators.
The itinerary
Lucerne, la vieille ville
A hundred and fifty-one kilometres from Zurich Airport, a little over two hours of driving there and back. It is the loop on this list that leaves the most time on the ground: nearly six hours out of eight.
Le pont de la Chapelle
A covered wooden bridge over the Reuss, built around 1333. It was the oldest in Europe until the fire of 18 August 1993, which destroyed two thirds of the structure and most of its 17th-century paintings. Rebuilt in eight months, reopened on 14 April 1994.
Le Monument du Lion
Carved into the rock face north of the old town, a few minutes by car from the centre. It is the stop most often missed on foot because it sits apart, and the one the car makes obvious.
La rive du lac jusqu'à Weggis
The road follows Lake Lucerne to Weggis, at the foot of the Rigi. It is the part of the trip worth doing by car rather than by boat: you stop where you like.
Le Rigi, si vous avez la journée
The ascent from Weggis is by mountain railway and takes time. If it is on the programme, count the whole day and drop something else: we say so beforehand, not at midday.
km included : 200 km
The kilometres below are measured from the airport. Starting from a hotel in town, or from another town, changes the loop and therefore the count: the quote is adjusted to your actual pickup point.
What the car changes here
Lucerne walks very well, except on two counts: the Lion Monument, north and apart, and the lakeshore towards Weggis. Those are the two things people give up on when travelling by train, and the two this day includes without effort.
The Rigi is worth the whole day
Going up the Rigi from Weggis takes several hours including the railway. It is doable, but then it is the day's programme and the rest goes. We discuss it at booking rather than making you choose on the spot.
What is included and what is not
The rate covers the vehicle, the chauffeur and 200 kilometres across the eight hours. The loop runs 151, so no supplement. Boats, mountain railways and meals are settled on site.
Drivable all year
Motorway then lakeshore road, no pass: the loop works in January as in July. Winter gives a quieter lake and fewer people on the Chapel Bridge.
Frequently asked questions
From 800 CHF in an E-Class for eight hours of hire, 1120 CHF in an S-Class and 1040 CHF in a V-Class. The 200 included kilometres cover the 151 km loop, so no supplement.
A little over two hours out of eight, for 151 kilometres there and back from Zurich Airport. It is the loop on our list that leaves the most time on the ground: nearly six hours.
It is a covered wooden bridge over the Reuss, built around 1333, the oldest in Europe until the fire of 18 August 1993. The blaze destroyed two thirds of the structure and most of its 17th-century paintings. It was rebuilt in eight months and reopened on 14 April 1994.
Yes, but it fills the whole day once the railway is counted, and the rest of the programme has to go. Tell us at booking: we shape the itinerary around it rather than making you arbitrate on the spot.
By car, yes: a few minutes from the centre, north of the old town. On foot from the quays it is the detour most often abandoned. It is one of the two places where this day genuinely makes a difference.
Not necessarily: the shore road to Weggis follows the lake and lets you stop where you like, which the boat does not. If you prefer the boat, we drop you at the pier and collect you at the far end.
Yes, no pass on the route. The lake is calmer and the old town quieter. Only the Rigi railways depend on conditions.