Studying in Lucerne also means living in beautiful surroundings! Lucerne is one of the premium tourist destinations in Switzerland, Europe and even the world. The proximity of the mountains, innumerable recreational offers at and on the lake, many cosy nooks and street cafés form as much part of students´ lives as do the libraries and auditorium. Not to mention the young cultural scene, the open air concerts, trendy bars and renowned Lucerne carnival.

There is a vast amount of things you can do in Lucerne. Apart from internationally renowned institutions like the the KKL, there is a great variety of smaller venues providing abundant entertainment for each taste.

A detailed calendar of events is available on zentralschweiz online.

Transportation

Public transport in the city of Lucerne is a dense and well-planned network. There are Buses, regional trains and boats. There is a discount for students under the age of 25. Single and multiple tickets are relatively expensive, but a ‘passepartout’ (season ticket) can be bought, for a month or for a year against a more favorable price. A good way to travel within Switzerland is by train. Switzerland has an extensive and efficient rail service. For the train, there is a ‘halb-tax abo’ available (150 francs for one year), that allows you to travel for half price. Bicycles are an inexpensive alternative to public transport. An annual bicycle vignette (“Velovignette”) must be put on the bicycle for insurance reasons. These vignettes are sold at the post office.

Zurich to Lucerne

If you are arriving by plane, the closes international airport is in Zürich. Once you clear customs at Zurich airport, head to the train station (SBB) at the airport terminals building (signs point to it) and take a train to Lucerne (avoid confusing it with Lausanne). Trains run every 30 minutes, and one per hour is direct, the other requires a change of trains at Zurich central station. Check www.sbb.ch for schedules. Cost is about CHF 26. In Lucerne, the train station is right in the center of town (you will see the lake to the right and straight ahead [boat docks] and the river/old town to the left). There is a tourist information office in the KKL (the Lucerne art center, a huge modern building to the right).

If you plan on traveling around in Switzerland by train, it might be a good idea to get a half fare card for the trains. This card also gives you a discount on busses, boats and cable cards. More information on this card can be found at:

http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/abonnemente/halbtax.htm.