The Luzern-Interlaken Express passes through the village of Lungern on the shores of the Lungerersee in the Swiss canton of Obwalden.
The Luzern-Interlaken Express is a premium Swiss panoramic train that connects the world-renowned mountain destination of Interlaken with the sparkling lakeside city of Luzern. The ride is beautiful, and we recommend taking it if you plan to travel between these two gorgeous towns.
Here’s what you need to know.
From Interlaken, the journey to Luzern takes 1h 51 minutes with no changes. Departures leave hourly throughout the day. If you were to leave Interlaken at 09:04 am, then you’d arrive in Luzern at 10:55 am. You could walk the Chapel Bridge, explore the market square, and still have time to snag an early seat for lunch!
The Luzern-Interlaken Express is considered a “Premium Panoramic Train” so there are panoramic windows in first and second class. Unlike other Swiss panoramic trains, there is no surcharge to your standard ticket and reservations are not mandatory. In our opinion, the Luzern-Interlaken Express is an understated gem.
What about those views?
The train heads east and follows the north shore of Lake Brienz after departing Interlaken, so you’ll want to sit on the right side of the train for the best views. You’ll go around Lake Brienz, then turn north to head over the Brünig Pass. Five more sparkling lakes await. The first, on the left side of the train is the Lungerersee. Next is the Sarnersee (also on the left). The slender Wichelsee passes by the right hand side in the blink of an eye. Then comes the Alpnachersee and finally the Vierwaldstättersee, commonly known as Lake Lucerne.
Luzern is a really great choice if you’d like to visit an interesting Swiss city either before, or after, your inn-to-inn hike through the Berner Oberland. The perfectly preserved old town is a joy to explore following a romantic dinner on Lake Lucerne. Or how about a dinner cruise on the lake? The possibilities are endless. From Luzern, the Zürich airport is just a little over an hour away.
Would you like to ride the Luzern-Interlaken Express. How about an inn-to-inn hike in the Berner Oberland? Please give us a shout. Switzerland is our specialty! We’re also Rail Europe Rail Experts. We can set you up with an outstanding vacation in Switzerland.
