Air Rarotonga

You can get a day pass (valid for 24hrs) for the zones Zürich Airport and the City of Zürich. That's 3 zones for CHF 13.20 (the City zone counts as 2 zones). Then you can use every public transportation in this area/zones. >link<

If you get the Zürich Card, you can also ride up to the Üetliberg and enjoy the beautiful view. You also got access to few museums with this pass. Cost for 24 hrs: CHF 24.00 >link<

Lucerne ist just an hour / way away from Zurich. So you might visit both cities. There's every half an hour a train between Zürich and Lucerne. Once an hour even a direct train from the Airport. A ticket from Zürich Airport to Lucerne and back costs CHF 56.00 (in 2nd cl.) and CHF 98.00 (in 1st cl.). I would go for the 2nd cl. (it's just a 50min ride)... The difference of the fare, you could invest into swiss chocolate . If you decide to take any of the two passes for Zürich described above, then you only need to buy a ticket from Zurich Main Station to Lucerne, prices drop to CHF 48.00 / CHF 84.00.

You can buy your tickets at the SBB (swiss federal railways) counter at the Airport of Zurich. Some tickets are also available to purchase online.

> Your prices mentionned to Lucern for CHF 14.00 are only valid with a annual half price pass that you need to purchase...

Jacquelyn Hyde

Thank you so much. That is *exactly* the information I was looking for!

joshwex90

I got the Zurich Card for CHF 20.00 (maybe the price changed in the last month) and was well worth it. We took a bunch of light rails as well as the train r/t from the airport to HB, and we took a boat ride as well. With the boat, you can get off at a bunch of stops along the route and there are some nice and secluded areas.
We went to 2 museums while there - the National Museum and Kunsthaus Zurich, both free with the Zurich Card.

pandoraone

What to do with a nighttime stop in Zurich?

We land at 7PM (1900) and have our next flight on Sunday - a 14 hour layover. I want to see Zurich, take pictures with the major sites, and then...? What would be options for us?

YuropFlyer

What month? That will decide about 90% of your options

LXboy

The importance is not the PIN but the chip. I was able to buy tickets with my US AMEX with chip, no PIN required. The BoA and Chase credit cards without chip did however not work.

Even if you have one with chip and PIN you will not need the PIN according to my experience. The PIN is only used for ATM. All other times you will need to sign or you card is simply accepted like in the vending machines

joshwex90

Regarding credit card, I had a Chip&Signature card. Out of habit, I would hand them the card. Every time I handed them the card, they swiped it. Otherwise, I inserted the chip. Printed out a slip to sign. So you know, they were meticulous about inspecting the signature from my card though

pandoraone

May!

YuropFlyer

That's one of the months the weather could be pretty much anything..

I would check weather forecast as close as possible before you're departing, and pack/bring clothes for the saturday evening according to it. Most probably (if it's dry) a pullover and a thin jacket will do. If it's a nice day, you can spend the evening outside along the lake (in late May, it's a long day already, ie bright till about 9pm already) or the river. Most restaurants won't serve food if you order after 9pm, but there are several places in the Niederdörfli area which serve food till late. Drinks till late anyway. Usually thursday, friday and saturday will see most people out, so as you're there on Saturday as your schedule says, you can hang out till late. Trains are driving all night long on Saturday night.

pandoraone

Ok update - changed my flight so I get there at 4PM now. Does that change what I can do? Plan on getting a hotel there for the night and fly out next AM.

malmostoso

Depending on the day of the week, by the time you get into town shops might or might not be closed. In any case, take the train to Zurich HB, take a stroll down Bahnhofstrasse, arrive at the lake, soak it in, then go and see the old town, walk through the Niederdorf and get dinner in one of the restaurants there. "Geschnetzeltes mit rösti" is what you want

Thorgils

It's time to dust off this old and valuable thread, to ask for any supplementary suggestions relative to a brief ZRH stopover next month (on the last Thursday of August). It will be my first visit with any time to leave the airport since 1998, and my wife's first visit since 1986.

We're due to arrive ex MAN at 11:45 and depart from Terminal E at 17:30, on C tickets with baggage checked through and no *A status this year. If the weather is fine, we'd be happy to take the train, stroll the Bahnhofstraße, perhaps take a boat, or another of the more passive activities -- passive since my knees are in need of replacement -- suggested here by YuropFlyer and others.

But I have several questions:

• What is the latest time that we should plan to leave the Hbf to return to Kloten, given such considerations as train loadings and current security checking experience in the main entrance hall? Our flight will presumably start to board at around 16:45; we don't want to be rushed getting back; and it would be nice to have time at least to grab one of those Mövenpick ice creams from a Business lounge en route.
• Are there any special exhibits or events at the moment in the city centre that might be interesting to take in?
• Are there any left luggage facilities (lockers or staffed) in the main entrance hall (or in the airport train station) where we might securely stow any surplus carry-on baggage?
• Do the train ticket automated kiosks still only accept credit cards with a PIN?
• Should the weather be unaccommodating, any updated recommendations for a pleasant lunch restaurant either close to the airport or close to the Hauptbahnhof (other than those already mentioned above)?

YuropFlyer

1) It's Bahnhofstrasse(!) - the Germans are very welcome to keep their letters with them By the way, when you arrive at 11.45am, I would use the Arrival Lounge for a late Breakfast and a quick shower..
2) As the lounge in Dock E doesn't have Mövenpick Icecream, I'd say you should leave with any train departing on 16.0X (there are 3 of them, all are fine)
3) There will be the European athletic championship. Other than that, nothing MUCH going on in summer during the day imho.. late August should still see decent weather, but check forecast before you take your flight.
4) Yes, there is left luggage at the SBB station at Zurich Airport.
5) You can still buy your ticket at the SBB counter if you've one of those antiquated cards without a pin, imho. (but seriously, get a card with a PIN, and be it just for your own safety..)
6) Contact me by PM. I can recommend you something/join you for a late lunch if needed. Depending on your liking, there is plenty of bad-weather places available. I'll be happy to give you a quick city tour myself.

aSiAnRiCk

Hello,

On our way home from AMS, we'd like to have a quick stop in ZRH.

Our main plan is the LX AMS-ZRH arriving at 11:10 am, connecting flight ZRH-EWR at 5:20 pm.

The next plan is to take the City Night Line train from Amsterdam arriving in Zurich HB by 8:00 am. It's $250 more to take the train than doing the layover.

We will have 1 checked luggage, 1 carry on and 1 backpack each. If we do the train route, is there a luggage drop off at the train station or you think we should just go to the airport, drop off the luggage there and then return to the city? It's to my understanding that once you purchased the airport ticket, it's valid for 24 hours?

Need your opinion please. Thank you.

YuropFlyer

Now, if the train would be 250$ cheaper than the flight, I might not be against it, but if the train is 250$ MORE expensive than the flight, I'd say go with the flight, definitely, totally, absolutely. CNL trains unfortunately are in rather bad shape. Some don't even have restaurant cars anymore, some are dirty, unreliable etc. - since the LCC's attacked their "traditional" business of low-cost travel. Plus, sleeping isn't that great in those "beds" they offer anyway.

That said, get the flight. (Train tickets are sold as 2hrs or 24hrs validity, with the later one costing exactly 2x as much)