Travel Budget for Lucerne

Kanton Luzern, Switzerland
Europe / Switzerland /

How much does it cost to travel to Lucerne?

How much money will you need for your trip to Lucerne? You should plan to spend around Sfr156 ($161) per day on your vacation in Lucerne, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, Sfr45 ($47) on meals for one day and Sfr9.14 ($9.41) on local transportation. Also, the average hotel price in Lucerne for a couple is Sfr200 ($206). So, a trip to Lucerne for two people for one week costs on average Sfr2,190 ($2,254). All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Sfr156
  • One Week Per person
    Sfr1,095
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    Sfr2,190
  • One Month Per person
    Sfr4,693
  • One Week For a couple
    Sfr2,190
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    Sfr4,380
  • One Month For a couple
    Sfr9,386
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - Learn more about these numbers.
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A vacation to Lucerne for one week usually costs around Sfr1,095 for one person. So, a trip to Lucerne for two people costs around Sfr2,190 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs Sfr4,380 in Lucerne. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Lucerne can often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.



How expensive is Lucerne?

How much does a trip to Lucerne cost? Is Lucerne expensive? The average Lucerne trip cost is broken down by category here. All of these Lucerne prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.

While meal prices in Lucerne can vary, the average cost of food in Lucerne is Sfr45 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Lucerne should cost around Sfr18 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Lucerne is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.

The cost of a taxi ride in Lucerne is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent Sfr9 per person, per day, on local transportation in Lucerne.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sfr100
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    Sfr200
  • Food2 Meals for one day
    Sfr45
  • Local Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sfr9.14
  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sfr25
  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    Sfr16
Flights to Lucerne

How much does it cost to go to Lucerne? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend SkyScanner because they can find the best deals across all of the airlines.




How much money do I need for Lucerne?

Typical travel prices in Lucerne are listed below. These actual costs can give you an idea of the price of travel in Lucerne. Please keep in mind that the cost of travel in Lucerne can vary depending on your specific style of travel.


  • 1 Day Bicycle Rental
    Sfr31
  • The Swiss Transport Museum Entrance Fee
    Sfr32
Typical tour prices for Lucerne

How much do tours to Lucerne cost? Multi-day tours can often be an effecient way to see the highlights of a country or region.

  • Contiki Tours for 18-35 year olds
    11 days
    $ 1575
    ($143/day)
  • Intrepid Small group tours for everyone
    8 days
    $ 2535
    ($317/day)
  • Trafalgar Award-winning tours
    8 days
    $ 1450
    ($181/day)
  • G Adventures Adventure and cultural tours
    7 days
    $ 1375
    ($196/day)
Find a hostel, guesthouse, or B&B in Lucerne
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Lucerne On a Budget
Lucerne Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne is a relatively small city in the center of Switzerland. It is located across the lake from Altdorf and it has a thriving tourism industry. It's close proximity to many of the major sights in the country make it a great base for exploration. Many people use it as a jumping off point for exploring Mount Rigi and the Rutli Meadow.

The city itself is quite charming and a pleasure to explore on its own. It has a population of just over 80,000, making it the most populous city in Central Switzerland. It is also a hub for transportation and government in the region.

During the coldest winter months, the average lows in the city fall just below freezing and daytime highs are around about 4 degrees Celsius. During the warmer summer months, averages highs are around 24 degrees Celsius. Snow generally falls between the months of November and March, with occasional dustings during April and October.
Sights
Although many people use Lucerne as a base to explore Central Switzerland, the city itself has a lot to offer travelers. The Chapel Bridge is the landmark of the city. It's the oldest woodbridge in all of Europe and dates back to the 14th century. Unfortunately the original bridge burned in 1993 but was very quickly rebuilt. The old city wall is also interesting to see. It has several towers including the clock tower that chimes one minute before the hour so that it has the first strike in town.

Other interesting sights around town include Alpineum, the Glacier Garden, Bourbaki Panormama, the KKL, and the Lion Monument. Interesting museums include the Swiss Transport Museum, the Lucerne Art Museum, the Rosengart Collection, and the Richard Wagner Museum.
Neighborhoods
Lucerne is a small city and most visitors spend the majority of their time in the Old Town. The city is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne and has views of Mount Pilatus and Rigi in the Swiss Alps. Because of it's proximity to many outdoor destinations, the city makes a popular base for exploring the area.

Activities
Popular activities in the area include climbing Mount Pilatus, the top of which can be reached by either hiking or taking the cable car. If you choose to hike you can expect the ascent to take about four hours. Some people also decide to take a boat tour that will give you a ride between Lucerne and Alpnachstad.

There are a handful of other mountains you can visit that are near Lucerne. Many can be visited as day trips and will offer you a great overview of the beautiful surrounding countryside. Some of the popular mountains include Mount Rigi and Mount Titlis.

Lucerne also has a popular Carnival festival that is quite impressive if you're in the area.
Food and Dining
Food can be expensive in Lucerne, like it is elsewhere in Switzerland. There are a couple of budget options near the train station. Alternatively, you can pick up some food at the market and make a meal out of bread, cheese, meats, and some fruit. Migros and Coop are both huge supermarket chains that are generally affordable. You'll find small Migros and a larger Coop at the train station where you can grab something to eat as you arrive or leave the city. The chains are also present elsewhere around town and make a convenient place to grab some cheap food. If you don't want to prepare your own meal, then there are some delicious, although expensive restaurants around town.

Transportation
Lucerne Car Rental Prices
Compare prices across all major rental companies:
It's easy to walk around and reach most places on foot, so a car is definitely not necessary. The Old Town area is quite small, and all of the other, more distant attractions are still within a half hour's walk. Not only is it easy to walk around Lucerne, but it's also very enjoyable and highly recommended.

If you decide to take public transit, then there is an extensive city bus system. Further out attractions such as the Lido Beach and the Swiss Transport Museum can be reached by bus. There are also several boats an hour that can be caught in front of the central railway station. Also near the central railway station are bicycle rental facilities. There are bike lanes on most secondary streets and most drivers around town are comfortable with bicyclists.

If you're using Lucerne as a base to explore Central Switzerland, then you will make good use of the Swiss Federal Railway, the Schifffahrt Vierwaldstattersee, or the private transit companies that travel around the country. There are frequent connections and it is relatively easy to get around the area.


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Train and Bus Prices
The best prices for buses and trains in Switzerland can be found on Omio (formerly GoEuro). They let you search across all train, bus, and plane routes throughout Europe.

1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase.

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Lucerne Travel Cost - Average Price of a Vacation to Lucerne: Food & Meal Budget, Daily & Weekly Expenses | BudgetYourTrip.com
Travel Tips

Lucerne's Carnival

By backpackguru in Entertainment
Right before lent every year, Lucerne is one of several cities in Switzerland that celebrates a carnival. Lucerne's festival is most famous for its "march any direction you like" street parades, which can be as chaotic as the name implies. Carnival goers where elaborate masks and there is plenty of food, music, and entertainment. It's a particularly interesting time to be in Lucerne.



Lucerne's carnival week begins on Fat Tuesday and ends on Ash Wednesday. It begins on Fat Tuesday with Urknall (a loud bang) at 5am to officially kick off the festivities. If you'd like to blend in, where plenty of colorful clothes and pull out a mask.

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