Where to stay in Lucerne
Lucerne is small, and almost everything you will want to see sits within a twenty minute walk of the station. Where you stay is a choice between three things: the old town for atmosphere, the lakeside for views and calm, or the station for trains and boats. Stay in the Altstadt for a first visit and expect to pay for it. Choose the lakefront for a quieter evening, and the hillside or Kriens if you want a lower price and don't mind a bus or a climb. It is expensive everywhere, so the real question is what you get for the money.
The short answer
- First trip
- The Altstadt, on either bank of the Reuss, if the budget allows.
- Couples
- The lakefront, for lake views and quiet evenings, or Wesemlin for a slower, greener stay.
- Families
- Tribschen, with the lake path and the Swiss Museum of Transport nearby, or Kriens for space.
- Tight budget
- Kriens, with a bus into town, or the station area.
- Day trips
- Near the station: boats leave from the pier beside it, and trains run from the same building.
How we judge an area of Lucerne: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Lucerne's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Chapel Bridge | Lion Monument | Station | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altstadt | A first visit | Lively at weekends | 5 min | 15 min | 5 min | On foot; the station is five minutes away | €€€€ |
| Station and Neustadt | Trains, boats, value | Busy by day, quiet later | 5 min | 20 min | 5 min | Station: trains, boats, buses | €€€ |
| The lakefront | Views and calm | Quiet | 10 min | 10 min | 5 min | On foot; buses on the quay | €€€€ |
| Tribschen | Families, quiet | Quiet | 25 min | 30 min | 20 min | Local buses; lake path | €€ |
| Wesemlin and the hillside | Quiet, green outlook | Very quiet | 10 min | 5 min | 10 min | On foot; local buses | €€ |
| Kriens | Budget, Pilatus | Quiet | 40 min | 55 min | 40 min | Bus to the center in 10 to 15 min | € |
Walking times run from the middle of each area: the straight line plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. Lucerne's center is flat; only the hillside behind the old town climbs. Price is our read from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest) until booking-site prices replace it.
Where the neighborhoods are
The Altstadt, for a first visit
Painted houses, two covered bridges and small squares on both banks of the Reuss, all on foot.
The old town runs along the Reuss where it leaves the lake. On the north bank are the Weinmarkt, the Kornmarkt and the lanes up to the Museggmauer; on the south bank are the Jesuit church and the streets back toward the station. Chapel Bridge and the Spreuer Bridge are both a few minutes from any hotel here. You will do most of the city on foot and never need a bus.
It is also the most expensive and the busiest area. Tour groups fill the bridges and the main lanes from mid-morning, and the bars on the riverfront and around the Weinmarkt are lively late on Friday and Saturday nights. Many hotels are in old buildings with small rooms and no lift. Ask for an upper floor or a room at the back if you sleep lightly.
Good for
- A first trip of one to three nights
- Walking to everything, with no bus or taxi
- Seeing the old town in the evening, after the day groups leave
Think twice if
- You are watching the budget: this is the dearest part of Lucerne
- You want a quiet street on a Friday or Saturday night
- You can't manage stairs and haven't checked for a lift
The station and Neustadt, for trains and boats
Trains, boats and buses in one place, and a flat five to ten minute walk over the bridges to the old town.
The main station stands on the south shore of the lake, beside the pier where the lake boats leave and the KKL concert hall. South of it, the Neustadt is a grid of streets with the bulk of the city's mid-range hotels, shops and offices. Trains to Zurich and Interlaken, the buses to the Pilatus cable car and the boats all start here, which makes it the easiest base for day trips.
The area is practical, not pretty. The streets right around the station are busy with traffic and commuters, and the Neustadt is quiet after the shops close, with fewer places to eat than the old town. The old town is a short walk across Seebrücke or Chapel Bridge, so you give up little, and rooms usually cost less than in the Altstadt.
Good for
- Day trips by train, boat or bus
- Arriving late or leaving early with luggage
- A mid-range price within walking distance of the old town
Think twice if
- You want historic streets round your hotel
- You want a lot of restaurants within a minute of your door
- You dislike traffic and trams outside your window
Staying in Station and Neustadt: nearby sights, food and getting around
The lakefront, for views and calm
The promenade along Schweizerhofquai, Nationalquai and Haldenstrasse, with the lake and the mountains in front of you.
East of the old town on the north shore, a line of grand hotels from the nineteenth century faces the water along Schweizerhofquai and then Haldenstrasse. The promenade is flat and tree-lined, the boats come and go in front of you, and on a clear day the mountains are visible across the lake. Chapel Bridge is a ten minute walk along the quay.
It is calm at night and among the dearest places to sleep in the city. Lake-view rooms cost much more than rooms at the back, so be clear what you are paying for. There is little in the way of everyday shops or cheap food on the quay itself; for dinner you walk back into the old town. Further along Haldenstrasse the hotels thin out and the walk to the sights grows.
Good for
- Couples who want a view and quiet evenings
- A lake walk from your door
- A short walk to the old town and the boats
Think twice if
- You are on a budget: lake-view rooms are very expensive
- You want a street of restaurants and bars outside
- You are booking a room at the back and expecting a view
Staying in The lakefront: nearby sights, food and getting around
Tribschen, for families and the lake path
A residential quarter on the south shore, with a park, the Wagner museum and a lakeside walk of about twenty-five minutes to the old town.
Tribschen lies on the south-east shore of the Bay of Lucerne, with a small park by the water and the house where Richard Wagner lived for several years, now a museum. The streets are mostly apartment blocks and villas, and the lake path runs along the water into town, a walk of about twenty-five minutes.
It is quiet at night, usually cheaper than the center, and calmer for families with children, with open space by the lake and the Swiss Museum of Transport a short way along the shore. There are few hotels and few restaurants, and you will use a bus or the lake path to get into town. A good fit for a longer stay or a car, less so for a short city break on foot.
Good for
- Families who want green space and a lake walk
- Quiet nights and lower prices than the center
- The Swiss Museum of Transport nearby
Think twice if
- You want to walk out to dinner in the old town
- You want many hotels to choose from
- You have a late night in town and don't want a bus home
Staying in Tribschen: nearby sights, food and getting around
Wesemlin and the hillside, for quiet
Residential streets on the slope behind the old town, near the Lion Monument and the Museggmauer, with a short uphill walk home.
Wesemlin is the wooded slope north-east of the old town, with villas, a Capuchin monastery and a few small hotels and guesthouses. The Lion Monument and the Glacier Garden are on the lower edge, and the Museggmauer wall and its towers run along the ridge to the west. The old town is ten to fifteen minutes downhill on foot.
The nights are quiet and prices are lower than in the center. The walk is steep in places on the way back, so it is hard work with heavy bags or tired legs, and in winter the slope can be icy. There are few restaurants on the hill itself. It suits someone who likes walking and wants a green view more than a doorstep to the old town.
Good for
- Quiet nights close to the old town
- The Lion Monument and the old wall on foot
- Lower prices than the Altstadt or the lakefront
Think twice if
- You find hills or steps hard
- You want restaurants at the door
- You will carry large bags without a taxi
Staying in Wesemlin and the hillside: nearby sights, food and getting around
Kriens, for a cheaper stay
A town on the south-west edge of Lucerne, a bus ride from the center and the foot of the Pilatus cable car.
Kriens is a separate town that runs into Lucerne. It has a busy center of shops and housing, a few hotels, and the lower station of the Pilatus gondola and cable car. Buses run into the center of Lucerne in about ten to fifteen minutes. Horw, on the lake south of the city, is a similar choice on the other side.
It is the cheapest way to sleep near Lucerne, but it is not on foot from anywhere you came to see. You will take the bus each way, and the last buses home leave earlier than the bars close. Check the timetable and the cost of the ticket before you book. It makes sense for a longer stay, for Pilatus, or for anyone with a car.
Good for
- A lower price within a short bus ride
- Going up Pilatus without a transfer
- Longer stays and driving
Think twice if
- You want to walk to dinner in the old town
- You are planning a late night in town
- You are staying only one or two nights
Where not to stay in Lucerne, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Lucerne. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A lake-view room that is not on the lake side
Hotels on the quay sell rooms 'with a view' at a high price, and some of them face the street or a side wall. Confirm the room faces the water before you pay the difference.
- A room over the riverfront bars, if you want to sleep
Pretty and central, and loud late on Friday and Saturday. Ask for the back or an upper floor, or stay a street or two away.
- A cheap room in a far suburb with no bus plan
The rate looks low until you add the bus ticket each way and the early last bus. Lucerne is small: stay within a short walk or a short bus ride of the lake.
- The hillside with luggage and no taxi
The views are good and the climb is real, especially in rain or ice. Choose a hotel on the lower slope or take a taxi from the station.
- One night only, in a hurry
The old town is at its best in the evening, after the coaches leave. Stay one night at least, and use the extra morning for the lake.
Which neighborhood suits you
First time in Lucerne
The Altstadt for a night or two; the station area if the price is too high.
Families with children
Tribschen for the lake and open space, or Kriens for larger rooms at a lower price.
A tight budget
Kriens, with the bus into town, or the station area.
Day trips
The station area, for trains, boats and the bus to the Pilatus cable car.
Pilatus
Kriens, beside the lower cable car station, or the station area for the bus.
Evenings out
The Altstadt, with a room at the back.
Before you book a room in Lucerne
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Lucerne makes a good stay.
- The visitor's taxThe canton of Lucerne charges a visitor's tax of CHF 1.10 per person per night from 2026, double the former CHF 0.50. Some places charge more for the type of accommodation, so check what your booking says. It is usually added at the hotel or in the final price, and many hotels give you a guest card in return for local transport discounts.
- From Zurich airportDirect trains run from the station under Zurich airport to Lucerne in about an hour, so you don't need to go into central Zurich. Buy the ticket at the machines or in the SBB app, and check the timetable for the next direct train, because some services need a change.
- Trains in LucerneThe main station is on the lake, close to the old town, and trains run to Zurich, Bern and Interlaken. Boats and buses leave from the same area, so a room near the station saves time on day trips.
- Mountain daysPilatus and Rigi depend on the weather. Plan the hotel around the old town or the station, not the mountain, and decide on the day. A flexible rate helps if the forecast changes.
- DecemberThe old town has Christmas lights and a small market, and hotels there cost more. Cloud can hide the mountains for days, so don't pay extra for a view you may not get.
- PricesSwitzerland is expensive, and Lucerne is one of its dearest tourist cities. Rooms cost most from June to September and in December. If a price looks low, check whether it includes breakfast and the tax.
- Lifts and stairsMany old-town hotels are in historic buildings with small lifts or none. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book, not when you arrive.
Where to stay in Lucerne: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Lucerne for a first visit?
The Altstadt, on either bank of the Reuss. Chapel Bridge, the Spreuer Bridge and the lakeside are all within fifteen minutes on foot. If the price is too high, choose a hotel near the station, which is a five to ten minute walk away.
Is it better to stay near the lake or in the old town?
The old town for atmosphere and evenings out, the lake for quiet and views. Both are in walking distance of each other, so you can have the other one on foot. Lake-view rooms cost a lot more.
Is it worth staying near the train station?
Yes, for trains, boats and day trips, and often for a lower price than the old town. The streets by the station are functional, not pretty, and the old town is five to ten minutes away.
Can I stay somewhere cheaper and still see the sights?
Yes. The station area and the Neustadt are a short walk from the old town, and Kriens is about ten to fifteen minutes by bus. Lucerne is expensive, but it is small.
How many nights do you need in Lucerne?
Two nights covers the bridges, the old town, the Lion Monument and a boat trip. Add a night if you want a mountain day on Pilatus or Rigi, since the weather may force you to switch days.
How do I get from Zurich airport to Lucerne?
Take a direct train from the airport station to Lucerne, which takes about an hour. Buy a ticket at the machines or in the SBB app. You don't need to go through the center of Zurich.
How much is the visitor's tax in Lucerne?
CHF 1.10 per person per night from 2026 in the canton of Lucerne. Some accommodation types are charged more, and it is usually collected by the hotel on top of the room price.
Is Lucerne safe at night?
Yes, very. The old town is busy and lit on weekend nights, and the lakefront and the station area are well used. Watch your bag in crowds on the bridges, as you would anywhere.
