I’ve already blogged about my trip to Rigi once before. But it was at a time when I had no idea about the existence of the Day Pass or even the Swiss Travel Pass. So back then, we paid a small fortune (in our eyes) for this trip to Rigi. Fortunately, our boys were not yet six years old, so they got a free ride on the cog railway. But now that I am much more experienced and know something about traveling in Switzerland, I can present you with an option that won’t put too much strain on your family budget, and you can enjoy the beauty of central Switzerland to the fullest.
What is a Day Pass
The Day Pass is a one-day ticket that allows you to travel for one day throughout Switzerland on all 2nd-class trains, buses, boats, and some cable cars for a discounted single price! You can buy it either on the SBB app (Spartageskarte/Saver Day Pass), where you have to choose your travel dates immediately. Of course, the closer the date, the more expensive the Saver Day Pass is. The same applies to the Municipal Saver Day Pass, which you can get at your Gemeinde, i.e., the town hall. If you have a Halb Fare Travel Card, you can also get this Saver Day Pass for the nice price of 39 francs. But as I said, the downside is that you have to choose a specific day for your trip. So, if you have a beautiful mountain trip planned, but it’s raining all over Switzerland, you’re simply out of luck.
The big hit in this case is the Day Pass from InterDiscount*, which appears about twice a year in their offer. You can buy it for 49 francs and its undeniable advantage is that you can decide the day of your trip yourself. It just has to be within the validity of the Day Pass (whereas the Interdiscount Tageskarte bought last summer was only valid until mid-October; this year, it was valid until 20 December!). I probably don’t need to tell you that these Day Passes disappear very quickly, either from branches or the e-shop, so you must keep an eye on the sale dates as stocks are not inexhaustible.
*This is not a paid collaboration; I don’t have a discount or a code here.
You get a 50% discount on mountain transport with a Day Pass. The exceptions are Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos, which are free with the Day Pass. The same applies to the Swiss Travel Pass.
A trip to Rigi from Lucerne by boat and cable car, back by cog railway and boat
By boat from Lucerne to Weggis
We marked our Day Passes at the train station early in the morning and took the train to Lucerne. I was a little worried that with the train arriving at 9.05 and the boat leaving at 9.12, it would be very tight, and we might not make it (luckily, another boat was going in an hour). But since the Lucerne dock is right across the street from the train station building, it was possible to make it in a hurry. In less-than-ideal weather, we sat on the ship’s bow, where the benches were soaked from the morning rain. Before long, we even had to pull out scarves and hats and a thermos of hot tea. Fortunately, during the hour-long cruise, the weather did a 180-degree turn; the wind blew the clouds away, and we were off the boat in the pleasant and, more importantly, warm sunshine in Weggis.
Cable car from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad
It is about a kilometer from the pier to the cable car’s valley station, which goes to Rigi Kaltbad. It’s pretty uphill, but the path is wheelchair accessible so you can manage it with a stroller. Here we didn’t have to wait in any queue at the ticket office, we went straight to the turnstile where we showed our Day Passes and waited with the other passengers for the cable car to arrive. On the way in the glass cabin, we could enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Lucerne.
Hiking from Rigi Kaltbad to Rigi Kulm
The route from Rigi Kaltbad to Rigi Kulm is a classic. First it leads to the Chänzeli viewpoint. It gets its name from its pulpit-like position (“Kanzel” in high German).
Along the railway tracks, the trail continues through Staffelhöhe to Kulm and the historic Rigi Kulm Hotel. Here, in addition to the hotel, you’ll find a pleasant self-service restaurant with a large terrace, from which (as usual) there are spectacular views.
Once properly nourished, you can head to the last section of the route, right to the top, to the transmitting tower. The funny signpost shows you can choose a steeper or more comfortable route.
By cog railway to Vitznau
Did you know that the Vitznau to Rigi cog railway, which was put into operation in 1871, was the first European mountain railway? A 40-minute comfortable ride from Rigi Kulm, and you’re back on the shores of Lake Lucerne in Vitznau. Again, the timetable is tight, but with the cog railway’s valley station just opposite the pier, the change is nicely manageable.
By boat back to Lucerne
The boat ride back was the opposite of what we experienced in the morning. The sun’s rays stung our eyes, and the rocking swayed some fellow cruisers into a short nap. In Lucerne, we were greeted by the Lozärner Määs (Herbstmesse), which is the autumn fair. But the crowds discouraged us from visiting the attractions (and it was a weekday). So we at least went to the famous Chapel Bridge and then took the train home.
As my dad mentioned at the end of the trip, “We used every means of transport except the plane and the submarine.” And that’s why the Day Pass is worth it, don’t you think? Let me know where you went with the Day Pass!
