There are 8 ways to get from Essen to Lucerne by train, bus, car, or plane
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train via Basel
best- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Basel SBBtrain 43
- Take the train from Basel SBB to Luzerntrain Ic21 / ...
6h 27mCHF 128–345Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Essen central train station to Cologne Airport CGNbus 084 / ...
- Take the bus from Cologne Airport CGN to Saarbrücken bus stationbus 011
- Take the bus from Saarbrücken bus station to Luzernbus
11h 50mCHF 44–78Drive 642.7 km
- Drive from Essen to Lucernecar 642.7 km
5h 30mCHF 105–151Fly Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport, train
- Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane DUS - ZRH
- Take the train from Zürich HB to Luzerntrain
4h 49mCHF 99–276Train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Koeln Messe/Deutztrain Re
- Take the train from Köln Messe/Deutz to Zürich HBtrain
- Take the train from Zürich HB to Luzerntrain Ir / ...
11h 50mCHF 99–229Train to Frankfurt, fly to Zurich Airport, train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane FRA - ZRH
- Take the train from Zürich HB to Luzerntrain
4h 51mCHF 148–414Train to Cologne Bonn Airport, fly to Zurich Airport, train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bftrain
- Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Zurich Airport (ZRH)plane CGN - ZRH
- Take the train from Zürich HB to Luzerntrain
5h 33mCHF 102–303Train to Frankfurt, fly to Basel, train
- Take the train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurttrain
- Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Basel (BSL)plane FRA - BSL
- Take the train from Basel SBB to Luzerntrain
5h 46mCHF 185–479
Essen to Lucerne by train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Essen to Lucerne is to bus which costs SFr 40 - SFr 80 and takes 11h 50m.
The fastest way to get from Essen to Lucerne is to fly and train which takes 4h 49m and costs SFr 95 - SFr 280.
No, there is no direct bus from Essen station to Lucerne. However, there are services departing from Essen central train station and arriving at Luzern via Cologne Airport CGN and Saarbrücken bus station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 11h 50m.
No, there is no direct train from Essen to Lucerne. However, there are services departing from Essen Hbf and arriving at Luzern via Basel SBB. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 6h 27m.
The distance between Essen and Lucerne is 668 km. The road distance is 642.7 km.
The best way to get from Essen to Lucerne without a car is to train via Basel which takes 6h 27m and costs SFr 120 - SFr 350.
It takes approximately 6h 27m to get from Essen to Lucerne, including transfers.
Essen to Lucerne bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Essen central train station.
Essen to Lucerne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), depart from Essen Hbf station.
The best way to get from Essen to Lucerne is to train via Basel which takes 6h 27m and costs SFr 120 - SFr 350. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs SFr 40 - SFr 80 and takes 11h 50m.
What companies run services between Essen, Germany and Lucerne, Switzerland?
You can take a train from Essen Hbf to Luzern via Basel SBB in around 6h 27m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Essen central train station to Luzern via Cologne Airport CGN and Saarbrücken bus station in around 11h 50m.
- Website
- swiss.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–180
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 57 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–470
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–190
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 95–410
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 85–360
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 7m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–180
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 57 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–470
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–350
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 58 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 95–550
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- When
- Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- CHF 50–420
- Website
- eurowings.com
Flights from Düsseldorf International Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–180
Flights from Cologne Bonn Airport to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–190
- Website
- condor.com
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- CHF 75–200
- Website
- airdolomiti.it
Flights from Frankfurt to Zurich Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- CHF 120–470
Flights from Frankfurt to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Monday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- CHF 150–550
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 48m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- CHF 95–300
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 49m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- CHF 40–130
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 52 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- CHF 13–45
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +41 848 446 688
- Website
- sbb.ch
Train from Basel SBB to Luzern
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- CHF 30–90
- Website
- https://www.sbb.ch/en
Train from Zürich HB to Luzern
- Ave. Duration
- 41 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 18–55
- Website
- https://www.sbb.ch/en
- Phone
- +41 58 580 70 70
- Website
- sob.ch
Train from Basel SBB to Luzern
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 1m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- CHF 30–45
- Schedules at
- sob.ch
- Phone
- +49 221 13 999 444
- Website
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Koeln Messe/Deutz
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 28m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Köln Messe/Deutz Bf
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Schedules at
- nationalexpress.de
- Phone
- +49 30 2970
- Website
- bahn.de
Train from Essen Hbf to Koeln Messe/Deutz
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 32m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- CHF 16–25
- Website
- https://int.bahn.de/en
- Phone
- +31 30 751 5155
- Website
- ns.nl
Train from Köln Messe/Deutz to Zürich HB
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 20m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- CHF 65–150
- Website
- https://www.ns.nl/en
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.fr
Bus from Essen central train station to Cologne Airport CGN
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- CHF 5–10
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Cologne Airport CGN to Saarbrücken bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- CHF 16–27
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Saarbrücken bus station to Luzern
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 55m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- CHF 23–40
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +3 318 576 2228
- Website
- blablacar.co.uk
Bus from Essen central train station to Cologne Airport CGN
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- CHF 6–11
- Website
- https://www.blablacar.co.uk/bus
- Phone
- +380 98 815 4444
- support@ewe.ua
- Website
- ewe.ua
Bus from Essen central train station to Cologne Airport CGN
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 26m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- CHF 5–9
- Website
- https://ewe.ua/
Want to know more about travelling around Switzerland
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More Questions & Answers
Essen to Lucerne bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Cologne Airport CGN station.
Essen to Lucerne train services, operated by Deutsche Bahn Intercity (DB IC), arrive at Basel SBB station.
Yes, the driving distance between Essen to Lucerne is 643 km. It takes approximately 5h 30m to drive from Essen to Lucerne.
Book your Essen to Lucerne train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Essen to Lucerne bus tickets online with Omio and FlixBus.
There are 663+ hotels available in Lucerne.






































