Taking the bus and train in Luzern

Buying a ticket, understanding zones, travelling cheaper with the Halbtax. This is how you use bus and train in Luzern.

In Luzern, buses and trains run often and on time. For Luzern, Obwalden and Nidwalden the fare network (Tarifverbund) Passepartout applies. That means: 1 ticket is valid for bus and train in the region.

Zones

The area is divided into zones. The city of Luzern is zone 10. You pay for the zones you travel through. The ticket machine and the app calculate the zones automatically.

Buying a ticket

You need a valid ticket before the bus or train leaves. You cannot buy a ticket on the train. You can buy one:

  • at the ticket machine at the stop,
  • in a ticket app on your mobile phone,
  • at the ticket counter at the train station.

There are single tickets for one trip and day passes for the whole day. A multi-trip ticket (Mehrfahrtenkarte) has 6 trips.

Ticket checks

Inspectors check the tickets on the bus and on the train. Without a valid ticket you pay a high fee (Zuschlag). Show your ticket and an ID.

Travelling cheaper

  • Halbtax: You pay for a pass once a year and then travel at half price. This applies in all of Switzerland.
  • Junior-Karte: Children from 6 to 16 years travel almost for free with their parents. It costs CHF 30 per year.
  • Children up to 6 years travel for free.
  • Do you travel every day? A monthly or yearly pass is often cheaper.

What you can do now

  1. Download a ticket app. Passepartout shows the apps on passepartout.ch.
  2. Always buy the ticket before you get on.
  3. Do you travel often? Use the price calculator on passepartout.ch to check if a pass is worth it.
  4. Ask at the train station counter about the Halbtax.

Tarifverbund Passepartout, Billette (2026-09-21)

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