Zürich / Zurich to Engelberg by train

This is one of the easiest Zurich to ski resort by train transfers.

The connecting time between trains at Luzern is around 21 mins and it is an exceptionally easy station in which to change trains, so a stress-free transfer is virtually guaranteed.

From Zurich Flughafen/Airport:

There are now direct trains between the station at Zurich Flughafen/Airport and Luzern
You no longer have to change trains at Zurich HB station; though if you board a train at the airport, it will reverse direction on departure from Zurich Hb station.

The brand new Twindexx trains are now used on some departures.

Booking Tickets:

Tickets can be booked online for this end-to-end journey which involve taking a SBB train + the train(s) on to Engelberg which are operated by Zentralbahn

Online bookings open: up to six months ahead of the travel date

‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.

Supersaver tickets are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific, see our Swiss Tickets guide for more advice on how to book these tickets

If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Individual Ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.

Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) of Saver Day Passes – they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.

Using Saver Day Passes:

Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued a Saver Day Pass may save you money, if you can book at least a couple of weeks ahead (usually), so that you can obtain the pass at a discounted price.

They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, though they are more likely to be a money saver if you will be making a day return trip between Zurich and Engelberg, even if you can book in advance.

They can be used on;

• the trains between Zurich Fughafen/Airport or Zurich HB station and Luzern
• the trains between Luzern and Engelberg

They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, so if you will be travelling back on another date, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey

Though they need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
They're also cheaper the further ahead that you book.