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LONG STORY SHORT: Skip the yearly bus pass. Download Nextbike. Get 30 free minutes per ride. Lucerne is small enough that you’ll rarely need more than that, and if you do, it only costs CHF 1 every 15 minutes after. Save the bus pass for winter if you need it.

How it all started

As soon as I moved to Lucerne, one of the first things I had to figure out was how to get around. And without thinking about it too much, I walked straight to the SBB office at the train station and bought a yearly bus pass for zone 10 (the city centre). Something that, if I could go back, I’d definitely do differently.

The pass cost me around CHF 500, and that’s the under-25 price. Without the discount, it would have been even more expensive. The only way to not feel that sting is if you plan to use the bus constantly – and it was only later that I realised just how walkable and bikeable Lucerne actually is. Everything is close. Most things are reachable on foot or by bike in under 20 minutes.

“But what about when it snows?”

Fair question – we are in Switzerland, after all. But here’s the thing: when it snows in Lucerne, the streets get cleared quickly. And if you’re not comfortable biking in wintry conditions, you can always buy a monthly bus pass (around CHF 60) for the months when snow is actually an issue. In my experience, that’s been around mid/late November and January – so realistically just two months, not the whole winter.

Two monthly passes = CHF 120. A yearly pass = CHF 500. You do the maths.

So, what is Nextbike?

Nextbike is one of Europe’s largest bike-sharing systems, operating in over 300 cities across 23 countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Central Switzerland, it’s available across a wide range of municipalities including Lucerne, Kriens, Horw, Emmen, Sursee, Stans, Sarnen and many more, so it’s not just a Lucerne thing.

The best part? Once you’re registered, your account works across all nextbike cities worldwide. So if you travel to Berlin, Vienna or anywhere else they operate, you’re already set up.

How it works

1. Download the Nextbike app
2. Register with your Swiss phone number (required for verification)
3. Pay a CHF 1 deposit which becomes credit on your account
4. Open the app and enable location – the map will show you all available bikes nearby, whether at a designated station or parked elsewhere in the area
5. Find a bike and scan the QR code on the frame – the lock opens automatically
6. Ride! You have 30 free minutes per ride
7. When you’re done, return the bike to any official Nextbike station and press the FrameLock lever down to lock it

IMPORTANT : If you return your bike outside of a station, a service fee of at least CHF 20 for bikes will be charged – so always make sure you’re at an official station before locking up. The stations are clearly marked in the app.

The verdict

If you’re a student in Lucerne and you haven’t downloaded Nextbike yet, do it today. It’s free to register, the rides are free for the first 30 minutes, and Lucerne is exactly the right size to make it work perfectly. Save the bus pass for the months you actually need it, and put those CHF 500 towards something better!

Are you already a Nextbike user, or is this the first time you’re hearing about it?

I’d love to know! Drop a comment below, and share this with anyone who’s about to make the same mistake I did.