Mary

We're still planning a Switzerland trip for Spring 2002 and are considering renting a hotel or apartment for 10 days in or very near Lucerne. Of course we'll do day trips from there but thought for first timers, Central Switzerland seemed like a good sampling and Lucerne sounds fabulous. Is 10 days too long to be in one spot, even with day trips? We really don't want to be packing and unpacking if possible.Thanks for any opinions. <BR>Mary

Ed

Yes. <BR> <BR>At least if you're thinking of using a car. We've spent two weeks just outside Luzern on the north shore of the Vierwaldstättersee in Vitznau. Lots and lots of day trip opportunities. <BR> <BR>Generally I suggest using public transport in Switzerland as the trains (and boats and cables and buses) are so excellent and pervasive, but Luzern (and surrounds) really don't have the service for 10 days worth of trips. Bern or Zürich, because of rail routes and schedules, would make better hubs for 10 days worth of day trips by public transport. <BR> <BR>If you've not been to Switzerland you really owe yourself a visit to the mountains. We spend most of our time in Switzerland now based in the mountains around the Jungfrau at Mürren. <BR> <BR>Notes on driving in the country at <BR>www.twenj.com/swissbycar.htm <BR>and about train service at <BR>www.twenj.com/swissrail.htm

Russell Wayne

I agree completely with Ed. Lucerne and Zurich are both interesting for a few days, but if you're planning to settle in for 10 days, the Bernese Oberland is as good as it gets. The center of that area is Interlaken, but you'll be a lot happier just outside the city. For us, it's a hard choice: between the spectacular mountain setting at Murren or a spectacular lakeside setting at Iseltwald. We most recently picked the latter since it gave us lots of flexibility for getting around by car and train. Our hotel was the Chalet Du Lac. From that base, one can easily make day trips to Luzern, throughout the valley below the Jungfrau, Kandersteg or even Zermatt, if you are interested. The only hitch with Murren is that traveling to and from is a bit more time-consuming, since you have to take the cograil/funicular combination to get back to the Lauterbrunnen transportation center en route to most places you may want to visit. If you are planning lots of day trips, I'd stay on the lake. If not, it's Murren.

dan woodlief

Mary, I would concur with the others. For Lucerne and the lake themselves, 2-3 days would be very adequate, and you could make a daytrip or two from there. I would spend the rest in the Interlaken area, preferably staying right in the mountains at either Murren or Wengen. From my limited experience, the mornings are best for weather in the mountains; I have heard others say the same, but I couldn't tell you if the spring is the same as late August. Regardless, it is great to head out early into the mountains, into the crisp air before most people arrive. Harder to do on a daytrip. Luzern to Interlaken is an attractive ride, but it isn't short enough that I would want to go back and forth very much.

jw

I must disagree with these fellows. I think you can happily spend ten days in Lucerne (or nearby) if you don't mind spending a lot of time on trains for some of the daytrips (experiment with the SBB timetable site by plugging in Lucerne and various destinations)(oops, you didn't mention your mode of travel; I speak from a Swiss Pass train/bus/boat perspective). Just be sure to alternate between long days and short ones. Ten days will give you the luxury of assigning whole days to lake boat experiences or walking old streets, or picnicing. Long train-ride days (and these are not a penance -- the scenery is so beautiful) will get you to Lugano or Berne or Lausanne or the mountains. You'll experience French-speaking Switzerland in Lausanne and Italian Switzerland in Lugano, and you'll have the pleasure to visiting with many interesting people while you ride those remarkable Swiss trains. OK, so I've put in my two-cents worth. Just trying to balance the con votes with a pro vote.

Allison

This will be short and sweet...I spend one night in Lucerne and that was long enough. The trains are so easy to take, and it's more fun to see different areas and stay in different places. We used Lucerne as a half way spot from Milan to Munich!

Mary

After reading the great resposes, I'm reconsidering to perhaps divide the time in half (5 days each) between Lucerne and another city, perhaps Bern or Interlaken or Grindelwald....what do you think of these 3 cities as a 2nd home base?

Russell Wayne

I still think five days in Lucerne is excessive. But for the trip to Zurich, other day trips will prove inconvenient. Lucerne has a nice enough setting and time there might be even more enjoyable by staying outside the city, as Ed had suggested in an earlier post. Of the areas to be considered for the other base, Interlaken and the surrounding area would be my top choice. In that area, the question is whether to stay on one of the two lakes or up in the mountains. If the latter, it's either Murren or Wengen. Murren is more spectacular. Wengen is more convenient. On the lakes, I prefer Iseltwald on Lake Brienz, but there are several other options. Forget about Bern as a base. The city is less appealing than Zurich, Lucern or Geneva and has an undistinguished setting. Once you arrive in the areas we've pointed out, you'll understand the reasons for our preferences.

jw

Another two-cents worth. Berne is lovely with its arcades and colorful fountains. But it is not on a lake, and I agree with the poster above that a town on a lake in Switzerland is something very, very special. Are you driving or training? Iseltwald is lovely but is not on the rail line. Brienz is well-connected and pretty, and if I remember correctly, the view from Brienz toward the mountains is beautiful. What about Lausanne on Lac Leman? (Lake Geneva) These are all sweet places for me, but I suppose if I were to be really objective, I'd have to agree with many of your replies -- a five-day stay IN the mountains would probably contrast beautifully with your five days on Lucerne's lake. I think the advice about Wengen's convenience is probably very good -- especially if you want to be able to visit Thun or Brienz (and the nearby Ballenberg outdoor Museum), or Bern as day-trips from there. Don't forget that beautiful waterfall near Iseltwald. (Giessbach?) <BR>Let me conclude by saying that you will NEVER regret staying in one place for five nights (remember I was the eccentric who voted for ten). jw