MyMaleEgo

Hi guys, we are two couples traveling to Europe at the end of August.
We are planning to fly into Zurich, stay there for a couple of days, take a few day trips to Lucern and Berne. Then we are planning to drive down to Lugano spend a few days there and cross the boarder into Italy. Planning to stay in the lake Como region and explore the area for a few days then drive down to Milan and fly back home.

Any tips and ideas are welcome.

Couple of concerning questions:

Where to stay in Zurich?
Getting a rental car so any tips would be welcome
We have only 9 days to do all of this so trying to minimize, how long do we need in Lucerne?
What should we visit in lake como region?
Where to stay in Milan
Where to shop in Milan?

hetismij2

If you rent a car in Switzerland and leave it in Italy you are likely to get hit with high one-way cross border rental fees. You should check what those fees will be - you may have to pay them on collecting the car.
Also anyone planning to drive the car in Italy, and not in possession of an EU licence, must have an International Drivers Permit - which you can get for not a lot from the AAA.

nytraveler

Do NOT stay in Zurich. It is primarily a business city and not really near the mountains. Stay closer to what you really want to see - Lucern (for Pilatus or Titlus) or the foothills of the BO (for Jungfrau). Otherwise you will just spend a ton of time riding around on trains and not seeing/doing what you want.

neckervd

If you fly home from Milano Malpensa (MXP) give your car back in the Swiss neighbourhood and reach MXP by train or bus:
from Chiasso/Como every hr, change trains at Saronno
from Bellinzona every 2 hrs, direct but slow trains
from Lugano sevaral direct buses daily

SWITZERLAND BY CAR

If you want to visit Switzerland by car, don’t choose just the places that can NOT be reached by car (like Muerren, Schynige Platte, Schilthorn, First, Kleine Scheidegg, Maennlichen, Rigi, etc). Otherwise you will have to pay for both: car rental, fuel (about 8 USD per US gallon/3,85 litres) AND mountain railways.

There are tons of beautiful places in the Swiss Alps which can be reached by car. Some suggestions:

Drive from Martigny to Col de la Gueulaz on Lake Emosson (2000m/6600ft). You are then just in front of the Northern side of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain chain of Western Europe. The glaciers of Trient, Tour, Argentiere as well as the peaks of Aiguille d'Argentiere (3900m/13000fr), Aiguille Verte (4120m/13500ft), Grandes Jorasse (4210m/13800ft), Mont Blanc (4810m/15800ft) ar jus a few miles away.

Drive from Martigny to Grand St Bernard Pass (2470m/8100ft) and hike in 1/2 hr to La Chenalette (2800m/9200ft). From there, you have a stupenous view to the Southern side of Mont Blanc (A Neuve Glacier, dolent Glacier, Pre de Bar Glacier, Triolet Glacier as well as a lot of 3800 to 4800m / 13000 to 15800ft high peaks). In the South, but farther away, you see the glaciers and peaks of the Gran Paradiso chain.
A easy, but very scenic 6hrs circular hike goes from Col du Gd St-Bernard via Col des Chevaux - Lake Petit Le - Col de Bastillon to the 3 blue mountain lakes of Fenetre and then over teh Col de Fenetre de Ferret back to Col du Gd St-Bernard.

Drive from Sion to Col du Sanetsch (2250m/7400ft) and hike in about 2 hrs to Refuge/Restaurant La Quille du Diable on Tsanfleuron Glacier (2900m/9500ft). You are there on the top of a perpendicular cliff and can look down to Lake Derborence, just 1500m/5000ft below your feet. Stupendous view to Mont Blanc chain, Grand Combin, Mont Collon and tons of other peaks.

Drive from Sierre to Grimentz and then up to the end of the road on Lake Moiry (2250m/7400ft) and hike then in aobut 1 hr to Moiry hut (Swiss Alpine club) and Moiry Glacier.

Drive from Brig to Ried-Moerel, go by gondola to Riederalp (5 CHF/one way), hike in 1/2 hr to Riederfurka (2070m/6800ft), visit the visitor's centre/museum of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Nature reserve, walk through the Aletsch Forest and have a look at the Aletsch Glacier (longest glacier of Europe) just below and in front of you.

Drive to Breuil-Cervinia (Italian neighbourhood, 2000m/6500ft) and go by cableway to Plateau Rosa (28 EUR/35 USD roundtrip). Plateau Rosa (3500m/11500ft) is close to Matterhorn Paradise/Kleinmatterhorn (1 mile away, same panorama). The roundtrip ticket from Taesch Parking to Materrhorn Paradise costs 107 CHF/112 USD

Drive to Grimsel Pass (2200m/7200ft) and hike in about 1 1/2 hr to Sidelhorn (2800m/9200ft). Panoranc views to Unteraar Glacier, Oberaar Glacier, 6 mountain lakes around Grimsel Pass, Finsteraarhorn (4300m/14100ft) and dozens of other peaks. You may also hike from Grimsel Pass to Lake Oberaar (1 hr) and along this lake to Oberaar Glacier (another hr).
Drive then from Grimsel Pass to Furka Belvedere and visit the Ice cave in the Rhone Glacier.
Another road in the same area goes to Nufenenpass/Griessee. The hike from the end of the road to Lake Griessee - Gries Pass - Gries Glacier takes about 1 1/2 hrs.

Drive from Davos or St. Moritz to Stelvio Pass (2800m/9200ft). Hike to the glaciers (1 hr or so) or enjoy them from Piz da las Trais Linguas (3 languages peak; 2850m/9400ft)

MyMaleEgo

Thank you for your wonderful response but due to sports injuries we cant really hike much so we will be limited to casuals strolls around cities, landmarks and museums.
Considering this, what would you suggest?

Huggy

Hr

nytraveler

Are you going to Switz and ignoring the Alps???

There is no need to hike - you can ascend the mountains by train, cog railway and/or cable car - and see a lot on the tops of the mountains (as well as views on the way up)without anything like a hike - just a gentle walk.

nytraveler

Are you going to Switz and ignoring the Alps???

There is no need to hike - you can ascend the mountains by train, cog railway and/or cable car - and see a lot on the tops of the mountains (as well as views on the way up)without anything like a hike - just a gentle walk.