twins77

I posted a while back about planning a trip for this June 2014 for my family of four. I have been researching many areas of Switzerland and we are still trying to figure out which areas would be best to visit. We were hoping to fly in to Zurich and work our way into Italy. We have about 12-14 days and then want to end our trip with a relaxing location possibly the island of Sardinia, wheer the boys can swim and relax and then fly home. I welcome and suggestions of cities and areas to take in from Zurich. I am feeling overwhelmed by Switzerland there is so much to see I cannot seem to narrow it down to which places would be the best for twin 16 year olds and which have best scenery. We also would like to take the rail if possible and not rent a car.
I thought of this possible itinerary -

Zurich - 2 days
Interlaken- 2 days
Lucern -1 day
Bellagio Lake Como 1 day
Ticiano & Lugano 3 days (
Lake Maggiore & Verbania - 2 days
Italian Riviera - 2 days or possibly head toward French Riviera? (we welcome suggestions) We did Southern Italy last summer.

Then on to Sardinia if it can be done without too much travel time, for 6 days
I welcome all suggestions. We have usually taken cruises so planning a 20 day land trip has been very challenging. Thank you all sooo much!

kja

I must admit that this itinerary strikes me as overly ambitious for a family of 4. You will lose a chunk of time each time you relocate -- time to pack and unpack, go to/from the train/bus station and your hotel, check in/out, get oriented, etc. I think you would do well to consider limiting the number of places in which you will stay.

I thoroughly enjoyed Zurich for its museums, churches, etc. -- but that doesn't sound like what you are seeking. If Alpine scenery is your aim, then consider adding time to Interlaken (or staying in Lauterbrunnen or other nearby location) and/or Lucerne. Depending on what you want to see and do, each area offers enough that I would think you could easily settle in for 3 or 4 days and still find it difficult to decide what to skip.

The Ticino and Lugano could, IMO, also easily keep you happy for more than 3 days. You might consider skipping Bellagio/Lake Como.

If you are fully committed to ending your trip in Sardinia, a stop along the Italian Rivera makes sense -- but only if you are willing to relocate again. With so little time in the area, I personally wouldn't try to visit the French Riviera. I haven't been to Sardinia yet, nor have I been to Corsica, so I can't comment on that part of your plan.

Hope that helps!

bvlenci

I agree that there's too much moving around. When you say "1 day in Lucerne" followed by "1 day in Bellagio", I have a feeling you mean one night in each place; otherwise your days would add up to more than the total time you've indicated. 1 night in a place means that you arrive, check in, unpack, get a meal, spend a few hours looking around, and the next morning you pack up and move on. It's really not worth the effort.

I would choose one base location in Switzerland, and one base location in northern Italy, before you go to Sardegna.

I don't know Switzerland very well, but I have been to Lucerne, which I liked very much. We spent three nights there, and felt that it wasn't enough. There were lots of possible excursions there, to the mountains or on the lake, but also lots to see in the town itself.

Sardegna is a bit of a pain to get to unless you fly, because the ferry rides are long, and the loading and unloading of a large ferry is very tedious, especially in the summer. At least on your way back, you may be able to get a flight home out of some airport in Sardegna, with a connection in Rome.

I've been to both Sardegna and Corsica, and they're both beautiful. You would probably want to rent a car in Sardegna to get around. There are many charming little towns in the interior and the nuraghi (fortified prehistoric structures) are very interesting. Corsica is also beautiful, with a bit more French flavor, and a much more wooded interior. You would also be better off with a car there.

In both places, we didn't stay near the sea. Many of the coastal resorts in Sardegna are the playgrounds of the international jet set, and correspondingly very expensive.

If you're going to Sardegna, you might want to skip the Italian riviera and stay instead of one of the lakes. I think maybe Lake Garda would be better suited for a family with kids. First of all, you could make a day trip to Venice, and second, there is a great amusement park, Gardaland, that should be fun for your teens.

So, I would suggest five nights in one place in Switzerland. I've never been to Interlaken, but I can assure you that wouldn't run out of things to do in Lucerne, unless it rains the whole time and there are various places you could go for day trips. Then five nights on one of the Italian lakes, and I think Garda is best suited to families. Apart from Venice, you could take a day trip to Verona, visit some of the towns and castles on the lake, go to Gardaland, and just relax.

If you can't fly home from Sardegna, you'd have to get back to Rome for your flight home, and I would suggest spending several nights there. Even if you've been there before, there's always lots you won't have seen, and most first-time visitors never see the real Rome, because they never have a chance to break out of the tourist horde.

Rome is a great city for kids. For example, you could take them to Ostia Antica, which is a great ancient Roman city, less crowded, and more shaded than Pompeii, and with lots of things that fascinate kids, like the ancient bar, with intact counter that you can pose behind, and the ancient Roman public toilet, with intact seats. One day you could rent bikes or go-karts and zip around the Villa Borghese park. Then there's the Leonardo da Vinci museum, with working models of many of his inventions.

bvlenci

I forgot to mention transportation. In all of the places I mentioned, there's no need of a car, with the possible exception of Sardegna. I think you'd be much happier with a car there, especially if you intend to spend six days there. Rent the car in Sardegna, because it costs a lot more to take a car on a ferry than to walk on as foot passengers.

twins77

Thank you all so much. I think that is a much better plan. A few days in Zurich, a few days in Lucern then head towards one of the Lakes. We are not dead set on going to the Italian Riviera especially with us thinking of ending the trip in Sardinia. We have been to Venice before and really wanted to see new cities and we haves pent the last few summer sin Rome and the surrounding areas. Last summer we took the kids to Turkey, Greece and Southern Italy. This summer we want to enjoy good food, culture and relax a bit more last summer we toured ALOT.
If anyone has suggestions other then Sardinia we are open to going to other places after Switzerland. We want to spend the second half of our trip relaxing before we head home.
My twin 16 year olds love to eat all day long! They enjoy good food (who doesn't) They like museums just not 24/7 and enjoy being outdoors, swimming, light hiking. I realize about a car on Sardinia now and it makes more sense to rent one at that part of our trip.
I thank you all for your suggestions of spending more time in the larger cities and then heading towards one of the lakes and I welcome any suggestions for our second part of our trip. We do love Italy, the food, the culture. The kids adored Greece last summer too. Athens and Santorini, we all did.
Thank you again! Ill report back on the Switzerland Itinerary before I book and If anyone has any hotel recommendations that would be great, or must see tours for Lucern and Zurich. We are coming up on the wire to plan this trip.

twins77

We have decided to start the trip in Zurich we can use as a base so we are not constantly unpacking and packing. We can take day trips to Lucerne, St Moritz which I saw was 2 hours or so from Zurich and Interlaken about an hour.

Zurich 5 nights

Lugano, Ticino - 5 nights - incorporate - Lake Maggiore

Head towards Naples to stay in Sorrento for a week and stay along the Amalfi coast to end the trip.
If anyone has any suggestions of day trips from Zurich or hotels I would appreciate any help. thank you!!

kja

Hmm... a quick check of the sbb website seems to suggest that St. Moritz is more like 3 or 3.5 hours from Zurich and Interlaken about 2 hours. See
http://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable.html

If your reason for staying in Zurich is simply to use it as a base, I'm not sure it makes as much sense as some of your other options. It is an expensive city, and as I mentioned above, I don't think it's ideal if your goal is to experience Alpine scenery. Mind you, I say that as someone who enjoyed Zurich -- but for its museums and churches, not for its convenience as a base.

I think the idea of using just a few bases will serve you MUCH better than your original plan. Progress made!

neckervd

May be you skip Zurich (not among the most interesting places of Switzerland), visit Interlaken etc. in a day trip from Lucerne (2 hrs by train) and Bellagio in a day trip from Lugano (1 1/2 hrs by bus and ferry.)
Lugano - Sardinia: train Lugano dp 15.34 to Genoa plus night ferry to Olbia ar 8am
You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en

simpsonc510

As someone who visits Switzerland twice a year, and who likes Zurich, I would still suggest that you base yourself in Lucerne rather than Zurich. Lucerne is MUCH prettier IMO, and you can do a variety of things there, and day trips to nearby locations as well. The Transport Museum in Lucerne would be very interesting for all of you, I think. Also, a boat ride around the lake, perhaps getting off for a stroll and lunch in one of the lakeside towns such as Brunnen, and then back on the next boat back to Lucerne. And of course there are the mountains around Lucerne. Pilatus especially.

twins77

Thank you. We at this point are flying into Zurich and I believe heading right to BO for 5 nights then on to Lugano for three nights then to Tuscany for three nights then to Amalfi Coast Sorrento for 5 then home from Naples. If anyone has any suggestions of day trips in BO we were thinking of possibly Zermatt we are open to all suggestions.
We are staying in Wengen, because I have heard there is a lot of construction going on in Grindelwald and Interlocken is very, very crowded at that time of year.