Let me tweek the latter:

Arrive Zurich--to Luzern day one--3 nites
Bernese Oberland---your primary destination--4 nites
Lugano
Lake Como---4 nites
Milan

Forget Zermatt---too hard to access--and St. Moritz is really for ski trips and not much else.

Hello, the above answer is really incorrect. Zermatt is a must see, and it's a lie that it is hard to access. I would go for bernese-Oberland, Zermatt,and then lugano, and leave through Milan.

I like Option 2 and I would not skip Zermatt. It is only a bit over 2 hours from Interlaken, your exip point from the Berner Oberland.

something like this:

Head straight to Luzern form the airport (about an hour). spend 3 nights there. do a daytrip up Pilatus, where there is an adventure park and Rodelbahn (summer luge).

Nest head to the Berner Oberland. I recommend Mürren, a small and charming car-free village perched high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. spend 3 or 4 nights. One one of your days, take the train over to Grindelwald and ride up the First gondola for Trottibikes and the First Flyer (zipline). There is a Rodelbahn ac;ross the valley at Pfingstegg.

From Mürren, return to Interlaken and go straight to Zermatt, spend 3 nights. The Gornergrat train is spectacular; a walk to the restaurant at Fluhalp on th eMarmot path is very rewarding. Lots more to do there.

From Zermatt, take the train to Brig and transfer there to the train heading south into Italy. At Domodossola, transfer to the scenic CentoValli railway for an amazing train ride. This takes you to Locarno on Lage Maggiore. You could stay there (perhaps in the nearby and family-friendly resort town of Ascona) or transfer to Lago di Como if you prefer (the town of Como is a 1/5 hour train ride from Locarno). From Como you can take a lake boat to other towns that might make a better base. If you stay in or near Locarno you can take a lago Maggiore boat south to Stresa and pick up th etrain to Milan there.

I tried to include things that would be especially fun for your kids.

I agree - Option 2 is the one I would pick. I also like Zermatt - it's a little car-free town in a beautiful valley. Hard to get to - but the train rides in Switzerland are so amazingly beautiful, the trip is half the fun. I stayed in Locarno versus Lugano when I was in that part of Switzerland. I enjoyed taking boat rides on Lake Maggiore and stopping off at the small Italian villages. I would not bother going to St. Moritz. As soon as I got off the train there, I wanted to go back to Pontresina (where I was staying). I always stay in Lauterbrunnen when I go to the Berner Oberland area, but I can see how people would like Wengen or Murren. I would spend the most time in the Lauterbrunnen valley, since there are so many day trips that are great from there. I'll be back in northern Italy and Switzerland in August - can hardly wait!!
Martha

Im looking at this itinerary again for summer 2013. Now the kids are 13 and 10. Hubby wants to summer ski and somehow go to Stuttgart to go to Porsche. Any thoughts???

In Switzerland, summer ski is possible basically only in Zermatt area.

I believe there is skiing all year round at the top of the Jungfrau - but not sure if you would want to do it at that altitude.

You can add Stuttgart - but would need to remove something else and probably change airports (add either at end or beginning of trip.) Frankfurt is only about an hour from Stuttgart.

> I believe there is skiing all year round at the top of the Jungfrau

Never seen that. I mean it's possible for adventure skiing kind ( e.g. for some professional skiers ) but not for the general public.

For summer skiing only Zermatt and Saas Fee are reasonable options. No summer skiing at Jungfraujoch.

You could fly into Frankfurt or Munich and take the train from there to Stuttgart for the Porsche tour/driving, then by train to Lucerne.

marking for later comment

Im looking at this itinerary again for summer 2013. Now the kids are 13 and 10. Hubby wants to summer ski and somehow go to Stuttgart to go to Porsche. Any thoughts???>

With kids under 16 the free Family Card that comes with a Swiss Pass makes it a great deal if traveling much at all - kids never pay a dime for any transport - even the pricey Jungfraujoch train (which the pass only covers in part) - kids always free with the Family Card - well kids with at least one parent - grandparents or other adults apparently do not qualify under the family part.

Lucerne is very close to Interlaken and IMO is one of Europe's most scenic cities - not much to see there really so a day or so is nice but to see it once - this old historic city lovingly set on a fjord-like lake is great. Even a few hour-stop when going between Zurich and Interlaken could be fine and then you could take one of Switzerland's heralded scenic mountain railways to Interlaken-Ost - the Brunig Pass line - part of the Golden Pass route and the only Swiss Federal rail line to emplouy cog wheels to help negotiate prodigious ascents and descents.

Looking at tickets - now skiing is out after spending December break in the snow - we dont want to have to pack ski clothes to lug around. Hubby really wants to hit Stuttgart in Germany at some point - he's a die hard Porsche fantatic.
So with that said any comments? Fly into Zurich and out of???

There are direct trains Zurich to Stuttgart - German ICE trains - the best trains - yes you could fly into Zurich and bop around Switzerland and even dip down to northern Italy and end up in Stuttgart - not that far from Frankfurt Airport by train or car.
If traveling much at all in Switzerland by train then with the free Family Pass that comes with a Swiss Pass check that out - for lots of great info on Swiss trains, passes (and alternatives like the Half-Fare Card) I always spotlight these IMO excellent sources - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.
February will still be cool in northern Italy but not really cold - maybe consider flying into say Italy - Rome or Venice - both cities will fascinate kids and adults as well and working your way via Switzerland to Stuttgart and Frankfurt or Munich to fly home from?