cckramer

a first-timer, I plan to visit Switzerland with my parents beginning July 19th .Unfortunately I just have 3 days. I have to fly back on the evening of the 22nd from Zurich.I would appreciate it if folks can help me out with a rough itenary or suggested places and modes of transport that might make this short trip practical.

PalenQ

to see the dreamy Swiss Alps head to the Interlaken area and stay in a mountain village like Grindelwald or Wengen. So much to see and do there so I'd do the whole 3 days there -maybe stop in Lucerne on the way back to Zurich.

Trains are great to get there and go around once there - toy-like mountain trains go off in all directions - thrilling aerial gondolas do too - hiking trails for all degrees of energy. for lots on Swiss trains and those in the Jungfrau Region as this area is called check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

The fabulous Jungfrau region:

https://www.google.com/search?q=jung...HaunDUQQsAQIGw

cckramer

So I could miss out on places like Titlis or Rigi which I've heard much about ?

PalenQ

Well you have to pick and chose - Rigi is not in anyway like the high Alps - low elevation at summit - storied viewpoint of the high Alps in the distance.

Titlis is awesome but it is a solitary Alp - there is much more of this in the Jungfrau Region.

IMO Yes unless you have more time or 2 days in Jungfrau Region and a day in Lucerne with the short day trip from there to Titlis where the revolving cable car to the summit is awesome.

So yes you could spend a day in Engleberg (Titlis base town) and two days in Jungfrau. Could work - and again you could stay in Lucerne and day trip to Titlis by train.

Let's get some other opinions!

PalenQ

Or you could stay in Lucerne and day trip to the Jungfrau Region by train - take the scenic Brunig Pass route to Interlaken-Ost then mountain train BOB to say Grindelwald and on to the Jungfraujoch and a Top of the World feel and look as they say.

Go for what you've dreamt about IMO otherwise you will never know what you missed and the revolving cable cars at Titlis are a novelty and Titlis is awesome:

http://www.titlis.ch/en/glacier/rotair

If you had more time I'd say definitely base in the Jungfrau area as there is so many varied things to see and do there besides high Alps but time-challenged as you are Titlis makes perfect sense and a look at the Grindelwald area too!

And Lucerne is closer to Zurich than Grindelwald or Interlaken so IMO go for Titlis and Rigi two - 2 days and 1 day trip to Jungfrau - could be sweet. Stay in Engelberg to get the flavor of an Alpine town hovering under glacier-girdled peaks.

PalenQ

Rigi is very famous but not for dreamy alpine scenes but again for its raved about vistas - a lateral view of the rocky Alpine spine of central Switzerland - for miles and miles plus of Lake Lucerne down below.

It makes a nice trip - take a lake boat from Lucerne to Vitznau or Weggis and take mountain trains (Vitznau) or a gondolas (from Weggis) to the summit and great viewpoints.

Mark Twin famously wrote about his trek up Rigi by foot to see the raved about sunrise- and he lamented the incessant blowing of Alphorns at the summit (Switzerland's version of bagpipes!) - a tradition that I saw continue there too.

I'd put that third on my list.