1 day in: Geneva, Zurich, or Milan??
 

We will be in the Alps in late March, and have a question for all of you. We are flying in to Zurich, and will likely spend a day or two there before the mountains.

We can either fly out of Zurich, Geneva, or Milan. What should we do? Is there anything to see / do in or around Geneva that would make that a good place to fly out of, or are we better off making our way back to Zurich?

The other option is Milan... we were there once before and recall it not being spectacular, but we sure had a nice Italian meal the night before we left! :)

I love Lac Leman area (the smaller towns outside Geneva). I would go there at the end of your trip and stay in either Montreux or Vevey. You can catch the train to the airport directly from them (approx. 1 hour).

I like Milan, but if I were you I'd keep it simple and stay in Switzerland. I also recommend Montreux (see the Chateau de Chillon) or Vevey. You can have a nice French meal the night before you leave.

Where in the "Alps" will you be? Will you have a a car or are you taking a train. If you are in St Moritz for example, it is a much faster and easier train trip to Zurich than to either Geneva or Milan. If you are in Zermatt, its really a toss up among all three. In late March, the Lake Geneva area is going to be a bit brown, still pretty, but just bear that in mind. If you will have already spent time in Zurich, then one of the others might be more interesting. I love Milan and certainly there is a lot to do there even if you only have a day. The Duomo, the Last Supper, other museums, La Scala, great shopping and restaurants. You can't take a train right to Milan airport, as you can at Geneva, so in many ways Geneva is a better option for a short trip. I would agree that the towns along the north east shore are a better option, consdier Vevey, Lausanne, Montreux, Morges. Very charming some good old towns, good restaurants and great views. Run a search here, the area is very popular on this board. But as I first said, a lot would depend on where you will be coming from in the "Alps". Look at rail.ch for train schedules.