Hello everyone!
I am trying to put together an itinerary for my vacation in Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia on Sep 6-28. I plan to stay one week in each country.
I need your inputs, critique or recommendations on my itinerary for Switzerland.
I plan to buy the 8-day Swiss Pass.
Sep 6- Arrive at ZRH at 6:55 am.
- Train to Lauterbrunnen
- Schilthorn tour(depending on my energy levels since it will be a long flight)
Sep 7- Schynigge Platte to First hike
Sep 8- Brienz Rothorn scenic train ride. Do a little walk at the top.
Sep 9- Train travel to Zermatt via Kandersteg
Sep 10- Gornergrat hike (Riffelalp-Riffelberg-Riffelsee-Gornergrat)
Sep 11- Hornli hut hike
Sep 12- Train to Zurich
Explore Zurich
Sep 13- train to Salzburg

What do you think is the best way to Salzburg from Zermatt?
Taking the Glacier Express to Chur on Sep12 instead of Zurich is also an option.
Are there any must sees that I shouldn’t miss? I’m mostly interested in beautiful landscapes. Not so much in museums

I haven’t booked any accomodations yet so any inputs you guys can give will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

GE is not that scenic from Brig to Chur - nice but not as spectacular as trains you will have ridden in other places and will take a lot longer than Zermatt-Visp/Brig-Bern-Zurich. Anyway for lots on Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.sbb.ch; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Zurich to Salzburg book discounted tickets at www.sbb.ch - no need to have a pass that day.

Your trip is perfectly feasible IF THE WEATHER IS FINE (weather is always unpredictable in the Alps).
The 2 highlights will be
the Schynige Platte - Faulhorn - Lake Bachalpsee - First hike
and
the Riffelalp - Dristelen - Lake Riffelsee - Gornergrat hike.
Both are easy but rather strenuous.
Instead of Hoernli Hut, I would rather do Trockerner Steg (gondola station) - Schwarzsee - Stafelalp - Kalbermatten - Hubelwaeng - Zermatt. It's up to you. But in any case, you can't do anything wrong. All trails are scenic.

Interlaken is by far not the most scenic place in the Bernese Oberland, but it's not ugly neither. According to your program, it would be the best base, however. Lauterbrunnen etc. would be too far away from everything, as Schynige Platte, Brienz - Rothorn, Kandersteg - Zermatt are easier to reach from I'laken than from more remoted places.

Interlaken - Kandersteg - Zermatt (scenic itinerary): leave Interlaken the evening before (16.30 or 17.30 at the latest). The journey takes 3 1/2 hrs, If you start in the morning, half a day will be lost.

Zermatt - Salzburg:
The most scenic itinerary goes through the Engadin Valley (either via Glacier Express or via Centovalli Express) but it is much more time consuming than the direct way via Zurich:

Zermatt dp 7.52 - Glacier Express - Chur ar 13.26, dp 13.58 - Samedan 15.45/16.13 - Scuol-Tarasp 17.23/17.30 - Landeck 18.52/19.27 - Salzburg ar 22.06
Zermatt dp 6.13 - Brig - Domodossola - Centovallli - Locarno - ar 10.23, dp 11.35 - Bellinzona - San Bernardino - Thusis - Samedan 15.45/16.13 - Scuol-Tarasp 17.23/17.30 - Landeck 18.52/19.27 - Salzburg ar 22.06

These itineraries don't make much sense without at least one long stop over in the Alps, however.

You could also include Lake Lugano, Lake Como and Bernina Express, but then the journey would definitely last 2 days.

Lauterbrunnen is just about 20 minutes by train from Interlaken-Ost station where Lake Brienz boat depart (from behind station) and even quicker to Schynige Platte train which is reached by changing trains just before Interlaken. I'd also sacrifice a little travel time to stay in a Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen - where soaring glacier-girdled peaks seem eyeball to eyeball from your hotel balcony.

But Interlaken is a really nice city too - especially Matten and Boningen (sp?) section on tip of Lake Brienz.

hi, If you plan to stay in Zermatt, check out the Omnia HOtel in Zermatt, it is very unique, sort of built into a mountain, and 1/2 blk from church/cemetery for mtn climbers and underground museum/very small, that give history of Zermatt. Omnia is a nice little hotel with great pool in lower level. Check it out out on Internet, bring $$$. but much fun. Sue

Wilderswil (starting point of the cog wheel trains to Schynige Platte) is very close to Interlaken and reached from there by Interlaken city bus (Unterseen - Interlaken West - Zentralplatz -Jungfraublick - Hotel Sonne - Oberland Shopping - Wilderswil), runs every 30 minutes.

And of course buses covered if a Swiss or regional pass. If near Interlaken-Ost station you can take trains to Wilderswil.

Thank you all so much for the replies! You guys have been really helpful.
I guess I’ll go with Interlaken instead of Lauterbrunnen for easier transportation. Maybe I’ll visit the smaller towns if I have extra time. I will look into other activities I could do in case the weather is bad for hiking like boat cruise and the Bernina Express.
I’m also thinking of sticking to my original plan to travel to Salzburg via Zurich since it is less time consuming.
Thanks again for the feedback.

We liked Hotel Walliserhof in Zermatt, though slow to get breakfast out on time (we like to start hiking early).

I really enjoyed Gonergrat . We rode up, then walked down and around, on/off again, walked a trail, then on to town. Great day.

Book Salzburg to Zurich trains as early as possible for discounts as low as 29 euros - no need to use a Swiss Pass that day.

I don't know why you speak about Bernina Express. But I suppose you know that Bernina is more or less halfway between Interlaken and Salzburg. Once at Pontresina/Bernina, it would be a nonsense to backtrack to Zurich in order to reach Salzburg.

If you are looking for the shortest possible journey time between Interlaken and Salzburg, you may fly via Munich:
Interlaken dp 14.30 - Bern airport dp 16.40 - Munich airport dp 18.24 - Salzburg ar 20.42
The train ride is more comfortable, however, and takes only 1 1/2 hrs longer.

Maybe meant Golden Pass which could be taken from Interlaken to Lucerne for example.

Maybe I’ll visit the smaller towns if I have extra time>

There is nothing special about any small town up from Interlaken but being eyeball to eyeball with soaring Jungfrau Massif is the reason to put that as your priority #1 in Interlaken - Interlaken itself though one of the nicer towns in Switzerland IMO also has little of special interest. But utilitarian hub.

Here's one easy excursion from Interlaken by train and gondola that will give youthe intimate experience with soaring Alps and some easy-peasy hiking:

Take train Interlaken-Ost (Interlaken-West is the main station in town center- Ost or East is the station to hop trains into Alps above Interlaken) to Grindelwald - then take long cableway to The Mannlichen - a renown vista point for awesome views all around - then take the wide gently descending trail called The Panoramic Walk (sometimes called The ridge Walk) and probably the most popular hiking/walking trail in the whole area - take this trail which has stupendous views over both the deep Lauterbrunnenn gorge to the east and over the large Grindewald amphitheatre to the west - lots of benches along the about 3 mile (5 km) long trail which takes you to Kleine Scheidegg where you can hop trains down to Wengen and Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken.

So great views of glacier-girdled Jungfrau Massif and experience Swiss Alpine hiking without breaking a sweat.

https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/panorama-trail.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=mann...w=1879&bih=922

Thank you for the feedback PalenQ. I’m now thinking of dropping the Brienz-Rothorn train ride and do the one you suggested instead.

What do you think of Zermatt to Salzburg via Luzern? Do you think this is better than via Zurich?

Thanks again for the replies everyone!

Your trip involves plans for hiking that I envy -- an injury prevented me from pursuing some of the choices you are pursuing. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Switzerland. I didn't take the Brienz-Rothorn train, but did take the boat on Lake Brienz and was glad to see the Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum (which might or might not appeal to you). And I enjoyed Zurich much more than some Fodorites, although I understand their preference for the mountains. If you haven't already seen it, you might find some useful information in my trip report:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...thanks-983126/

Hope that helps!

" What do you think of Zermatt to Salzburg via Luzern? Do you think this is better than via Zurich?"

I don't understand your question. Here are the journey times for the itineraries you may have in mind:

Here are the journey times for the itineraries you may have in mind:

Zermatt - Berne - Lucerne - ZURICH - Salzburg: 10 hrs 26 min
Zermatt - Berne - Lucerne - BIBERBRUGG - Salzburg: 11 hrs 26 min
Zermatt - Brienz - Lucerne - ZURICH - Salzburg: 11 hrs 26 min
Zermatt - Brienz - Lucerne - BIBERBRUGG - Salzburg: 12 hrs 29 min

Unless stopping in Lucerne for the night to see that gorgeous city and if just want fastest route to Salzburg and also one that is scenic go via Zurich - but a long day on trains.

I meant to stop in Zurich or Lucerne for 1 night before going to Salzburg in the early morning the next day.

Each has a lot to offer. IMO, the views in / around / from Lucerne are better than the ones from Zurich.

" I meant to stop in Zurich or Lucerne for 1 night before going to Salzburg in the early morning"

No poblem! Your timetable:
Lucerne dp 5.28am - Salzburg ar 12.03; change at Zurich