huliavalakki

Our tentative plans are July 9 to July 20
day 1 - arrive Geneva
day2 -Geneva sight seeing
day 3- Visit Lausanne and return to Geneva
day 4 -Take morning train to Montrex . see castle chillon
day 5 -chocolate train trip
day 6 - Travel to Interlaken and local sights
day 7 -visit Jungfraujoch and return to Interlaken after seeing Schynige Platte
day 8 - To Luzern visit lake
day 9 - Mt Titlis and back
day 10 - to Zurich and vicinity
day 11 - Zurich and vicinity
day 12 - flight back to US

Please advice any improvements that can be done.
Thanks

PalenQ

Have you been to Switzerland before? If not I would spend less time in Lake Geneva area and more time in the Jungfraujoch, to me and many the absolute highlight of Switzerland - and there is so so much to do - varied things like yes the Jungfraujoch but also nice boat trips on the lakes bookending Interlaken - hikes for all abilities, etc.

Many folks would recommend basing on Lake Geneva in a town like Montreux or Vevey - to many much more romantic than Geneva, a nice enough town but which seems not to excite many folks here.

I would spend more time in Lucerne too - one day for the city and a day out on the lake.

Anyway as much as you are traveling on trains by all means investigate the Swiss Pass - an 8-consecutive day pass since you will not need to use it on the day of arrival or in Zurich - a Saverpass if two or more are traveling - passes valid not only on trains but lake boats (Lake Geneva has some superb boat trips - with a pass just hop on!) and passes also good on city transports like trams and buses, postal buses and give free entry to 470 Swiss museums.
Great sources of info on Swiss trains IMO - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

nytraveler

Zurich is primarily a business city and I would give it a miss unless there is something very specific you want to do. The train from Lucerne to zurich airport is only an hour - so you can easily leave from Lucerne the day you depart Switz.

I think you need more time in Interlaken and vicinity - since it can easily be 3 or 4 days before the top of Jungfrau is out of the clouds (if the top is in the clouds there is no point in ascending - you will see nothing).

PalenQ

- Travel to Interlaken and local sights
day 7 -visit Jungfraujoch and return to Interlaken after seeing Schynige Platte
day 8 - To Luzern visit lake
day 9 - Mt Titlis and back>

Are you doing this from an Interlaken base - if so IMO you should base in Lucerne - much closer to Mt Titlis - and of course it's about 2 hours all told each way to Lucerne or Engleberg (Titlis) from Interlaken - base in both Interlaken and Lucerne IMO and drop some days from a Geneva that many find boring (in comparison to the so many other fabulous places you could visit instead IMO).

PalenQ

After seeing the Jungfrau area Titlis may be a bit redundant - Titlis is awesome but you see just as awesome or more IMO in the Jungfrau region - you may be trying to hit too many 'highlights' it sems in too little time.

huliavalakki

Thank you all. current plan of stay.
Geneva 3 nights
Montreux 2 nights
Interlaken 2 nights
Luzern 2 nights
Zurich 2 nights
Swiss rail pass for two for entire stay.

PalenQ - pl suggest locations and days to stay
Thanks

neckervd

I cannot imagine what one can do at Geneva during 3 days. I suppose you have good reasons for that and know exactly what you want to visit.
In summer, it's more relaxing to reach Montreux (from Geneva) by historic Lake Geneva steamboat (Swiss pass etc. valid).
It's possible to visit Jungfraujoch and Schynige Platte the same day, but it wouldn't make sense.

PalenQ

day 6 - Travel to Interlaken and local sights>

From Montreux be sure to take the Golden Pass scenic train to Interlaken - takes a bit longer but it much more scenic than the faster route via Lausanne and Bern.

https://www.google.com/search?q=gold...=1600&bih=1074

PalenQ

For a real adventure check out the vaunted VIP seats on the Golden Pass train - they have you sitting in a cabin right next to the driver's compartment so you can seem like to be driving the train too!

Obviously a limited number of those seats so must book months early and can do so on the official site I understand without any ticket or railpass. But these are first class seats so with a 2nd class pass you just pay the difference between the regular first and second class fares before getting on the train - just for the portion Montreux to Zweisimmen as I believe but not sure that is the only segment they have the VIP seats on.

You always have to change trains at Zweisimmen because it is narrow-gauge tracks up until there then wider standard gauge tracks from there to Interlaken-Ost - where you can change for Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and other hill villages that are a dream to stay in.