7 day Itinerary Input Please - Switzerland
 

We're lucky to have this site and smart travel people...thanks in advance.

Please review and give input/suggestion on my daily sightseeing schedule.

This is a second part of visiting 5 countries in 30 days.

Day 1 Coming from Lake Como after spending 4 days.

Take the Bernina Express to Chur and continue to Lucerne. Yes, long day but wanted to have two full days in Lucerne.

Day 2 or Day 3 depending on weather

Mt Rigi - boat cruise to Fluelen and working our way back to Lucerne stoping at Viznau, Mt Rigi and Weggis. We would like to take a hike on easy to medium trail. Please advise the route and mt trains to take to reach the areas. Or suggest a route that covers other place not mentioned. Will this be a all day trip? Would we have time to see old town Lucerne after we return or leave that for the second day?

Second day see Mr Titus, if so any stops along the way like Mt Rigi? Is this considered a all day outing?

Day 4 Golden Pass from Lucerne to Brienz. Boat to Interlaken and train to Wengen.

Any suggestions on what to see along the way so we will not back track from Wengen.

Day 5 Wengen - Only thing on list is Jungfra, which I think will take all day, correct?

Day 6 Golden Pass to Montreux - I already got my VIP front seats, hope for great weather

Arrive around noon. Spend afternoon doing the following:

Chateau de Chillon, Vevey and walking the vineyards of the Lavaux (taking a train from Vevey to Chexbres and walk downhill to through the vineyards to Rivaz. Whats the best way to see all of this in one afternoon or is this a full day?

Day 7

Boat to Yvoire

Rochers de Naye

Chocolate Train & Gruyeres

Can this been done in one day? If not, what should I drop off the list.

Day 8 depart for France on train.

I'm totally open for suggestions.

Thanks,

CD

Well seems like a wonderful itinerary - little hurried for some but you are seeing some of Switzeland's most awesome parts - anyway with all that train travel a Swiss Pass - probably an 8-straight day one since you are traveling every day about would be the most cost-effective. Compare pass prices here in U.S. and Switzerland as often the same pass is cheaper here than there for some reason and there is not foreign exchange fee either - but check www.swisstravelsystem.com for prices in Swiss francs and the following sites that tell a lot about Swiss trains and things in particular you are doing: www.budgeteuropetravel.com (Byron there I've bought passes from for years - will expertly answer any train-boat, etc related question even if not buying IME - someone you can talk to at least who actually knows something, unlike at RailEurope; and www.ricksteves.com - www.seat61.com also has good info on discounted tickets like to France and in Italy.

Thanks for the reply...yes Swiss pass us the way to go for us. Thx

Hi cdurham,

Day 6 -- yes, quite a full day. I recommend this itinerary: Drop your bags at the hotel, pick up your Riviera Card, then walk along the lake to Chillon (about 45 minutes). I guess you won't be going inside, as it takes about 2h to tour the inside. Take the bus (201) to Vevey and the train to Chexbres, then walk downhill through the vineyards (about 30 minutes). Take the train back to Vevey and expore the town, have dinner in Vevey. Then take the bus back to Montreux.

Day 7 -- can't do it all. The Chocolate Train is an all-day day event, departing Montreux at 09.00 and returning at 5.20 pm. It's not any faster doing it on your own -- it just takes that long to travel the distance and to tour the things you want to tour. However, you will be passing nearby Gruyeres on the day you take the Golden Pass from Interlaken to Montreux (the Chocolate Train is run by the Golden Pass folks, and it covers much of the same countryside). You could conceivably do Gruyeres and the Cailler factory while enroute, but you would have to send your baggage using Fast Baggage, and you would have to change your VIP reservations.

I don't recommend the Rochers-de-Naye trip; to my mind, it's redundant since you'll already have seen the mountaintops of the Jungfrau area and those around Luzern. It will take about 3h just to do that (1h to travel up, 1h to travel down, and 1h to see the views).

If I were you, I would do this:

Day 6. See Gruyeres and the Cailler factory while enroute. Arriving in Montreux in the evening, walk to Chillon along the lake, explore Montreux, Montreux's old town (on the hills above the lake), and the lakeside.

Day 7. Train to Nyon and take the boat to Yvoire, explore Yvoire. Take the boat back to Nyon and take another ferry ride to Lutry. Explore the lovely town of Lutry, have lunch, then walk through the vineyards to Cully or Rivaz (2h or 3h). Take the train to Vevey and explore Vevey. Dinner in Vevey.

Hope you find a way to make it all fit!

s

Yvoire - never been there nor done that but it looks like a gem - on my hit list!

https://www.google.com/search?q=Yvoi...=1600&bih=1075

Well, Yvoire is very, very small. It has lovely architecture, all medieval stone buildings, and is really overflowing with lots of flowers. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of *there* there. Not much to do aside from strolling around, enjoying the views, or shopping in one of the many tourist shops. Pretty place to see, but not really a "must-see" imo.

s

Yeah, the google images show the best of the village -- and that's about all there is.

s

Yvoire is off my hit list - I did love Evian-les-Bains in France - take a boat there for a better French town I guess.

Thanks for the info. I'm kinda second guessing my stay in Montreux. Maybe the time should be spent in the Jungfra area. Thoughts? The issue is coming from Lake Como and it take a full day to get to either of the three places...correct? Also, I already have my Golden VIP Pass front seats booked.

What would you guys do?