Any suggestions for day trips from Zurich? Is a car advisable to travel around this area, or is the train system better to use?<BR>I like cobbled stone streets and quaint shops to explore. Also, boat rides on the lakes to see the beautiful Mountain scenery, or even cable rides. I'll be traveling in mid April of this year.

The Zurich tourist info office website has some tours that they operate that may give you ideas of what's a doable day trip. Some of these sound really interesting. I took the one that takes you to Raperswil combined with the city tour. I think the city is better done on foot; on a big bus, I was too busy craning my neck to try to see out a window and it goes by as a blur. However the countryside is beautiful.<BR>http://www.zurichtourism.ch/sightsee...adtf%FChrungen

It is very easy to go to Lucern or Interlaken from Zurich. I hate Luzern with a passion (Swiss Disney Land), but I think it would be OK to take a nice stroll along Lac Leman and have lunch in a nice FRENCH restaurant. Stay away from the burping German tourists with sausage sadwiches and beer. I think you can also go to St. Galen. Supposedly they make very beautiful lace there.

good evening, The Swiss Museum in Zurich is good for most of the day with<BR>the balance of time spend shopping on<BR>the Bahnhofstreasse at Gemoli, Annahof<BR>and don't missFranz Carl Weber at Bahnhofstrasse, 62... Rail and water<BR>Transportation out of Zurich is excellant. By steamer on Lake Zurich <BR>you can spend a few hours going to Rapperswill and return. By rail you can<BR>go to the town of Einsiedeln and its<BR>Benedictine Monestery.. By rail you are<BR>in Luzern in less than an hour. From<BR>there time permitting you can go up Pilatus, a little longer and by rail ]\<BR>out of Luzern to Engelberg and up Titlis. By steamer from the quai across from the Bahnhof to Vitznau and<BR>up Rigi. You can take a steamer all<BR>the way to Fuelen, return by water or<BR>quicker by rail. Luzern has an excellant oldtown perhaps better than<BR>Zurichs and the Swiss Transport Museum<BR>Check on rail schedules and etc., on www.sbb.ch.... Lake Geneva, Montreux,<BR>etc might be a little over a good time<BR>limit for transportation in a single day. Going to Bern. Rhinefalls, and<BR>other sights are within reasonable travel times.. Don't bother with a car<BR>the driver is limited as to his sightseeing, by rail you have it all.<BR>Richard of LaGrange Park, Ill.

One of the best day trips I've done from Zurich was to go by train to Schaffhausen, hike along the falls, then take the the boat to Lake Constance on the Rhine, and take the train late in the day back to Zurich.<BR><BR>Basel is close by train and nice as well.<BR><BR>A boat will take you on the lake from Zurich to Raperswill, which is a delightful town.

Thank you all very much for your help.

If you like cobblestone steets and quaint shops, then stay in Zurich and go to the Neiderdorf/Oberdorf area along the river on Limmatquai and the streets running off of Limattquai. Too quaint for words, you will feel like you are on a movie set. Very interesting antique and art shops (esp antique book shops), little boutiques and great restaurants. The university area further up the hill is also very interesting. The Banohstrasse, mentioned above is not really quaint, but if you go to Renweg off the Banhofstresse, this is another area of cobblestone streets, boutiques and restaurants. Take Renweg down to the river. The Lindenhof up on a hill off Renweg is a great place to get a view of the city as well. The Fodors book on Switzerland gives a good walking itinerary for these areas. There is also a walking tour in English most days from main train station. Check at the tourist office in the main strain station for dates and times.<BR><BR>You can take ferries from the ferry pier on the lake to many points, including Rapperswil which was mentioned above. I think this is a better way to get to Rapperswil than the train, bus or driving, alothough it will take you longer. The boat ride is beautiful, espeically on a clear day when you can see the Alp.s