I’m traveling abroad for the first time in October to Switzerland, I fly in and out of Zurich. I’ve been doing research for months now and it’s blurring together at this point and I’m trying to narrow down the best places to stay. I’ll be getting there on the 18 and leaving on the 24th

Im going to be staying in AirB&B in whichever city I decide on, but there’s so many directions to go.

The things that i want to see are the sad lion in Lucerne, jungerfrau, the falls in Lauterbrunnen, abbey library and the monkey mountain.

I prefer walking around and getting lost on little city/village streets, finding little cafes and quirky shops, than I do skiing or going on intense nature hikes. So I’m going for more of a relaxed vacation.
I want to take the glacier express one day, but can I get off and on to explore different cities or do I have to stay on the train the whole time?
Does the Swiss pass cover the glacier express rides or is that a separate thing?
What place would you recommend as a base?
I’ve looked into Interlocken area, Bern, Thun, Appenzell, Lugano. I figured I’d stay in one area from the 18-22 and then Zurich area for the 22-24th just so I don’t have to rush to get back in order to leave and it’ll give me a few days to explore around there.

That’s were I’m struggling. �� I keep finding things I’d love to do and am trying to narrow it all down. And trying to find where to stay that centrally located so I don’t have to spend a lot of time commuting.