I am in the very early planning stages of our trip to Switzerland in June. I have done some initial research and a tentative itinerary is:

fly to Zurich
3 nights: Lucerne
4 nights: Bernese Oberland (some combo of Wengen, Murren, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald)

Then, I have 2-3 more nights to spend either near Lac Leman but not Vevey, Montreux, or Lausanne. The kids are going on a school trip after traveling with us and that area is included in the itinerary.

Or the Lugano area which offers a nice contrast too.

Of course the order will vary depending on which area we choose.

We are a group of 7: including 3 adults and 4 teenagers (15 and 19)

The kids aren’t big hikers but will do short intermittent hikes/walks. No all day hiking.

We love experiencing different cultures, food, taking a few days in an area to settle in a bit vs jumping around everywhere, while at the same time maximizing our time by choosing areas that differ from each other.

With our size group is it better to travel by bus/rail or rent a car (or two)? Most of us are not light packers either. The two youngest will be there for almost a month total and one of the adults has to cart around a CPAP and some amount of distilled water. And my husband packs a lot of shoes😂.

We also have to end in Paris to drop the kids off for theirs school trip. Maybe fly from Geneva or take a train from Lausanne.

Oh and we love scenic train rides which I get the impression we will get a lot of!

Because you say you are seeking a contrast, I would think that Lugano / Locarno / Ascona would make more sense for you than somewhere along Lake Geneva.

DEFINITELY train / bus, not a rental car! There are luggage lockers at most train stations and there's even luggage forwarding in some parts of the country. If people in your party are going to take a lot of stuff, have them take two bags, one small and one for the rest; use the small bag on a routine basis, putting the larger bag in a locker or a luggage storage facility or sending it on.

Switzerland is stunning -- enjoy!

Logistically, the following itinerary could make sense:
ZRH - train (70 min) - Lucerne (3 nights stay)
Lucerne - panoramic train Gottardo (3 hrs 10 min) - Locarno (2 nights stay)
Locarno - panoramic Centovalli train (1 hr 50 min) - Domodossola - panoramic train Loetschberger (1 hr 50 min) - Spiez - connecting train (20 min) - Interlaken - connecting train (40 min) - Grindelwald (4 nights stay)
Grindelwald - train (40 min ) - Interlaken - connecting train (2 hrs) - Basel (30 min layover) - train (3 hrs) - Paris

Sounds good!

We will likely do the trains then! Logistically having two cars isn’t ideal either, but we’re not really fans of packing two separate bags or shipping ahead. It’s too stressful to figure out what to keep or not keep and inevitably, I would want something I didn’t have access to. Maybe someday… Also the CPAP would have to always be with us.

Looks good, but these two days are a little travel heavy. Any alternative or is that a necessity because we are visiting more remote areas?

LOL, I would find traveling with a lot of luggage far more stressful than dealing with ways to keep weight down! To each his/her own. ;-0

FWIW, I far prefer Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald. Again, to each his/her own.

The route neckervd suggested would meet your desire for a scenic route, and although there are a few changes of train (during which I wouldn't be surprised if all of you regret the extra luggage), I think it would actually take less than 5 hours. I think you'd have fewer changes of train from Lugano to Lauterbrunnen / Grindelwald, though I don't think they're as scenic. I could be wrong.

If you haven't already done so, you can explore your options on the sbb.ch website.

I think I’m choosing between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen as a base.

I do like these three areas and at least there are several days in between the heavier travel days.

IMO, Wengen is spectacular, and if you can afford a room with a view, go for it! It is an extra train (a very short, very frequent cog-wheel train) up the mountain, so a bit less convenient. And having a lot of luggage could make getting to Wengen a bit more challenging. I wouldn't be surprised if the trains are fairly full in June!

Since we’re going to be in Switzerland for 11 days should we get the 14-day Swiss Rail Pass? It is only $48 cheaper to get the 8-day flex pass.

Which of the mountain trains does it not cover? Does it cover the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen?

"Locarno - panoramic Centovalli train (1 hr 50 min) - Domodossola - panoramic train Loetschberger (1 hr 50 min) - Spiez - connecting train (20 min) - Interlaken - connecting train (40 min) - Grindelwald (4 nights stay)
Grindelwald - train (40 min ) - Interlaken - connecting train (2 hrs) - Basel (30 min layover) - train (3 hrs) - Paris
Looks good, but these two days are a little travel heavy. Any alternative or is that a necessity because we are visiting more remote areas?"

Bern or Lucerne - Paris by train cannot be done in less than 4 1/2 hrs.
Add 1 hr if you go by train to Zurich airport, by plane to Paris CDG and then by train to Paris city center.
By direct overnight bus Bern - Paris it's 9 1/2 hrs.

Travel within Swiitzerland:
you asked for scenic train rides. If you cross the Alps in up to 40 miles long tunnels (not scenic at all) and travel more through conurbations than through alpine valleys, the journey times will be shorter.
For example:
ZRH - Lucerne: 70 min
Lucerne - Axen Tunnel - Gotthard Tunnel - Ceneri Tunnel - Lugano: 1 hr 40 min
Lugano - Ceneri Tunnel - Gotthard Tunnel - Axen Tunnel - Albis Tunnel - Zimmerberg Tunnel - Zürich (train change) - Heitersberg Tunnel - Aarau - Eppenberg Tunnel - Olten - Born Tunnel - Murgenthal Tunnel - Aegerten Tunnel - Langenthal Tunnel - Thunstettentunnel - Gishuebel Tunnel - Oenzberg Tunnel - Hersiwil Tunnel - Emmen Tunnel - Käsetunnel - Grauholztunnel - Bern - Interlaken: 3 hrs 55 min. Via the scenic Centovalli - Old Loetschberg itinerary it would be 4 hrs 25 min

I would start by telling people to pack lightly or they can't go. Maybe a CPAP if necessary, but distilled water??? Water weighs 8 lbs per gallon. Good luck with that. Be firm. One suitcase per person...and not the refrigerators you will see hundreds of sad tourists lugging around the platforms in Lauterbrunnen and Wengen. This is a rookie mistake. You will suffer through thousands of tourists during the prime travel periods in many sites you mention and June is likely one of those. Your travel pass covers many routes but you will have to spring for considerable extra $$ to complete your journey to several top attractions as you will change to different train companies that offer only a discount on the steep fare. I would base in Montreux, more strategic and practical especially with kids. I'm old and been several times I wish I could adequately address the need to be firm in packing and to simplify your plan. It will be weird enough doing this the first time really listen to people here and plan carefully. ☮️

neckervd -
Thanks, the more I look at your proposed itinerary, the better it looks! Except I think we’re going to stay in Wengen. I just looked up the first scenic train and it looks amazing.

Since you’re more familiar with all the trains/routes, what type of pass is best? There are 4 main travel days but then that doesn’t take into account any shorter travel we do while at a destination. I assume a flex pass only gives you the discount on other fares on the day you are using it. Looks like the first scenic train (Lucerne to Locarno is covered with the pass, but we need to pay for an upgrade to first class)

..

RAIL PASSES
It's not easy to answer your question without knowing which side trips you plan to do from Wengen and from Lucerne.

SWISS TRAVEL PASS
A Pass will cost about 42 CHF/day/pax. KIds up to their 16th birthday accompanied by at least one parent (holding a Swiss Travel System ticket) travel free of charge with the complimentary Swiss Family Card.
The Travel Pass covers your whole basic itinerary (incl. Locarno - Domodossola - Brig and Lauterbrunnen - Wengen), but
almost NO gondolas, but ALL boats on Lake Lucerne, Lake Maggiere (Locarno), Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
At some gondolas, like Locarno - Cardada, Lucerne Kriens - Pilatus, Engelberg - Titlis, Wengen - Maennlichen, Grindelwald - First, Stechelberg - Muerren - Schilthorn, Meiringen - Hasliberg (only up to Hasliberg!) you pay half fare. The Rigi rope railways and gondolas, the Stanserhorn rope railway and gondola as well as the Klewenalp gondola are free. At the cog wheel railways Alpnachstad - Pilatus, Brienz - Rothorn, Interlaken - Schynige Platte, you pay half fare. The cog wheel railways from Wengen to Eigergletscher - Jungfraujoch as well as the cog wheel railway and the gonbdola from Grindelwald to Eigergletscher give only 25 per cent discount (on their astronomic prices).
Conclusion: if you travel a lot by mountain railways in the Junfgfrau area, it could makessense to check the Bernese Oberland Pass.

BERNESE OBERLAND PASS
The Pass costs 280 CHF for 4 days and 350 CHF for 6 days, or 196 resp. 254 CHF if you have a Swiss Half Fare Card. It is valid for the train ride Domodossola - Brig - Kandersteg - Spiez -Interlaken - Wengen, for the Wengen - Maennlichen - Grindelwald gondolas, for the Schilthorn gondola, for the Brienzer Rothorn cog wheel railway, for the Meiringen - Hasliberg - Alpen Tower gondola, for Lake Thun and Lake Brienz boats and for trains from Interlaken up to Gstaad - Montreux, Bern and Lucerne. I don't know whether this Pass would make sense for you, but if ever, then only together with a Swiss Half Fare Card. With the latter, you pay only half fare up to Jungfraujoch. This combination could be an alternative to the Swiss Travel Pass.

SWISS HALF FARE CARD
It costs 120 CHF and enables you to buy half fare tickets for almost all train, bus, boat and gondola rides within Switzerland. Regional Pases, Supersaver tickets and Saver day passes are also cheaper with a Swiss Half Fare Card.

TELL PASS
If you plan to travel a lot around Lucerne, you may check the Tell Pass. It grants free rides between Zug (a city between Zurich and Lucerne), Interlaken (via Lucerne) and Goeschenen (border to Canton Ticino).
I grants free ride on all trains, buses, boats and (unlike the Bernese Oberland Pass) mountain railways and gondolas. It costs 160 CHF for 3 days and 180 CHF for 4 days.

SAVER DAY PASS
It's a kind of Swiss Travel Pass for only 1 day. It can be bought up to 6 months ahead. Fares begin at 39 CHF for Half Fare Card Holders and at 52 CHF for other people and gets more and more expensive until the date of validity.

SUPERSAVER TICKET
For some - not the most popular - train legs, Swiss railways sell (sometimes highly) discounted tickets in the web. They are valid only for the train for which you booked them. If you miss the train, you have to buy a new (full fare) ticket.

TICINO TICKET
Most hotelkeepers at Locarno offer to their guests a Ticino ticket for free. It can be used for

• FREE travel on the scenic Centovalli Line as far as the Italian border (like Swiss Travel Pass)

• FREE travel on the network of mainline trains and buses throughout Ticino (like Swiss Travel Pass)

• FREE boat cruises Locarno-Tenero-Magadino

• 20% discounts on other cruises on Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore (Swiss waters only)

• 30% discounts on the Monte Brè funicular, Monte Generoso cog railway and others

• 30% reduction for entry to the Bellinzona castles, Alprose chocolate museum.....

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers...ts-abroad.html

May be you will see that the Tell Pass is not more expensive (45 CHF/day) than the Swiss Pass, but that - around Lucrrne - it offers much more possibilities.
So one solution could be; Half Fare Card plus Tell Pass plus Swiss Travel Pass for 6 days. You would then have to buy half fare tickets from Zurich airport to Zug (10 CHF with Half Fare Card) and from Wengen to Basel (24 CHF, Supersaver ticket with Half Fare Card).
The other solution might be Half Fare Card plus Tell Pass plus Bernese Oberland Pass for 4 days. You would then need the same tickets as above plus a Supersaver ticket Airolo - Locarno for 9 CHF and a pooint to point ticket Camedo - Domodossola (18 CHF).

It's now up to you to combine all these possibililties in order to get the best result.
Come back when there occure any new problems.
I will be glad to help you.

TRENO GOTTARDO
runs every hr, alternatively from Zurioch or Lucerne to Fluelen -Goeschenen - Bellinzona - LOCARNO
1st and 2nd class, no supplement, no need to book ahead

GOTTHARD PANORAMA EXPRESS
runs only once daily from Arth-Goldau to Fluelen - Goeschenen - Bellinzona - LUGANO
seat reservation compulsory

The easiest option seems to be the 14-day Swiss Travel Pass (even if it’s not the least expensive) so that is what I bought. There are two in our group who are 14/15, then two 18/19 year olds so the rate wasn’t bad.

I have decided on the Treno Gottardo over the Gottardo Panorama Express because it’s covered fully with the STP, is a little faster, newer/more comfortable, has fewer connections to our destination in Ascona, and follows the same scenic route (minus the ferry).

I was having difficulty finding it on the SBB timetable because it kept wanting me to change trains for a shorter route. Then I saw somewhere to search “via” Göschenen. That would have been hard to figure out otherwise.

For the trip from Locarno to Wengen, is the Centovalli express via Domodossola still the best option? How exactly will the construction affect this route? Do we have to take a bus to change trains in Domodossola? This is for mid-June. Here, we may send our luggage from our hotel in Ascona to Wengen for ease of travel.

It's perfectly possible to go by ferry from Lucerne to Fluelen (Lucerne dp every hr from 9.12 until 14.12) and to board the connecting Treno Gotrardoi there (Fuelen dp every hr from 12.15 until 17.15),
The ferry ride is included in the Swiss Travel Pass.
Yes, for the Fluelen - Locarno leg, you find Treno Gottardo by putting "via Goeschenen" or by clicking on "settings" (top of the page) and then on "Travel Comfort and "Direct connections".

Centovalli - Wengen:
Due to works along Lake Maggiore, there will be no fast trains coning from Milan. But the local trains running over the more scenig Loetscherg mountain itinerary (via Kandersteg) run as usual (with some exceptions).
Trains that will run for sure (acccording to the actual timetable of Swiss railways):
Locarno dp 7.50 - Domodossola ar 9.40. dp 9.58 - Spiez ar 11.44, dp 12,06 - Wengen ar 13.11
Locarno dp 10.51 - Domodossola ar12.40. dp 13.58 - Spiez ar 15.44, dp 16.,06 - Wengen ar 17.11
Locarno dp 14.51 - Domodossola ar 16.40. dp 16.48 - Spiez ar 17.53, dp 18,06 - Wengen ar 19.11 (via Loetschberg Base tunnel)
Locarno dp 15.51 - Domodossola ar17.40. dp 17.58 - Spiez ar 19.44, dp 20,06 - Wengen ar 21.11 (mid June there will be day light until about 21.30)

For a more scenic ride, go from Domodossola by Swiss Postbus over the Simplon Pass to Brig (trains from Brig to Spiez every hr (both, via base tunnel or via scenic mountain itinery)
Locarno dp 10.51 - Domodossola ar 12.40. dp 12.50 - Brig ar 14.31
Locarno dp 10.51 - Domodossola ar 12.40, have lunch at Domodosssola. dp 13.50 - Brig ar 15.31
Locarno dp 12.51 - Domodossola ar 14.40. dp 14.50 - Brig ar 16.31

The platforms of Centovalli trains are just below the platforms where trains to Brig - Spiez leave (3-5 minutes on foot); the bus station (for the Simplon Pass Postbus) is in front of the city exit of the Centovalli station.

I love the idea of people (like me!) lugging refrigerator suitcases!!!!

I've only been once to Switzerland not counting a dip inside from Menaggio. This thread is giving men some ideas!! Thanks to all.

Great planning! Lauterbrunnen or Wengen—both are beautiful.