Willmax1

I want to take my 15 year old son to Rome and the Swiss Alps summer of 2011. I cannot find any tours from Rome to the Alps. do you have any suggestions. These are mainly the only two areas we are interested in right now...Being a teenager, he will have to be entertained or perhaps anything interesting to a teen...

PalenQ

I'd go to the Interlaken area in Switzerland as it is IMO the essence of a Switzerland etched in our minds' eyes - the fabled Berner Oberland or Jungfrau Region.

I would definitely go by train - for one thing cars are useless in Rome and any Italian city - lots of areas off-limits to private vehicles and parking problematic, etc. And once in the Jungfrau Region again cars cannot be taken above certain towns and you must go by train.

anyway for loads on rail travel in these countries I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com - In Switzerland investigate the Swiss Pass which covers not only trains but lake boats (be sure to take a cruise on Lake Thun in Interlaken IMO) as well as mountain lifts such as to Murren and Gimmelwald - and your son at age 15 gets a free Family Pass so he never pays a dime to travel once in Switzerland - you buy a solo pass for yourself and he gets the free Family pass too.

GregPCM

Will,

And I doubt that you will. You will need to travel to the Alps and tour from there, unless you are thinking about a big bus with tons of people hauling you from sight to sight. I wouldn't imagine that a 15 year old boy would enjoy that.

I would look at taking the train from Rome to a major Swiss city (Zurich). You can do this during the day or take a night train. From there you can tour anywhere you want in the Alps. This site will have lots of ideas for you to fit your interests just by searching Swiss alps info.

If he likes riding trains you are going to have a great trip. If not, you may have a problem because that's how you sightsee in Swittzerland. Some of the best train trips in the world are in Swittzerland.

Enjoy,

GregPCM

PalenQ

would look at taking the train from Rome to a major Swiss city (Zurich). You can do this during the day or take a night train>

I think the overnight trains between Italy and Switzerland have been scrubbed - cannot do it overnight like you can to Austria and Germany so the overnight option is no longer, at least that's what my research has shown in the past.

PalenQ

would look at taking the train from Rome to a major Swiss city (Zurich). You can do this during the day or take a night train>

I think the overnight trains between Italy and Switzerland have been scrubbed - cannot do it overnight like you can to Austria and Germany so the overnight option is no longer, at least that's what my research has shown in the past.

PalenQ

Not only have overnight trains between Italy and Swtizerland been scrubbed but many of the previous Cisalpino trains that ran direct between places like Milan and even Florence to Zurich, Bern, Geneva, etc have also been scrubbed as Trenitalia has decided to cut many cross border direct trains so you now often have to change trains at either Brig or Lugano - there are still some direct Milan to Bern or Zurich trains but typically expect to change at the border - and yes this is not progress!

nytraveler

For Switzerland you absolutely do not want to base yourself in Zurich - which is primarily a business city. to see the Alps you need to stay either closer to them or in them. Depnedng on your preference stay in Lucerne (a cute town with numerous sights situated on a lake with steamers to a lot of towns from which you can do hikes - as well as easy access to the cable cars or trams to ascend Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlis.

Or, if you prefer to actually be in the mountains go to one of the smaller towns up in the mountains from Interlaken - with a lot more hikes available as well as trains to head up the Jungfrau.

I very much doubt that you will find any sort of tour to fit your itinerary - and frankly I wouldn;t subject a teen to a tour or vice versa. This trip is very easy to organize yourself by flying into Rome and then out of Zurich traveling between the areas by either train or car - depending on if you want to go direct - or make stops along the way.

PalenQ

For the first-time visitor to Switzerland the Jungfrau Region by Interlaken is IMO the very best possible place to go and spend a few days - the essense of the Switzerland you are expecting to see - yes Zurich is a large modern city - a nice city but not the essence of the Switzerland you are expecting to see - and from Interlaken you can hop direct trains, I believe, right to Zurich airport in about an hour.

PalenQ

I want to take my 15 year old son to Rome and the Swiss Alps summer of 2011.>

You could travel from Italy to Zurich these days and see nary any Swiss Alps even though the new long train tunnel between Visp and Fruitigen (sp?) burrows under them. Only in the Interlaken/Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen area and Zermatt and a few other places like Engelberg will you see the Swiss Alps of your dreams. and all these places to me are really exciting places to stay and see - would be awesome for the average 15 year old - with even skiing and snowboarding possible practically year-round at some of these spots.

Willmax1

Thank you so much for the information. I will look into flying into Rome and out of Zurich then. How many days do you think in each area and do you know how far it is from Rome to Interlaken? We have never been to Europe, so this will be a first for both of us.

PalenQ

How far is it from Rome to Interlaken - by train it is about 7-8 hours - first take a high-speed train to Milan then change for a train to Switzerland via Brig - if you want to add a day to your trip you could stop off for the night in someplace like Stresa, on Lake Maggiore - a beautiful lakeside resort on a gorgeous fabled Italian lake and break it up about halfway. And there are no overnight trains on this route. But once you get past Milan the scenery is really sweet - the Alps soon appear and it gets better as you approach the dreamy Interlaken area.

PalenQ

Willmax - here is what seems like the fastest way to go by rail between Rome and Interlaken - leave 9am get into Interlaken-Ost 4pm - leave later then the trip seems to take a few hours longer. (Schedules from www.bahn.de for a dummy date now - but these type trains should run the same time give or take a few minutes every day all year.

Roma Termini dep 09:00 ES 9610 EuroStar Italia

Milano Centrale arr 11:59
Transfer time 29 min.
Milano Centrale dep 12:28 EC 34 Eurocity

arr 14:16 4
Transfer time 33 min.
Brig Th, 27.01.11 dep 14:49 3 IC 831 Intercity

Spiez Th, 27.01.11 arr 15:24 4
Transfer time 9 min.
Spiez Th, 27.01.11 dep 15:33 1 ICE 375 Intercity-Express

Arrive Interlaken-Ost 15:57 or about 4pm

PalenQ

And from Interlaken-Ost trains will be waiting to take you into the hills - I'd recommend a stay in Grindelwald - lovely Grindelwald with a sweeping view of th Jungfrau Massif, with glaciers and snow-clad peaks awesomely in full view from practically any hotel balcony. It's only about 25 more minutes from Interlaken-Ost by train and for a 15 yr kid it will be the train trip of a lifetime - perhaps yours too as you ascend into the wondrous Jungfrau Region, to me the essence of the alpine wonderland Switzerland etched in our minds' eyes when we think of Switgzerland. IMO do not miss it!