Italy and switzerland in one week?
 

Please help. We are using London as our starting point. We would like to travel to Italy and Switzerland. Is there anyone that can help with our itinerary - see below:

Monday early afternoon - London to Rome
Tuesday - Rome
Wed. Rome
Thursday - Florence
Friday - Florence
Saturday - Switzerland
Sunday - Switzerland
Monday - Switzerland (need to be in London by 5pm)

Is this trip doable or is it too rushed? What parts of Switzerland do you recommend? We will be using public transportation. Is it advisable to fly to save time? We can also reverse the order and start in Switzerland.

Thanks. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Um, Switzerland is a country. Which city - or mountain - had you planned on seeing? And are you going from FL to SW on Fri r Sat?

Also - 2 days won;t even scratch the surface of Rome.

Without more info from you about what you want to see or do in SW (climb an Alp, visit a useum in Zurich, see small villages, take lake steamers, castles, cheese - what?) - how can anyone make a reco?

Monday - Switzerland (need to be in London by 5pm)

Optimal would be to fly from Geneva or Zurich

By train it is about 5 hours from Zurich to Paris and about 4 hours from Lausanne/Geneva

then change train stations

then hop Eurostar trains that take two hours to London but you gain an hour on the clock going that way

So leave say Bern (closest to Berner Oberland or Jungfrau Region - the absolute highlight of any Swiss sojourn for folks never having been to Switzerland IMO)

leave Bern at 9am - get to Paris at 13:30

one hour to change stations - 14:30

hop eurostar train at about 15:30 (need to go thru entry gates at least 30 mins prior to be guaranteed boarding)

arrive London St Pancras 16:30 local London time

eurostar.com for fares- early bird gets the worm - just show up and pay literally hundreds of bucks more - book far in advance the Paris to London Eurostar ticket (a k a Chunnel Trains to Americans)

Why do you ask about SW if you don't even know where you want to go there or why? Leave it out of your plans, and just do Italy. At least you could then spend 4 days in Rome, 2 in Florence, and fly back to London on the 7th day.

I disagree - i think the OP's plan is fine if just to see a bit of Switzerland - it's right on the way to Paris by train from Italy - not quite as fast as the more direct Artesia Day Train route via Milan but ever so more gorgeous.

IMO the OP's plan is fine - as long as she/he realizes they do not have much time there - if they want to see Switzerland yes.

I think the plans is OK. I'd use Geneva as a base and see the towns along Lac Leman (Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux are approx. 1-hour easy train ride outside Geneva on a beautiful lake with mountain views) for a few days. Then fly to London from Geneva at the end.

PQ - The OP doesn't list Paris as a destination. I don't see any point in the long trek through France on multiple trains. Grab a budget flight back to London from somewhere in Switzerland.

With only a week, pick 2 destinations and enjoy them.

kyboourbon - i only poised Paris as a gateway to Eurostar trains to London - i did mention also flying from Suisse to London - but if not flying then they have to go via Paris.