I had adapted (with some changes) what Melnq8 had advised:

Zurich - 2 nights - base for Stein am Rhein, Rhine Falls.
Lucerne - 3 nights - base for day trip to Mt Pilatus or Titlis (I will choose only 1).

After check out from Lucerne in the morning of Day 6, I will drop by Brienz before sleeping at Lauterbrunnen for the next few days.

Lauterbrunnen - 4 nights (base for Wengen + Mannlichen in 1 day, Spiez in 1 day) What else can I fit in here?
Bern - 2 night (old town/free & easy) Stumbled upon this and saw how pretty it is.
Montreux - 3 nights for Chillon Castle and Montreux Lakeside in 1 day, The Lavaux Vineyard Terrace and Vevey Promenade in 1 day, and Geneva in 1 day.

Return light departs at Geneva. No Zermatt :cry:. Please let me know your thoughts.

I had adapted (with some changes) what Melnq8 had advised for Spring/August/Mid-Autumn travel:

Zurich - 2 nights - base for Stein am Rhein, Rhine Falls.
Lucerne - 3 nights - base for day trip to Mt Pilatus or Titlis (I will choose only 1).

After check out from Lucerne in the morning of Day 6, I will drop by Brienz before sleeping at Lauterbrunnen for the next few days.

Lauterbrunnen - 4 nights (base for Wengen + Mannlichen in 1 day, Spiez in 1 day) What else can I fit in here?
Bern - 2 night (old town/free & easy) Stumbled upon this and saw how pretty it is.
Montreux - 3 nights for Chillon Castle and Montreux Lakeside in 1 day, The Lavaux Vineyard Terrace and Vevey Promenade in 1 day, and Geneva in 1 day.

Return light departs at Geneva. No Zermatt, but Bern. Worth the swap? Please let me know your thoughts.

If you feel fit ehough after an overnight flight, you may perfectly visit Rhine Falls and Stein a, Rhine directly from Zurich airport, may be like this:

arrive at ZRH, put your luggage into the railway station lockers, buy a Swiss Travel Pass (with kids Travel Passes for free) and start your day trip:
ZRH dp by train 8.57 (trains about every 30 minutes) - Neuhausen ar 9.42, dp by local train from the same platform at 9.49 to Laufen Castle panoramic restaurant, go down by ascenson to the Rhine Falls boat pier and cross the Rhine by excursion boat as close as possible to the Falls up to Woerth Castle from where you reach the centre of Schaffhausen by citybus. Visit the historic centre of Schaffhausen, have lunch in a traditional restaurant, go up to the historic Munot fortress and down to the boat's pier. Leave by Rhine river boat at 15.18 and arrive at Stein am Rhein at 17.23. Visit the historic center of Stein am Rhein and take then one of the frequent trains back to Zurich airport, may be Stein am Rhein dp 19.03 - Zurich airport ar 20.06. Fetch you luggage and go by train, tram, bus or taxi to the hotel of your choice

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d8cf1d0e5.jpeg
medieval center of Schaffhausen

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c43f0b7c30.jpg
Boat pier and munot Fortress

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe04a8dbc3.jpg
Laufen Castle with train Zurich airport - Neuhausesn

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e16d137f2.jpg
Stein am Rhein

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
The pics, again, were so pretty - which season were those? The pic of Rhine Falls looks rich!

I believe we need to take it easy upon arrival, so will only travel to both Rhine F and Stein on the 2nd day.
Can we fully utilise the Swiss Travel Pass for the entire trip, or do we purchase the 8-day Pass?
Must we use the train from one base to another? if yes, do I have options of which railway (similar to Japan, with different train companies, which could add to confusion) ?

Lauterbrunnen - 4 nights (base for Wengen + Mannlichen in 1 day, Spiez in 1 day) What else can I fit in here?

Trip to Schilthorn-Piz Gloria with a visit to Murren, walk along the valley floor (or take the bus) to Trümmelbach Falls, trip up to the Jungfrau (or if not interested in the whole shebang, just go as far as Stechelberg and take the easy scenic walk to the Mannlichen and then take it back down to Wengen...the options are endless

The Swiss Travel Pass is valid on all trains, tramways, citybuses, intercity-, overland- and alpine buses, Lake and River boats, cog wheel railways, rope railways, cableways (gondolas) between year round inhabited villages all over Switzerland. For trips beyond these places (mountain peaks etc.) as well as for the visit of museums, you will get up to 50 per cent discount in most cases.
For dertails, have a look at https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/...s-travel-pass/

Answer to your post 39:

Lake Emosson (Swiss Mont Blanc area) and the Verticalp thing is best done from Montreux, may be like this:
Montreux dp by Swiss Federal Railways at 7.43 and then every hr until 13.43
Martigny ar 8.09 and then every hr until 14.09
Martigny dp by Mont Blanc Express (cog wheel railway) at 8.18 and then every hr until 14.18
Le Châtelard ar 8.54 and then every hr until 14.54
Le Châtelard dp by Verticalp (rope railway, small panoramic train and Verticalp funicular) at 9.05 and then every hr until 15.05
Lake Emosson ar 9.45 and then every hr until 15.45
Walk over the Emosson dam to France or along the lake
Go back the same way (Verticalp) or leave
Lake Emosson by bus at 11.09, 12.09, 14.09, 15.09 or 17.09 to Finhaut, change there to the Mont Blanc Express and reach Martigny at 12.07,13.07,15.07, 16.07 or 18.07.
You may stop over in both cases at the natural swimming pool of Les Marecottes


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...22a713a685.jpg
Natural pool of Les Marecottes

Bookmarking -- lots of great information here, so, thanks to all the contributors! We're hoping to make it to Switzerland in 2021. Fingers crossed.

Here is a link to my trip report from 2016: trip report

Such a lovely pool!
Judging from my post no.41, will I have time to go to Emosson and Verticalp?
I really like this route that you'd shared with me.

And I am sorry if I sound stupid, but:
1. does the bus timing change every month/year?
2. where can I check the bus timing?
3. do the each bus come with a number that states its destination, or the name of the destination?

I asked no.3 specifically because I needed time to understand the bus service in Japan.
Thank you so, so much for your time.

With 4 nights at Lauterbrunnen, I am thinking:
1 day - Wengen + Mannlichen (with cable car ride)
1 day - Spiez
1 day - Schilthorn - Piz Gloria via Murren
1 day - Tummelback Falls and then Jungfrau

Is this possible?

Wow, thank you very much!
I am glad to have read your report because now I know about:

1. June rains! Therefore, I need to consider a flexible trip if it rains when I visit.
2. the SIM cards.
3. the train classes. I think first class is safest with 3 generations?
4. the many other places you had visited. Now I am intrigued to add few more nights!

There are only two classes on the train and both are safe. If budget doesn't matter, get first class tickets where the seats are a tiny bit roomier and the cars are quieter.

There is neither a dry nor a really rainy season in the Alps. April - June is usually a bit wetter, but there will be some rainfall in every month.
The Northern slopes of the Alps (Appenzell - Lucerne area - Interlaken area) are usually wetter than the southern one's (Ossola Valley, Ticino). The inneralpine Valleys Valais, Aosta Valley, Valtellina, Val Venosta) are usually the driest one's.
It often rains in the Bernese Oberland and is dry in the Valais, whereas the contrary happens very seldom.

ANSWERS TO9 YOUR POST 53

1. I gave you the bus timetable valid June 26th - August 29th. The Verticalp trains/funiculars run from June 5th until October 24th
2. https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
3. the destination is always clearly indicated at the font side of the bus. In the case of Emosson, there is no problem at all as there is only one single bus line.

Yes

Thank you very much! Will do!