More Switzerland & Italy Honeymoon Help Please!
 

Hello all! It has been a few months since I have posted, but I am back with a few more questions regarding our Honeymoon to Switzerland and Italy that should be taking place June 2016. We have done some brainstorming as well as some research and would love some more help, guidance, and suggestions.

A few questions:

1. We will be flying nonstop from NYC to Zurich. We want to spend most of our time in the mountains in Switzerland. Should we skip Lucerne and head straight to the Mountains? We are thinking of staying in Wengen. We would like to be in the mountains, have dining options for the evenings, and have access to visit Murren and Grindelwald if we want. We are thinking of staying at the Hotel Schonegg. Any reviews?

2. We were thinking of heading to Lake Como in Italy to fulfill our lake views. We checked out the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

3. We also would like to see Venice. Looked into the Hotel Cipriani.

4. We would love to add Positano if we are able to. What would be the best way to get there? We are able to leave from Rome to head back to NYC

5. How many days/nights should we make our trip if we include Positano? And if we do not?

I'd let the weather guide you a bit here. If it is clear when you land in Zurich, then I'd head straight to Wengen. Otherwise, I'd spend a couple days in Luzern and go from there.

How many days did you want to spend in the mountains?

It will take the better part of a day to travel from Wengen to Tremezzo. How many days you spend there depends on what you want to see/do on the lake.

It will take more than half a day to travel from Tremezzo to Venice, and it would take the better part of a day to go from Venice to Positano regardless of how you travel. The 'best' way depends on how much you're willing/able to spend, and the simplest way is probably train Venice-Naples and private driver to your Positano hotel.

Unless your flight home departs in the evening, you should plan on spending the night before your departure in Rome or near the airport.

If this was my trip, I'd want to have a minimum of 3 weeks.

Thank you Edward!

Jean- how many days would you recommend in the mountains? I was originally thinking around 4.
Is a better option to not go to Positano and concentrate more on Switzerland, Lake Como, and Venice? Although I would have liked to include a seaside village or town.

Most of our vacation will involve sightseeing and walking around, enjoying the views with some wine and amazing food. (In italy) We will want to hike, walk around, and zip line in Switzerland.
We usually do not lay out by the pool for days when there are so many beautiful things to see and do, however im sure we will want to take some time out of this trip and enjoy the sun and pool areas and views.

I may not be the best person to ask some of these questions... I don't like to go anywhere for less than 4 nights, but that's only 3 full days and for some places that isn't enough for me. And for me, the time and effort to get to Positano and then on to Rome, together with the long list of things to do and see while there, would demand more than 3 days. Though I'm not the biggest fan of Venice, I think 3 days would be cutting it short there too.

As for the mountains, do you know what you want to do in Wengen? Do you want to be busy every day/all day or have some time to just relax? (That's a question that relates to every destination.) Do you have trouble with jet lag?

I suggest you figure out the list of things you want to do/see everywhere and then make a day-by-day itinerary to see how much time you need in each place. Because of the longish travel times between points, you shouldn't plan any sightseeing on the days you're moving. If you end up with a few unplanned hours, just consider them a bonus.

Did you want to see any of Rome on this trip?

One note about the Cipriani:

It is a very upscale place, but be aware that it's not in the city proper; it's on Giudecca. That puts you a little bit removed from many of the sites you'll want to see.

The good news is that the Cipriani operates its own motorboat shuttles to and from the hotel at a docking area near San Marco.

Just wanted you to be aware of the logistics involved with staying there.

You may want to investigate the Swiss Transfer Ticket if going by trains - give you a train ticket to any place in Switzerland from any airport and then another trip by train to any airport or border point - meaning you could go Zurich Airport to Wengen to start and Wengen to Domodossola, Italy on the way out. And you can buy a Half-Fare Card in conjunction with the Transfer Ticket at half-price - currently $64.50 if bought in the U.S. - not sure what prices are in Switzerland - and then you'd get 50% off everything that moves in between your first and last train rides. Would be better I think that just buying a Half-Fare Card at full price and if taking the Jungfraujoch train even from Wengen half-off would be a huge amount.

Anyway if going by train check these superb sites for lots of good info: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Agree that for everyplace you want to see - including the AC - you would want 3 weeks if you are not going to be rushed (I'm assuming you will want at least 3 full days - 4 nights - to see even the most basic sights in Rome.

For lying around pools check your hotels carefully to see what amenities they have - those in big cities generally do not have pools - and for Switz you will have to check.

how many days would you recommend in the mountains? I was originally thinking around 4.>

Depends on where you go but if the Jungfrau Region then 3 would be OK but 4 much better and there is enough varied things to do to spend much longer there.

Zermatt IME would be more limited to just going up to the sea of ice if not into hiking but the Ingterlaken area offers so so much more than just going to a glacier and hiking. Ballenberg Open-Air museum; lake boat tours of each lake bookending Interlaken, day trips to Bern and Interlaken itself and say its ornate casino where you can replenish dwindling trip funds!