We have not booked any flights yet but we are trying to figure out our itinerary. We have:

Fly into Geneva (might be Zurich or even Milan and then out of another airport so we don't backtrack):
Montreux, 3 full days
Train to Zermatt, 3 full days
Train to Lucerne, 3 full days
Train to Lauterbrunnen (or Wengen/Murren, depends on lodging), 3 full days
Train to Lake Cuomo area (or lakeside town like Varenna, Bellagio or Menaggio) 3 full days
Fly out of Milan

Of course, the order might change depending on our tickets. However, my questions are:

1. Is this repetitive? I am nervous we will get "sick of" all the mountains. Is this enough variety or should I adjust?
2. Is this "too rushed"? We are active yet I don't want to be too rushed either.
3. I would like to use the Goldenpass or Bernina Express scenic trains too but I'm confused how to incorporate them?

We love nature, moderate hiking and walks in beautiful cities, good food, and culture. We have so many places we'd like to visit so this will be our only chance to see Switzerland.

Any advice is appreciated!

Well it is a bit "main tourist drag" area, so the culture part will be a bit international rather than small town local culture. But the lakes and mountains will be different and some days the weather will be off.

If you don't mind visiting overtouristed places like Lauterbrunnen and Lucerne (but they are popular for good reasons!), your choice is fine.
You can easily add popular train rides like Golden Pass and Bernina Express, but be aware that these trains are rather slow. That means
that you will spend more time in trains and will have less time at the places you plan to visit.

MONTREUX on Lake Geneva is between the Swiss midlands and the Alps, with day trip possibilietgies to both.
Midlands:
Gruyeres castle and chocolate factory at Broc, Lausanne (medieval city, Olympic Museum), Avenches (Roman theatre) and walled city of Murten,
Jura with it's tons of museums and viewpoints,https://www.j3l.ch/en/P387/things-to...n-sainte-croix
Orbe Gorges or Areuse Gorges (hiking trails), medieval city of Fribourg, Geneva (red cross museum, art museums...), Lake Geneva cruises to the French towns of Evian, Thon, Yvoire.....
Alps:
Leysin - La Berneuse, Diablerets Glacier, Salt mines of Bex, Roman theatre and museums of Martigny https://www.gianadda.ch/expositions/...s_permanentes/
Lake Emosson (in front of Mont Blanc) https://www.verticalp-emosson.ch/en/index.htm

ZERMATT is in the heart of the Alps with 40 more than 13000 ft high peaks around. Cableway from Zermatt via Kleinmatterhorn (12750ft) to Breuil Italy (with bus connections from there to Turin and Milan.

LAUTERBRUNNEN area. is just along the Northern face of the Alps, with Jungfrau and the glaciers at one side and lovely Lake Thun and Lake Brienz on the other side

LUCERNE is a city with a medieval center, good museums (Swiss Transport Museum, Rosengart Foundation) and tons of spectacular rope wheel railways and gondolas to viewpoints all along the lake. More than 100 year old paddle wheel boats ply the whole lake.

VARENNA is a small, rather overtouristy resort town in the mild semitropical climate of the lakes on the Southern end of the Alps.

That means that all places are different from each other. There is no danger to see twice the same.

neckervd
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Continuation of my detailed answer sent 2 minutes ago:

Best itinerarîes

without Golden Pass and Bernina Express:

Geneva airport GVA - train or boat - Montreux
Montreux - train Visp (train change) - Zermatt
Zermatt - Visp (train change) - Spiez (train (change) - Interlaken (Lauterbrunnnen etc)
Interlaken - Meiringen - Lucerne
Lucerne - Lugano (much more interesting than Varenna; train change) - Monza (train change) - Varenna
Varenna - Milano Centrale (train change) Milano Malpensa airport MXP

with Golden Pass
GVA or ZRH . train Visp (train change) - Zermatt
Zermatt - Visp (train change) - Montreux
Montreux - Gstaad - Interlaken
Interlaken - Meiringen - Lucerne
Lucerne - Lugano (much more interesting than Varenna; train change) - Monza (train change) - Varenna
Varenna - Milano Centrale (train change) Milano Malpensa airport MXP

with Bernina ExpressI
as above. Last day
Varenna - Tirano (train change) - Bernina Exppress - Chur (train change) - Zürich (train change) - ZRH: 8 hrs journey

There are tons of other possibilities like
Montreux - Golden Pass - Interlaken
Interlaken - Spiez - Visp - Zermatt
Zermatt dp 8.52 - Glacier Express - St. Moritz - Bernina - Tirano - Varenna ar 20.34
Varenna - Monza - Lugano - Lucerne
Lucerne - ZRH

Montreux - Golden Pass - Interlaken
Interlaken - Spiez - Visp - Zermatt
Zermatt - Brig - Domodossola - scenic Centovalli train - Locarno (instead of Varenna)
Locarno - scenic treno Gottardo - Lucerne
Lucerne - ZRH

etc- etc......

My 2 answers are actually blocked by a moderator

We did a similar trip a few years ago and used Montreux as a base and only did a day trip to Zermatt and drove as opposed to using the train. We didn't ski, so didn't see the need to spend a night in Zermatt. But that visit is one of our more memorable day trips.

It takes us a bit longer to get over the jetlag, so we add an extra day on the first stop. While in Montreux, we visited La Mason du Gruyere and Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory.

You shouldn't tire of seeing the beautiful mountains and you're breaking it up with a visit to Lake Como. Enjoy.

By 'three full days', I assume you mean four nights? If so, no, it's not particularly rushed.

Nor is it repetitive. Each of these areas is different enough from the others to offer significant variety, but this is from a person who is incapable of getting 'sick' of mountains. Montreux, Lucerne, Como are more about their respective lakes although all have a mountainous background.

Trust me, you will not be bored.

neckervd will no doubt help you with the train logistics as soon as his posts are released from moderation.

It sounds like you are wondering if you'll have enough variety in your plans. You might want to spend another day or two in Milan enjoying the strolling, food and the culture there.

Thoughts...fly into Geneva, stay in Montreux several days, much to do and see. Maybe go to Lauterbrunnen but it is crowded and getting more so all the time, social media is helping flood the zone, very crowded. Head for Como or better yet, Lake Garda. Stay several days. Minimize time in Milan, lakes are much nicer and peaceful and beautiful fly home from Milan. Do day trips don't try to jump around too much. Two bases...maybe three.

Sorry if I missed it, but when would this trip take place? Time of year can make a big difference!

If this is your "only chance to see Switzerland," I'd drop Lake Como [note spelling]. Check the train times, connections, etc., but Lake Lugano might be easier overall and it's lovely. From Lugano you could make a day trip by bus to Menaggio on Lake Como, and there is a direct train from Lugano to Malpensa.

Just FYI, the only towns on Lake Como with train service are Como and Varenna. Getting to Varenna or Bellagio from Lauterbrunnen would take several hours and involve multiple connections.

FWIW, I think Jean has offered a very good idea. Lugano is very different from the other places you are contemplating!

Thank you everyone! You've given me lots to contemplate. We are traveling in mid June. The plan is to fly into Switzerland (Geneva or Zurich) and fly out of Milan or vice versa. I've been to Italy before (including Milan) but not to the Lake Cuomo area (sister/niece have never been). So, Varenna or Bellagio is where we have our hearts set on. I've also read that we can pretty much be on the same route as the Bernina Express but on a Swiss Regional train (much cheaper and can make stops). Anyone aware of that?

I'm adding this: La Mason du Gruyere and Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory to our Montreux itinerary. Sounds like fun and I saw a Get your guide day trip we may take.

Lugano sounds lovely too and now we're thinking how to squeeze that in. We love walking around small/manageable cities.

I'm torn between dropping Zermatt (which I've read has the best food in Switzerland and the Matterhorn seems like a must-see, yet in mid-June might be iffey in terms of weather... we have snow where I live (no big deal, and I will enjoy escaping from it)) and dropping Jungfraujoch (top of Europe, seems way too expensive and a bit of a tourist trap, no?). The main reason for going to the Berner Oberland area is easy to moderate hiking, nature, taking the boat right on Lake Brienz, biking and staying away from snow (lol). Or, should we cut from Lucerne and do that as a day trip from the Berner Oberland area?

Thoughts?

Just FYI, the only towns on Lake Como with train service are Como and Varenna. Getting to Varenna or Bellagio from Lauterbrunnen would take several hours and involve multiple connections.

And Bellano, Lecco, Abbadia Lariana, Dervio...there is train service between many towns on the eastern side of Lake Como (of which Varenna is just one).

We recently spent five nights in Bellano, which is a short train ride from Varenna, and found it a good base from which to explore the lake.

Best food in Switzerland.....

But France and Italy are so close.

GRUYERES
You could just leave your Golden Pass train at Montbovon, go from there by connecting train to Gruyeres (20 min ride), then by bus to Broc (10 min ride), visit the chocolaterie, turn back to Montbovon by train (45 min ride) and go on by Golden Pass to Interlaken.

Zermatt has some very good restaurants, but by far not the best of Switzerland.

Is there luggage storage in Montbovon? I don't believe there was when I visited, but I could be wrong or things could have changed.

I don't think you would need a tour to go to Gruyeres and Broc; you should be able to visit on your own from Montreux.

You can eat well in Switzerland without going to Zermatt.

I felt no need to go to wither Jungfraujoch or the Matterhorn. The peaks of the Bernese Oberland (and elsewhere in Switzerland) are stunning enough for me! YMMV.

I thought Lucerne sufficiently different from the other places you've mentioned to justify spending time there. The core of the city has great charm. Unfortunately, that charm also brings loads of tourists, so it can get very crowded in high season. IME, it is better in the morning / evening, when the day trippers aren't there.

FWIW, I far prefer Wengen to Mürren.

The luggage lockers are at Bulle, between Gruyeres and Boc Chocolaterie.
The train from Bulle to Gruyeres (7 min journey) and from Bulle to the Chocolate factory (10 min journey) run every 30 minutes