Planning trip to Switzerland and Italy April/May 2024
 

Hi - my husband and I are planning a trip to Switzerland and Italy for about 21 days in 2024. I want to ski in Switzerland (although I really don't care how great the snow is), we live in the northern rocky mountains in Montana. We are planning to travel by train. Thinking we would fly into Zurich and out of Rome. Do you have any itinerary recommendations? Thank you.

With about a thousand possibilities, it's difficult to make suggestions with so little information. Other than skiing, what do you want to do? Cities? Countryside? Museums? Art? Food? When are you going? If in the winter, which seems likely in order to ski, that's not the best time for Tuscany. Also, 21 days probably seems like a lot, but it will be used up more quickly than you think.

OK, I just noticed from your title that you're going in April/May. Where are you planning to ski?

You'd probably have to ski a glacier which will limit your options and impact your itinerary. Perhaps Zermatt + cross-border piste to Cervinia (if it's still open)?

You need to decide how many days you want to devote to skiing and how many days you want to spend in Rome. When you calculate how many days you have left, you can decide where to go in between. Getting from, say, Zermatt to the usual Northern Italy destinations is a bit of a trek, so you'll lose most of a day in transit. Travelling only by train will somewhat determine what's realistic in the time you have.

If you mention what your interests are, you can get some useful suggestions here.

Thinking we would ski a day in Zermatt, ride the new gondola from Zermatt to Cervinia. We want to go to at least 1 glacier. we were thinking about starting in Zurich, taking train south. I'm not sure if we should go to Geneva. definately want to go to St. Moritz. Maybe 10 days in switzerland then to Italy. Lake Como, Venice, Florence (take a cooking class maybe tour a winery) then on to Rome. Think 2-3 days in Rome about 9 or 10 days in Italy.. We would like to hike some in Switzerland - and just really see the country, enjoy the food and history.

End your Switzerland trip at zermatt, the only si area which wil still be open, go from there by gondola to Breuil/Cervinia and by bus to either Turin or Milan in order to begin your Italian part.
Itineraries ZRH - Zermatt and Breuil - FCO: as above, what are you interested in?

9-10 days for 4 places in Italy is pretty tight. You will spend too much time on the train and not enough time in each place. Think about cutting out one of those.

I agree with SusanP... too many stops in Italy for the time you're giving to that part of the itinerary. I would want a minimum of 3 full days (which means 4 nights most places) for each: Lake Como, Venice, Florence and Rome.

I'm an avid skier, but I wouldn't want to combine a ski/hike trip with a city trip. Too much different clothing to bring, and getting in/off trains with lots of luggage is a big PITA. Zermatt could still be cold (highs in the teens and 20s). Hiking could be iffy/tricky if there is late snow, even at lower altitudes. Definitely chilly, possibly muddy. And then you'd want reasonably nice clothes and footwear for the big cities....

This website might give you some ideas:

https://www.wanderwego.com/home/10-s...in-switzerland

Some transit times:
Zermatt to St. Moritz... most of a day
Zermatt to Lake Como... most of a day
St. Moritz to Lake Como... about half a day
Lake Como to Venice... you could arrive by noon if you took an early train
Venice to Florence... 2.5 hours
Florence to Rome... 100 minutes

neckervd, is it possible to take your suggestion of traveling Zermatt to Cervinia by gondola... with luggage?

Skiing in Zermatt and possibly in Cervinia is great. We would also like to see Jungfrau and one or more ice/glacier caves. Walk through Murren and maybe Grindewald. I'm not sure if we have time for Geneva - so many of the trains look amazing - Bernina Express and the Glacier Express. We'd like to be able to get off at a stop and wonder around or spend the night is we decide. Would we have enough time in 10 days to start in Zurich - to Interlauchen or Murren, Zermatt & St. Moritz? Then on to italy?

We are going to fly out of Rome. Thinking 3 full days in Rome. so 7 days in other parts of Italy. We want to be amazed at the countryside, tour a winery, learn to cook and eat great food. What do you suggest?

If you're talking about seven nights, one option would be three nights in Venice and four in Florence. Do a cooking day trip from Florence that would give you a bit of the scenery in Tuscany. Of course, you could easily spend all the time in Florence, but that wouldn't include any countryside. Remember that every time you move to a new location, you lose at least a half-day, sometimes more. At any rate, that amount of time in Rome will give you a taste. There is so much to see there!

One option for a cooking class out of Florence is Accidental Tourist, which takes place in their villa in Chianti. I have done a lot of cooking classes in Italy, and they are always fun. I have not done this particular one but have seen positive reviews here in the past.

" Think 2-3 days in Rome about 9 or 10 days in Italy."

Emphasis mine

You are really under estimating travel time and logistics. It helps if you think nights - not days. To get three full days in Rome you'll need to be there 4 nights so if you have allowed 10 nights total in Italy that means you have 6 nights 5 full days for Lake Como, Venice, and Florence including a cooking class and winery tour. Just not doable.

Janis is right, that's why I asked if you meant seven nights in addition to Rome and suggested two places instead of three for those seven nights.

I'm imaging the packing... Clothes for cold temps (teens and 20s), ski stuff, clothes for hiking, waterproof hiking boots, walking shoes, and clothes for city sightseeing in mild to warmish temps. And hauling luggage on and off trains.

"Would we have enough time in 10 days to start in Zurich - to Interlauchen or Murren, Zermatt & St. Moritz? Then on to italy?"
NO.
The highest mountains and the longest glaciers are around Zermatt anyway.
If you absolutely want to get rid of some hundert USD for the ride to Jungfraujoch, do it.
But you can't afford to spend more than 1 day for that.