jrossi

Please review and let me know if this is reasonable, if we should be heading to other areas, or adjusting any of the time. We're traveling with 7 of all ages (2yrs to 60yrs). We are accustomed to travelling, and pretty much love to do everything (hike, wonder aimlessly, dine, museum-hop,...). We plan to stay in apartments/chalets/villas.

Also, it's unclear to me where in Tuscany we should be basing ourselves and which daytrips we should be taking. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for any help. And Happy New Year!!!!!

Day 1: Arrive midafternoon in Zurich and stay 2 nights.
Day 3: Train to Lucerne and stay 3 nights
Day 6: Train to Wengen and stay 3 nights
Day 9: Train to Venice and stay 3 nights
Day 12: Rental Car to Tuscany and stay 4 nights
Day 16: Train to Rome and stay 7 nights with at least one day trip (Pompeii).
Day 23: Fly home

Thank you!!!!!

swisshiker

I'd head straight to Lucerne on arrival day.

3 nights Lucerne
5 nights Wengen

Happy travels!

enzian

That looks like a good plan to me except for the "train to Venice" from Wengen. That is a long journey of 8 to 9 hours with lots of train changes (5 or 6).

I suggest you break up the trip with an overnight stop at Brig, which is right on your route, about 3 hours or less from Wengen. Check in to your hotel, drdop your luggage, and use the rest of the day to either head west to Martigny to visit the St. Bernard museum in Martigny, or (my choice) head east a short 10 to 15 minutes by train and ride a cablecar up to one of the villages perched high above the Rhone Velly, either Riederalp or Bettmeralp.

There, you can wander an denjoy the views, explore the alpine botanical garden or alpine museum, and ride a chairlift up to the to of the ridge to see the might aletschgletscher, and take a short hike in the Aletschwald.

From Brig, you continue to Venice the following day. There are lots of train options, but if you catch the 9:44 you won't have to change trains at all on the way to Venice, and you'll arrive there in under 5 hours. Other trains will require one change in Milan, and take a bit longer.

For photos, go to

www.bettmeralp.ch

www.riederalp.ch

swandav2000

Hi jrossi,

Luzern and Zürich are less than an hour apart by train, so it will take you more time to move bases (especially considering the number and ages of folks with you) than to simply make one or two day-trips from one to the other. I think it would be a relaxing notion to know that you can stay in one place for four or five nights after arriving from an international flight

You can be in Luzern in about an hour from the airport, and I personally think it's a more scenic city, so I would choose to stay there. Spend maybe two days getting to know Luzern, then take some long day-trips to see the sights of Zürich.

With so many people, you may also want to send your luggage ahead of you to free some of you up for the actual travel. You can do this two ways

-- either get the customs documents and a special green plastic tag from Raileurope, fill in the documents, put them in the green tag, and attach to your bags. Check them as usual at your home airport. When your bags arrive at Zürich, the baggage handlers will see the special tags and will send them right to the train station.

-- or claim all your bags at the Zürich airport, pile them onto a luggage cart, and then wheel them to the counter in the basement of the airport and send them that way.

It's a real treat not having to deal with luggage upon arrival, especially as you'll probably have plenty to keep you busy at the time!

Have fun!

s

nytraveler

I think you could easily lose Zurich. It's primarily a business city and doesn't have that much to see or do that isn't better seen/done elsewhere. this would give you more nights other places (I think a help since moving 7 people every couple of days can be a challenge.

If you head to the basement of the airport you can hop a train that will go to Lucern in about an hour - just pick one that doesn;t stop in Zurich Central.

annhig

hi jrossi,

good advice above regarding the swiss leg of your trip, I think.

so far as the Italian segment is concerned, I'm going to break the habit of a life time, and suggest that you spend LESS time ni Rome. after all that travelling, I think that you would all appreciate longer in Tuscany. perhaps 6 nights in Tuscany and 5 in Rome would be a better split of time.

hope you all have a great time,

regards, ann