Switzerland/Lucerne
 

Hi
During our 6 week tour of Europe, we should be visiting Lucerne in May next year for five nights, next stop after that will be Paris. My question is, should we do a few nights in Lucerne then a couple of nights somewhere else in Switzerland before travelling by train to Paris, love lakes, hills, great outdoor scenery etc or should we just use Lucerne as a base and do some tours from there?

Thank you.

As much as I love Lucerne, and I was just there for 7 nights in March, I like your idea of a second location. IMO Locarno would be a good choice. It's in southern Ticino, on Lago Maggiore. 2-3 nights in Locarno (We love La Palma Au Lac hotel along the lakeside) and the rest in Lucerne. Both offer lakeside views and strolling. Both have great eats and side trips that are do-able in a half or full day.

We did the train from Paris to Zurich just last August. A comfortable ride. You can get fron Lucerne to Zurich in one hour by train. Another nice ride.

You don'say where your destination is before Switzerland. This may change your second location.

Hi simpsonc5.

We will be going to Switzerland from Venice, Italy.

We were in Switzerland in 2014 and spent 5 nights in Lausanne and used that as a base (we visited Lucerne, Zermatt (Matterhorn), Geneva, Gruyere/Broc + Montreux).

Switzerland was very easy to get around using the public transport system. And even on the slightly longer train trips (2 or so hours) the scenery is just gorgeous so it feels much shorter.

We preferred to use one place as a base as you do lose time changing accommodation. However this may not faze you.

Perhaps decide on the places you wish to visit and see how long they are by train from Lucerne and then decide if you're happy with that length of time on the train.

Agree with Simpsonc510 as to your previous destination. If you're staying in a big city and your next destination is Paris, perhaps a smaller town base might appeal.

Happy planning.

Thanks rellie2 and simpsonc510 for rhe recommendations, ill check them out.