SConner

For our 38th wedding anniversary and my husband's 60th birthday, we plan to fly into Zurich on August 22, and fly out of Milan on Sept. 4th. We have tentatively planned the following schedule to experience the Alpine beauty of a Swiss town and mountain village, as well as the Italian lakes region. We need advice on whether the following plan is sound. We also need help planning the best way to get from point to point:

2 nights-Luzern
2 nights-Murren
3 nights-Lugano ( Home base for touring Ascona and Lago Lugano and Lago Maggiore)
5 nights-Bellagio (Home base for touring Lago Como with possible sidetrips to Lago Garda, Bergamo, Verona)
1 night-Milan

Our specific questions:

1. Have we allocated our time reasonably so we won't be packing and unpacking too much?

2. What are the do not miss sites we should consider?

3. Which train pass should we purchase that will work in both Switzerland and in northern Italy?

4. If we go from Luzern to Murren, how will we get there, and then what route will get us from Murren to Lugano?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best,
sconner

tipsygus

I can't help with the first three questions but the fourth From Lucerne to Murren is easy. Take the Brunig Pass route from Lucerne to Interlaken Ost where you change trains it's a simple platform change catch the train to Lauterbrunnen, you need to make sure you get in the right portion of this train, there are directions on the platform for this. Then at Lauterbrunnen you have choice you can take the cable car from across the road from the station again follow the signs they are in English. After the cable car you have a lovely train ride along the edge of the cliff from Grutschalp to Murren, or you can catch the post bus to Stechelbergand take the cable car from there via Gimmelwald to Murren. From Murren to Lugano return the same way to Interlaken Ost and then take a train via Spiez to Brig in the Rhone Vally and I think you will need to change again there. But I would suggest you check the Swiss Railway web site are www.sbb.ch/en for the English version. All you need do is type in your departure station and your destination and a date and time and you will see all the trains that are available.

Man_in_seat_61

Before buying any pass, check what the nornal prices are at www.sbb.ch.

ChallengerGrey

You're schedule looks good. Why so many lakes right next to eachother? Happy anniversery & birthday. We're doing a similar trip a week later. For me, fun is in the planning.

We usually drive around Europe, but this time I've talked my husband into taking the train system. I'm a bit nerveous because we have "connections". Hope we don't talk our way past a few stops. For us, a Swiss Pass looks to be the best. We're also able to buy all the cable car connections (which add up) in advance on www.swisspasses.com . The schedules I used just to verify approximate times was the German Bahn system. I will check out the railway site listed by Tipsyguy.

We'll be there on Aug. 26th thru Aug 31.We'll miss eachother by days. We chose Montreux & Lucerne as our lake stops, and Zermatt & Schilthorn for our mountain tours. We're going on the Gruyer cheese & Broc chocolate train excursion too. Like you, I want to know the train routes / options before we go.

Happy travels.

Dukey1

You are taking a daytrip from lake Como to Verona? Where on Lake Como are you planning to stay?

For train trips you could try using the Swiss Fed Rail site for planning

www.sbb.ch click on the "EN" symbol in the upper right

SConner

Thanks, Challenger Grey: This trip started out to be an excursion around the Italian Lakes, but I wanted to go back to Lucerne, which we loved when we visited it in in 1982. Then I began thinking we were spending too much time lakeside, so I tried to fit in one more area of Switzerland, and the area around Murren seemed so appealing! A Swiss lady we met last August advised us not to miss Ascona, so we decided to spend a couple of nights in Lugano, which serves as a good base for Ascona/Lago Lugano and Lago Maggiore. So Bellagio on Lago Como became our last significant stop. If we get tired of the lake, we can set out for a couple of lovely Italian cities to the east -- Bergamo and Verona -- before heading to Milan for our flight home.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

soc