I see, yes Wengen looks like a great place to see some great nature, do some hiking while having a great view of the alps even if bad weather during my trip were to not let me go up to the top.. I could still get a great sense of it from here.

What I'll do is an A schedule (including going to the top) and a B schedule, that way I'll be able to just easily swap one destination/activity for another on the day of depending on the conditions. Example:

Day 1 train ride from Venice to Wengen, investigate the town a bit/find hostel.
Day 2 Junfraujoch if it's a clear day or do some hiking in Wengen trails (Panoramaweg and UNESCOweg) / Trummelbach Falls?

Day 3 Junfraujoch (if not done on day 2) or do the trails and falls on this day instead.

Day 4 Head to Zurick, explore the city a bit and head over to the airport.

if day 2 and 3 I get bad weather than perhaps do a day trip to Bern?

looks like a good plan, Karl.

have a great trip!

@adrienne Yes I am leaving from Venice, but you have to transfer in Milan which is why I was asking which you had started the count from.

If you don't want to waste a whole day in trains, leave Venice at 16.20 and arrive at Wengen shortly before midnight.

Karl - if you go to bahn.de you can see the whole trip laid out.

the timings I gave came from that website, starting in Venice and ending in Interlaken/Wengen - allowing for changes.

neckervd is right about saving almost a day in trains by leaving late but you won't get to see much. I'd want to see the Alps as I crossed them, and i don't like arriving in new places in the dark unless I have to.

<< @adrienne Yes I am leaving from Venice, but you have to transfer in Milan which is why I was asking which you had started the count from. >>

Why the heck would I do something like that? Why would anyone give times with that criteria? Stating the journey starts half way though the trip? I'm insulted. I gave you some really good information and you come back with this half baked idea and wonder if it's mine?

You could have checked the train times before asking that question.

You gave a time of 10 hours from Venice to Switzerland and still won't give the name of the town you had planned to travel to that would take 10 hours. I guess you made that up whereas I'm giving factual information.

Don't worry Adrienne. The best we can do is to stop answering to Karl, sm and similar people. We only waste our time.

Why is it a waste of time? Wow, very rude.

I simply got confused about the train times, I'm new to this and must have looked up the wrong thing. I had quickly looked up from Venice to Zurich and it showed 8 hours, I rounded it up in case of delays and such. I'm new to this I didn't mean to offend, don't be so sensitive.

Karl - IMO the best website for inter-country train timetables is the german one - bahn.de.

the timings and where you have to change are given very clearly.

of course you can allow for delays if you like [and if timings are very tight you may want to look for later alternatives] but the european train system is pretty reliable and you probably don't need to allow 2-3 hours extra as a matter of course.

we're only trying to help!

Perfect annhig, the more I'm reading up the more it does seem like trains in Switzerland are quite reliable and looking at the geography I will most likely base myself in Grindelwald for the two first days (if the weather is nice I could decide to go up or if not I'll be doing some hiking (so I'll still see breathtaking scenery in either case.

Day 3 I'll spend in Lucerne. Again if the weather's nice and I didn't get a chance to go up I could go up on this day instead but on that peak (mt Pilatus)... so it'll give me two chances to go to a mountain top (while still moving my trip forward and moving closer to zurich ) Day 4 will be in Zurich a few hours (lunch or smt) before heading to the airport.

This way, I'll see quite a bit but I'll keep moving in the right direction and get to see some great views from either the top or bottom of the places I'm staying at. Thanks all for being patient with me!

Because of the weather and all that, it seems better to make plans in Switzerland but still sort of 'wing it' once I'm there and see how I feel, money I have spent up to that point and want to spend, weather etc. Seems like a good place to RELAX and loosen up my schedule after the whirlwind tour of the Italian cities.

<< I rounded it up in case of delays >>

The trains run on a schedule. They do not arrive 2 to 3 hours late. Even in Poland the trains do not arrive that late. And you must be on the train before it's scheduled to leave. You cannot "round up" and arrive 2 hours late and expect the train to be sitting there for you.

We are talking about arriving in Switzerland where things run like clockwork.

<< don't be so sensitive >>

I can be as sensitive as I want, especially as I have given you some well thought out, accurate information. You did not take this into account.

Okay, thanks adrienne, sorry for the confusion! I value your input!

''I can be as sensitive as I want'' Okay, that's not a problem. Here's have a lollypop for that frowny face, lol.

We are talking about arriving in Switzerland where things run like clockwork>

that is a fallacy IME of Zillions of Swiss train rides - they are no more on time than any other country - not unusual to be late.

That's why I rounded it off, if I get there sooner than great, all I meant was that a better part of my day will be spent on the train. I didn't think it would offend.

I don't understand how you can determine the best method of getting from one place to another when you over and under estimate the times.

You stated that it would take you 2 hours to get from Venice to Zurich if you fly and 10 hours by train. Neither is accurate.

I guess that is why you think everyone makes things up because you do.

It's not making things up that offends but not stating that you're making things up.

Your snotty lollipop comment is offensive.

Sorry for the 'offensive' remark but if it's your 'right to be as sensitive as you want' than it's my right to kid you about it. I'm not making things up I'm trying to plan something that I've never done before and making mistakes, over-compensating or overlooking certain things. If you don't have the patience for that than perhaps you just need to stop responding to me, I won't be offended. I've read the comments and have always rechecked things or learned from them.

In any case, I will have just spent quite a few days running around Italy and after some thinking I've decided that the best thing would be to settle down in Wengen for the time I'll be able to spend in Switzerland. I was trying to see Lucerne or Bern or as much of it as I could and I feel that this would be a mistake. My time I think would be better spent taking stock, breathing the crisp mountain air and enjoying where I am and what is around me. After all, the Alps is what I can't get anywhere else. I'm sure the cities and town in Switzerland are very beautiful but I will just have been to Venice, Florence and Rome... a tough act to follow. Then I'll take the train for another scenic route as I say goodbye to Switzerland and head to Zurich and the airport. Hopefully I'll arrive home a bit more zen (but still with sore legs I'm sure) and that way and won't feel like I need a vacation to rest from my vacation lol.