Hi Everyone!

New to these forums so first time posting!

My wife and I are planning a two week trip to Switzerland and Northern Italy at the end of May through early June and need some recommendations/guidance on itinerary. We fly into Zurich, plan on doing a week in Switzerland and then a week in Northern Italy flying out of Milan. We will have a car to make getting around easier. Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!

Dan

If you pick up a car in Switzerland and return it to Italy you will pay a king's ransom. Personally, I would use trains in Switzerland and rent a car once you get to Italy.

Taking trains I presume (and should IMO) - I always suggest for first-time Swiss travelers to hit the Lucerne and Interlaken areas to fulfill the Switzerland of their dreams -the majestic Swiss Alps. Head for a small mountain village like Wengen and be eyeball to eyeball with glacier-girdled soaring peaks from your hotel balcony. Toylike trains and thrilling aerial gondolas go off in all directions - hikingpaths from very easy to difficult exist all over.

I'd spend at least 3 night here or all 5 - lots and lots of nice easy excursions by public transit.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jung...w=1503&bih=738

Lucerne is a nice city with a gorgeous setting on a placid lake - about an hour from Zurich Airport so easy first night - spend 2 nights there. Do a lake boat trip and get off at so many neat places.

https://www.google.com/search?q=luce...h=738&dpr=1.25

For lots on Swiss trains and transports check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.sbb.ch; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. A Swiss Pass would cover all your trains to Lucerne-Interlaken-Italy border and lake boats and many mountain trains and gives 50% off most gondolas - just hop on any train anytime.

And the Interlaken area is right on a main rail line to Italy - to Lake Maggiore and Milan and on from there.

Milan Malpensa airport is close to the Swiss border. It's easy to drop off the car in a Swiss city like Chiasso or Lugano and to reach the airport from there by train or bus (1 1/2 hrs journey).
There are hundreds of gems in Switzerland and Northern Italy. It's up to you to make a choice.
May be you will have a look at
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/home.html
Piedmont - Discover Italy

OK missed the car but if going to Lucerne and Jungfrau Regions cars are a waste - must be parked at edges of towns like Grindelwald and can't even reach Wengen. Unless tuouring other places a car for the Alpine regions is a waste - cannot be driven into the Jungfrau Region. Rethink car for Switzerland if going to areas like Jungfrau Region, Zermatt, Lucerne, etc.

I am a driver. I took trains when I was younger, but my wife and I like to drive now. I like the freedom of making my own schedules, stopping where I want to stop along the way. Yes, picking up a car in one country and returning in another can cost you up to $500 for the return fee alone, but that is something I choose to do on my vacations. We live within our means at home, not on vacation.

Because we had a car, we stayed at the Hotel Belvedere in Grindelwald. It was a great hotel with a most incredible restaurant! We almost made the mistake of not choosing the "buffet" one evening. At the time, Oxtail and Pork Cheek didn't sound appetizing to me. I apprehensively decided to try a little of both. That tasting led me to a few more trips to the buffet line for more! The cheese selection was worth the price of the buffet alone! But I digress.....

We bought the Swiss Pass (at the recommendation of PalenQ, I believe) and wound up taking trains, gondolas and trams all over the region to Wengen, Murren, Lauterbrunnen, First, etc.and paid to go to the Jungfraujoch.

This is one of my favorite places in the world. If you like being in a picture perfect post card, this is it!

A 3 hour drive to Lugano, another 20-30 minutes to Lake Como and you are ready for Northern Italy exploration.

Have a wonderful time!

What StCirq said.

Great to know. Thanks for the great advise!

I suppose masterphil bought the Bernese Oberland Pass or the Jungfrau Pass as the Swiss Pass would have been a huge waste of money in his case.

Switzerland holds a wealth of wonderful options! I would strongly encourage you to get a good guidebook or two to see what most appeals to you, as a week is not much time. And if you haven't already seen it, you might find some useful information in my trip report:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...thanks-983126/

Thanks everyone for the great recommendations! It seems that the overall consensus is that getting a car in Switzerland may be a waste and to pick up a car once we cross over into Italy. Will look into all the trains and let everyone know what we end up doing!

Cars can be fine in Switzerland but not in Alpine areas - so it depends on where you go but still trains are great.

why because the Swiss Pass to take trains from and back to Zurich is more expensive?

it depends on what other train rides they took but if just in Jungfrau region yes those other passes would have been maybe not much cheaper but cover more.

"I suppose masterphil bought the Bernese Oberland Pass or the Jungfrau Pass as the Swiss Pass would have been a huge waste of money in his case."

scrb11 -

Because he'd have paid double - a Swiss Pass covers just about everything that moves within Switzerland, so paying for a rental car and a Swiss Pass is a huge waste of money. Swiss Passes aren't cheap!

"Because we had a car, we stayed at the Hotel Belvedere in Grindelwald"

Huh? The hotel is a five minute walk from the train station...and the hotel will pick you up at the station if the five minute walk proves too much.

There is plenty of parking for: Grindelwald ; the tram to Murren; Trummelbach Falls; Meiringen; the funicular to Reichenbach Falls; Engelberg; Kandersteg for the lift to Oeschinensee; Leukerbad etc. ALL of these places are easily accessible by car and parking IS available. Of course Wengen and Zermatt are car free so you park nearby and take the train. No big deal. I have traveled Switzerland using only train and bus travel and at other times only car travel. Both have their benefits! This year we are renting a small camper van and will access all these areas just fine!

SWITZERLAND BY CAR
It's perfectly possible to visit tons of gems in Switzerland by car, without boarding any train (between June and October, when all mountain roads are open).But if you want to visit Switzerland by car, don’t choose just the places that can NOT be reached by car (like Muerren, Gimmelwald, Wengen, Schynige Platte, Schilthorn, First, Kleine Scheidegg, Maennlichen, Rigi, Pilatus, Bettmeralp, Zermatt, Braunwald, etc). Otherwise you will have to pay for both: car rental, fuel (about 8 USD per US gallon/3,85 litres) AND mountain railways.
There are tons of beautiful places in the Swiss Alps which can be reached by car.
Some suggestions:
Drive from Martigny to Col de la Gueulaz on Lake Emosson (2000m/6600ft). You are then just in front of the Northern side of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain chain of Western Europe. The glaciers of Trient, Tour, Argentiere as well as the peaks of Aiguille d'Argentiere (3900m/13000fr), Aiguille Verte (4120m/13500ft), Grandes Jorasse (4210m/13800ft), Mont Blanc (4810m/15800ft) ar just a few miles away.
Drive from Martigny to Grand St Bernard Pass (2470m/8100ft) and hike in 1 hr to La Chenalette (2800m/9200ft). From there, you have a stupendous view to the Southern side of Mont Blanc (A Neuve Glacier, Dolent Glacier, Pre de Bar Glacier, Triolet Glacier as well as a lot of 3800 to 4800m / 13000 to 15800ft high peaks). In the South, but farther away, you see the glaciers and peaks of the Gran Paradiso chain.
A easy, but very scenic 6hrs circular hike goes from Col du Gd St-Bernard via Col des Chevaux - Lake Petit Le - Col de Bastillon to the 3 blue mountain lakes of Fenetre and then over the Col de Fenetre de Ferret back to Col du Gd St-Bernard.

Drive from Sion to Col du Sanetsch (2250m/7400ft) and hike in about 2 hrs to Refuge/Restaurant La Quille du Diable on Tsanfleuron Glacier (2900m/9500ft). You are there on the top of a perpendicular cliff and can look down to Lake Derborence, just 1500m/5000ft below your feet. Stupendous view to Mont Blanc chain, Grand Combin, Mont Collon and tons of other peaks.
Drive from Sierre to Grimentz and then up to the end of the road on Lake Moiry (2250m/7400ft) and hike then in aobut 1 hr to Moiry hut (Swiss Alpine club) and Moiry Glacier.
Drive from Brig to Ried-Moerel, go by gondola to Riederalp (5 CHF/one way), hike in 1/2 hr to Riederfurka (2070m/6800ft), visit the visitor's centre/museum of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Nature reserve, walk through the Aletsch Forest and have a look at the Aletsch Glacier (longest glacier of Europe) just below and in front of you.
Drive to Breuil-Cervinia (Italian neighbourhood, 2000m/6500ft) and go by cableway to Plateau Rosa (28 EUR/35 USD roundtrip). Plateau Rosa (3500m/11500ft) is close to Matterhorn Paradise/Kleinmatterhorn (1 mile away, same panorama). The roundtrip ticket from Taesch Parking to Matterhorn Paradise costs 107 CHF/112 USD
Drive to Grimsel Pass (2200m/7200ft) and hike in about 1 1/2 hr to Sidelhorn (2800m/9200ft). Panoramic views to Unteraar Glacier, Oberaar Glacier, 6 mountain lakes around Grimsel Pass, Finsteraarhorn (4300m/14100ft) and dozens of other peaks.
You may also hike from Grimsel Pass to Lake Oberaar (1 hr) and along this lake to Oberaar Glacier (another hr).
Drive then from Grimsel Pass to Furka Belvedere and visit the Ice cave in the Rhone Glacier.
Another road in the same area goes to Nufenenpass/Griessee. The hike from the end of the road to Lake Griessee - Gries Pass - Gries Glacier takes about 1 1/2 hrs.
Drive from Davos or St. Moritz to Stelvio Pass (2800m/9200ft). Hike to the glaciers (1 hr or so) or enjoy the view to them from Piz da las Trais Linguas (3 languages peak; 2850m/9400ft).etc. etc.

But if you prefer to ride with Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Golden Pass Panoramic, etc. and if you want to visit Gornergrat and Jungfraujoch, you better look after rail passes.You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/SBB: Online timetable.

Driving or taking post buses up and over Alpine passes can be thrilling but slow - not for everyone but for folks who get into driving serpentine roads it can be a thrill. I've done both and both are great but now I'd rather be sitting on one of those wonderful Alpine trains perhaps sipping a beer.

Grindelwad has a sweet camp - great views of Jungfrau Massif - Lauterbrunnen also has a camp - camper van great way to go and then in Alpine areas takes trains or gondolas from you base camp- new meaning for 'base camp'!

Sorry! The pass I bought from the folks at the hotel, got me on all the gondolas, trains, trams, etc. in the Bernese Oberland area. I believe Jungfraujoch was an additional cost. I was incorrect in calling it the Swiss Pass. (I'm getting old! )