Venice, Maggiore, Jungfrau
 

Hi Everyone, this is my first post and I'm hoping to get some suggestions or advice (I note participants are very generous with sharing info). We, active Aussie couple just turned 60, have 3 weeks holiday arriving Milan early October.
1. I want my husband to come out of the railway station at Venice and see what I saw 40 years ago across the canal
2. To see the sheer beauty of the alps in Switzerland.
We are normally slow travellers however on this trip, the first few days will be swift touring. Once we have my first 2 objectives done we can settle into relaxing touring. We plan to hire a car in Lyon, head for Biarritz then slowly make our way back to Nice with 2-3 stops over 9 days. We are then basing in Nice for 5 nights.
I would be grateful for opinions on the first 7 days of the trip, in terms of best things to see with limited time, budget accommodation. Are my plans too ambitious given we will have come off a 20 hour flight? Should we allow an extra night in Venice?
Day 1 Milan to Venice by train sightseeing and overnight Venice.
Day 2 head to Stressa by train to begin 3 days on Lake Maggiore, any advice appreciated, looking to base 3 nights here ending at Locarno.
Day 5 Locarno to Interlaken via Domodossola rail.
Day 6 day trip to Jungfrau sightseeing(any suggestions of tour companies?) or is it best to do ourselves. We are on a budget but also mindful that it can be more time effective to streamline with tour company. Overnight Interlaken.
Day 7 Interlaken to Lyon via Bern hop off.
Many thanks in advance.

Additionally, all travel will be by train. Would it be best to get a 2 country Eurail pass or stick with the Swiss rail pass?

My only suggestion - give yourself more time in Venice. That eight or nine hours of jet lag will really hit you.

If you have not yet booked your air tickets, try to fly into Venice.

Venice may really grow on you, or it may not. Venice really grabbed us after we had spent a handful of nights there, and so we have returned for some long stays.

Ye, that vista from the steps of the station is magic, and there is so much more to see as well.

If you click on my user name, you would find trip reports I have written when we have been in Venice.

Peter, which months are ideal for Venice? I've only been once, for a day, and we lucked out with 80 degrees in mid July and blue skies and low humidity, but I know that is not the norm.

Stresa is close to Milan Malpensa airport (MXP).
I would rather stay at Stresa first, then do a 2 days trip to Venice:
Stresa dp 7.21 - Venice ar 11.40
Venice dp 18.20 - Stresa ar 22.37
and another day trip to Locarno - Centovalli - Domodossola.
Yolu could then finally leave Stresa at 7.42 - Wengen ar 11.21
(a trip to Matterhorn paradise or to Aletsch Glacier would be much easier than a trip to Jungfrau and could be done in much less time).

Deladeb, over the visits that we've made, probably the time we arrived mid-March and departed mid-May was the best. It's something of a trade off, warmer weather vs more visitors.

Leaving early June also makes sense. It means that you would also overlap with the early part of the Biennale, either Art or Architecture, if that is your thing. The Biennale seems to add a bit of snap and crackle to Venice, and there are many venues and palaces that you can access while the Biennale is happening that are otherwise closed.

I'm returning to Venice 25th September for a couple of weeks for the Archi Biennale. Should be fun.

Hi Cajanel3,

I see you have only one full day in Interlaken in which to get to the Jungfraujoch. Remember that that trip depends completely on the weather -- if it's raining or cloudy, you'll spend a lot of money and a lot of time to go stand inside a cloud.

For that reason, it's really not a good idea to do this with a tour/guide; you truly don't want to put down your money and reserve a day when the weather really isn't good.

I would suggest:

If you only have one day in Interlaken, be prepared for bad weather and have alternate plans

or

Spend 3 or 4 days in Interlaken to try to have good weather

or

Skip Interlaken this time and spend that time in another spot; come to Interlaken when you have more days to spend there

Have fun as you plan!

s

Many thanks for the points raised and suggestions. Definitely need to reconsider the weather aspect Swandav2000 and neckervd I will consider your suggestions as they sound very reasonable. Peter_s_aus thanks for the advice of your link. The kayak tour in Venice sounds wonderful and such a good use of time.

I would concur with the first responder above to budget 2 nights in Venice, thereby giving yourself a full day there. Besides, many of the better value hotels may require a 2 night stay to issue a reservation.

I see no reason to get a 2 country pass, unless you add more rail travel in France. You do want to research how much of the travel on Lake Maggiorre can be done with a Swiss flexi-Pass. (if the boat terminates in Locarno) I believe the travel Locarno to Interlaken (via dommodossola) can all be done on the Swiss Rail pass, even though a lot of the route is in Italy. be sure to check the swiss rail website www.sbb.ch

Additionally, all travel will be by train. Would it be best to get a 2 country Eurail pass or stick with the Swiss rail pass?>

Definite NO to Eurail and probably big yes to Swiss Pass which covers much more in Switzerland than Eurails do -like trains and some gondolas in the Jungfrau Region.

for lots of good info on Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Yes the Centovalli train Locarno to Domodossola is fully covered by the Swiss Pass even though it goes thru parts of Italy- Domodossola to Brig and beyond also.

I do not believe boats on Lake Maggiore in Italy are covered by a Swiss Pass.

Palen is right: no discount at all on boats on Lake Maggiore, neither on the Italian or Swiss domestic lines, nor on the international lines.

Swiss passes do not automatically cover any boat on any Swiss lake but nearly all of them - even at times into France like on Lake Geneva.

Thanks so much for all the replies. Lots of food for thought...revised planning, decided to base on Lake Maggiore for about 5 nights somewhere close to the Milan Railway line. Will take daytrips to Venice and the Matterhorn from there. It will give us a chance to rest after the flight and also wait for the clear days to see the alps. Will take the ferry hopping off along the lake and also visit Lake Como and hopefully Bellagio if the ferry is running.

It's a good idea to spend the first days at Stresa/Lake Maggiore: train (every 2 hs), bus (infrequent) or taxi from MXP airport to Gallarate plus local train to Stresa.

As said above, a day trip from Stresa to Venice and back is a nonsense (unless you mean Stresa dp 5.21am - Venice ar 9.40, Venice dp 18.20 - Stresa ar 22.37; but even then, you will hardly be in a position to really enjoy Venice.
Same remark for Matterhorn Paradise:
Stresa dp 7.42 - Kleinmatterhorn ar 12.00, Zermatt dp 18.37 - Stresa ar 21.38 is possible, but rather stressing. Monte Moro Pass or Aletsch Glacier would be easier to reach.

If ferries don't run to Bellagio - unlikely - there is bus service there from Como.

Menaggio - Bellagio - Varenna: the car/passenger ferries run all the year round
Como - Bellagio - Colico in Ocotber: there are both, slow boats and hydrofoils, but less than during the season

Stresa - Bellagio:
fastest way: train via Milano to Varenna plus ferry resp train via Milano to Como plus bus
most scenic way: boat to Intra - Laveno, train to Varese or Luino, bus to Ponte Tresa, boat to Porlezza (only one: Ponte Tresa dp 11.05 - Porlezza ar 15.40, 1 1/2 hrs stop at Lugano), bus to Menaggio, ferry to Bellagio.

Again frequent buses between Como and Bellagio too.