What to do in Zurich for 5 days
 

Hi

I will be going to Zurich for 5 days from 17 to 21 March before heading to Vienna.

I plan to spend one day in Jungfraujoch but not too sure what is there to do or not to be missed in Zurich for 4 days.

It is easier to join a side tour to Jungfraujoch or is it easier to go on my own?

Any hotel to recommend? I am looking for a budget hotel that is safe and clean and quiet.

Looking forward to your kind advice.

Sorry, but I can't understand how somebody plan to go / stay X days somewhere and only after then start to ask what to do there.
How you decided to stay 5 days in Zurich? I suppose that you had a reason, isn't?

What about Lucerne, Pilatus Mountain, Stein am Rheine, Rhine Falls ?

Yes, it is the maximum no of days of annual leave I can take and after that I need to go to Vienna. :(

Go there a lot on business Marriott riverside bidding priceline.com from $80 in the past for me. Hotel Otter for no bid. www.booking.com Museums Lake Cruises luzern.org and Chur and Lugano not far by train seat61.com/switzerland.

eurocheapo.com/zurich good tips not too cheap.

Happy Trails!

Visit the Fraumunster and Grossmunster churches in Zurich.
Visit the Swiss National Museum across from the train station.
Have lunch at the famous Sprungli cafe or Cafe Felix.
Shop the meandering side street unusual stores and boutiques for one-of-a-kind items.
Take the train to Luzern and explore this small city for a day.
Take the train to Rapperswil (30 mins) and have dinner on the samll harbor.
Take the S-train up to the Uetliberg 'mountain' for scenic views over the city.

The Zurich Art Museum (Kunsthaus) is not large, but excellent and well worth visiting. Winterthur is a short train ride - the Oskar Reinhardt am Stadtgarten Museum is outstanding and there are others. I also heartily second the Swiss National Museum.

No need to get involved with a tour if you're headed to the Jungfraujoch (unless you're looking for company, I guess) - it's a simple trip with just a couple of train changes along the way. Pick your day, though, it would be a shame to invest the few hours that it takes to get there and then find it socked in.

<<Take the train to Luzern and explore this small city for a day.
Take the train to Rapperswil (30 mins) and have dinner on the samll harbor.
Take the S-train up to the Uetliberg 'mountain' for scenic views over the city.>>

Yes, I agree!

You could also take the boat to Rapperswil and the train back.

Take the train to Bern and explore for the day.

How about spending more days in the Ju8ngfrau Region - to me the essence of the Switzerland we have in our minds' eyes - a Valhalla of Alpine wonders - toy-like trains, thrilling aerial cable ways - hiking paths for all levels - boat rides on the two lakes the bookend Interlaken - perhaps you think of Zurich as a base because you are landing there - Zurich is a nice city but it is a modern city and a big city - try to spend IMO as much time out of Zurich as in it.

Trains are fantastic in Switzerland so you can reach Interlaken quickly enough and do the Jungfraujoch train journey from there but it would be a long long day and you never know whether once you get there the summit will be clouded or fogged in - better IMO to stay in Interlaken or a mountain village like Wengen or Grindelwald and then do the Jungfrau when the weather is nice.

Lots of great info on Swiss trains - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. If traveling more than one day on a train then check out a Swiss Pass - a 4-consecutive day pass would cover all regular inter-city trains, lake boats, city trams and buses as well as giving you discounts off trains to mountain tops like the Jungfraujoch.