We are traveling from Venice to Frankfurt and would like to spend 3 nights between in Switzerland. How hard is it to get to Zermatt or Murren? How long of a drive by car is it to each? <BR><BR>Which is a better choice?<BR><BR>

How long a drive from where????

From Venice to either Zermatt or Murren?<BR>And which place is better to spend 3 nights?<BR><BR>Thanks

I recommend you Drive into Switzerland from Italy via the gorgeous Simplon Pass and then onto Zermatt for 2 nights. Then leave early morning on the third day and drive to Lauterbrunnen via the Loetschberg Auto Tunnel (from Goppenstein to Kandersteg- cost 25chf) and stay in Muerren for the 3rd night. I love both these places but honestly unless you are really into hiking or just relaxing 3-nights in Zermatt might be too much.<BR><BR>Drive Venice to Taesch (parking for Zermatt)-6 hours (if you avoid rush hour around Milan)<BR><BR>Taesch to Lauterbrunnen-2.5 hours<BR><BR>www.viamichelin.com<BR>http://www.bls.ch/autoverlad/gopp_fahrplan_d.html<BR>When are you traveling? If you are traveling in the off-season I always recommend you play it by ear according to where the weather will be most cooperative.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Thank you for the great information. Very helpful. We are traveling there in the end of June.

The drive to Zermatt through the mountain passes is hair-raising! There is also a car train that cuts through the mountains and will get you there in a third the time without the fear factor. You can't use your car once there, though. It just stays parked below. Driving from Zermatt to Frankfurt (using the train) would still be an all-day all-night (rather stressful) affair.<BR>If you don't mind not having a longer lay-over, I think I'd probably breakup my drive with at least two stops: either Chur and Lucerne OR Chur and Lindau, Germany. You may want to stay in Stuttgart or Heidelberg the night before you want to be in Frankfurt. I'm not sure how far it is from Venice to any of these stops.<BR><BR>

I don't agree that those mountain passes in Switzerland are hair raising. I started out bald with my wife driving over the Grimsel Pass. Nothsing happened. No new hair came up or out. <BR><BR>Seriously, the roads curve a good bit, as any mountain pass road will do, but the only thing hair raising I saw was these lunatic motorcycle riders who go roaring around the curves on the Grimsel and Furka Passes like people possessed. If one of them had run off of the road, it would not have been my problem because it was a long ways down!!<BR><BR>And even more seriously, my wife is a good driver. Those passes have yet to bother her. She is careful yes; scared, no.<BR><BR>As for your choices, you cannot go wrong with either. Zermatt is beautiful, but you must get out of the trench it sits in to enjoy the slopes.<BR>Go to the Gornergrat and get wowed by the glacier that comes off of Monte Rosa; then look west and drink in the dramatic beauty of the Matterhorn.<BR>

Nancy,<BR><BR>I like Chris' suggestion - 2 nights in Zermatt and 1 night in Murren IF YOU WANT TO HIT THE TOWNS YOU MENTION. "opinions" is wrong about the car-train under the Simplon pass - the service was discontinued years ago due to lack of demand. On the other hand, you will take the car-train between Goppenstein and Kandersteg on your way to Murren as there is no direct road. While I have never driven the Simplon pass, I think it can't be too bad as it's a main road. It is closed in the winter however.<BR><BR>That said, I would recommend a different route:<BR>Venice to St. Moritz for 2 nights (or another resort in the Engadine such as Pontresina or Sils). This is a shorter drive (about 4 hours) and the Engadine provides spectacular mountain scenery.<BR><BR>From there onwards to the Alsace (in France) for one night (for example at the fabulous Auberge de L'Ill in Illhaeusern). Again, about 4 hours' drive.<BR><BR>From there it is less than 3 hours to Frankfurt. All in all less driving time and no dealing with car-trains and car-free towns (they're great for an extended stay, but not too handy as a stopover).<BR><BR>Finally another option would be taking the Brenner pass to Austria and enjoying the Dolomites or Tirol (Innsbruck) on your way.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

I absolutely agree with Andre. Great suggestions.<BR><BR>For a stay in the Engadine I recommend Sils or Pontresina . Soglio in the Bregaglia valley is a good choice, too. If you do a little research on this forum you will find a lot of threads about Soglio.