We have 4 days in Switzerland in mid October. Does Anyone have any good ideas of places to visit in and around Zurich.

Lucerne, Mt. Rigi, ferry ride on the Vierwaldstättersee, Mt. Titlis for an intertube ride on the snow, Rapperswil for a 1/2 day shopping, Einsiedeln for a huge, pink and gold church and Zürich itself.
Go to a local fest at night. They are great.

And Regensberg, Schaffhausen, and Stein am Rhein?

Do you have to stay in Zurich? If you like big cities, I guess it's ok, but if not, Luzern would be my recommendation: smaller, cool Altstadt, mountain and lake views, convenient to other areas, good shopping and neat things to see (Lion monument, Mt. Pilatus, Bourbaki Panorama, Swiss Transport Museum) and good German/Swiss food.

We just returned from Zurich. If you have to stay there, I recommend the Central Plaza hotel. The hotel itself is fabulous - great bar with entertainment - and it's one block from the train station across the river. Great location if you have to do day trips.

No one loves small towns more than I do, but I must defend Zurich as much more than a big city. The old town between the bahnhofstrasse and the Limmat has beautiful winding streets of shops and cafes. If you can tuck into a hotel in that area, I think you can enjoy many hours exploring, and you will have an unlimited number of daytrip possibilities as well. J.

I agree with you J. We wandered around for 2 days exploring and had a wonderful time. We took a boat ride around the lake and shopped. There is a lot to do.

I agree with others that Zurich is a nice city to explore for a couple of days.

Consider St Gallen for another day trip. It's to the east of ZRH. Also, Basel is quite nice. And YES to Lucerne. It's one of the most beautiful places anywhere IMO.
Carol

Carol,
We had planned to spend 2 days in Lucerne last week, but cancelled after the floods. I was crushed, but Zurich proved to be a fun time too. I'm sure Lucerne has now recovered. I hope to visit there someday.

Thank you for your input. It sounds like Zurich and surroundings will prove to a wonderful time.