Zurich-Bern-Lausanne-Geneva suggestion?
 

We are stopping in Switzerland on our way from Dublin to Rome and are considering starting in Zurich, then working our way to Geneva through Bern and Lausanne over the course of 5 days. Really it's: a travel day in to Zurich, then 3 full days, then a travel day out from Geneva. Does this seem reasonable? Would you suggest an alternate way to spend our (very brief) time, sampling a bit of the country? Neither of us has been before.

Thanks in advance.

While there is much to treasure in these Swiss cities, I think that many people choose to visit Switzerland for its Alpine wonders, rather than it's cities. If that's your intention, you might want to consider the Bernese Oberland or Lucerne and surrounding mountains or Montreux and surrounding mountains instead. I think it would depend, in part, on when, exactly, you would plan on traveling. If you don't already have one, I'd strongly recommend a good guidebook.

What kind of sampling are you looking for? The current destination list are just large cities happen to be located on the rail line between Zurich and Geneve. Is that what you want to do? In case you have not done any research, there is a activity you can do in about 3 minutes to get rudimentary images of these places:
In google search box enter follows:
"Zurich images"
"Bern images"
"Lausanne images"
"Geneve images"
then look at
"Berner Oberland images"
"Lake Lucerne images"
Which one matches the images of Switzerland you are looking for?

Thank you for your responses. Sorry to not have been more clear: yes, we were considering a visit focused on cities for this first time. But we are also looking at Alpine destinations; just didn't want to try to cram in too much in a short time.

Skip the cities. See the mountains. Berner Oberland would make the most sense, if you are flying in to Zurich. Take the train from Zurich through Lucerne (rather than the shortest route, through Bern) to Interlaken, but then go on into the mountains and stay somewhere like Wengen, Murren, or Grindewald. Then, you take the Golden Pass route (though not necessarily one of the Golden Pass trains--any on this route will do) to Montreux, then on to Geneva.

If you must see a city, make it Lucerne--easy to get to several mountain tops from there.

If you take the Golden pass train and if you travel in summer, go on from Montreux by Lake Geneva paddle steamboat, at least up to Lausanne (along the Lavaux vineyards)

Yup Swiss cities are spic-and-span clean and fairly modern - nice but like many say above the joy of Switzerland for a first-timer is usually in a lovely Alpine region like the Jungfrau Region near Interlaken.

I'd head there from Zurich Airport and ensconce yourselves in a cute Alpine village like Wengen and take thrilling mountain trains and aerial gondolas that go off everywhere and hiking paths for all degrees of difficulty - spendsay three nights there and take the Golden Pass scenic train from Interlaken to Montreux, on shores of idyllic Lake Geneva and spend final time there and fly out of Geneva.

For lots on Swiss trains and passes which could be useful even with just a few days of travel check www.sbb.ch; www.swisstravelsystem.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Really a stay in a Wengen or Grindelwald will be a highlight to remember for years and years- Swiss cities nice but rather dull to many.

These are wonderful suggestions; thank you. We had a recommendation of seeing the cities, which we thought was novel (and we are inherently interested in cities), but you've convinced us that we'd be boneheads not to make our first visit (of which we hope is one of many) to the Alpine splendor. I look forward to fleshing out our few days based on your suggestions and other threads. Thanks again.

Well Interlaken is a nice city and you could bop around Zurich the first day. But yes good move to head for dem hills.

Instead of Lausanne and Geneva, I suggest Vevey and Montreux.

I enjoyed these cities! I also enjoyed the Alps. You might find some useful information in my trip report:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...thanks-983126/
Scroll down to post #28 where I begin providing some details about my time in those cities.

Do Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken area -if funky weather in mountains easy to day trip to Bern for a day.