I just decided I need a vacation and to use some of my frequent flyer miles....

I thought it would be a good idea to see a small euro city that I haven't been to. I have already been to all the biggies (London, Paris, Rome) plus some of the smaller ones (Amsterdam, Vienna and Copenhagen).

I have some questions.... Which of the three cities do you suggest? Why? What are the bargain but nice hotels? What is the food like (Eating is a big part of the trip), Shopping? What area of the city is best to stay in?

Another question, is Luzern a day trip from Zurich? or is Zurich a day trip from Luzern?

So many question so little time. I am planning on leaving July 12 or 13.

richard
I can give you a few answers. First, I have never visited to Berlin so I can't say it's better or worse than the Swiss cities. I have spent a lot of time in those Swiss cities and I can give a bit.

I like Lucern better than Zurich. It's smaller but it certainly looks more beautiful. Yet, I don't think you would need five days in Lucern alone.

You can take the train from Zurich to Lucern in about an hour with the train. That's the best choice. Or maybe spend a few days in Lucern.

We'll have to wait from other posters to give hotel prices.

Okay, if I have to choice, I would head to Berlin immediately.

Blackduff

Also have not been toBerlin, but have
been to Luzern and Zurich a number of times and would suggest you use Luzern
as your base, using Zurich for one day trip. There is quite bit to do out of
Luzern, Mts/ Pilatus, Rigi and Titlis
also the lake, the town of Luzern, Swiss Transport Museum.. a few other
trips might be to Interlaken about 3 hrs to Lauterbrunnen and the bottom of the Jungfrau, however would be a lot
of time on rail. Another shorter trip
would be to the abbey at Einsiedeln....
Richard of LaGrange Park, IL..

I agree---Luzern is a good choice.
You did not mention Lisbon nor Salzburg, but those would be other choices of mine.

Have been to all 3 fairly recently.

Berlin has a LOT to see and do - esp of historical interest and some great museums. Unfortunately most was destroyed in WWII - and while much of the eastern part was reconstructed to match the old look the western part was created in the worst 50's/60's kitsch style and reminds me of nothing so much as a bunch of strip malls in New Jersey. Food is fine for Germany - but it's not Belgium.

Zurich is primarily a business city and while there are things to see/do and pretty areas it has a serious air.

Lucerne is primarily a vacation destination and to me is so much prettier and has so many more options that I would stay here and do a day trip to Zurich. In Lucerne you're on a beautiful lake (with various boat trip options) surrounded by mountains (with various options for ascending same - cable car, funicular, cog railway) as well as a charming old town and some interesting churches/museums.

You're also fairly close to Interlaken/Jungfrau, the pretty towns on Lake Brienz with the waterfalls across the lake and the Swiss country/town recreation museum) etc.

In Lucern I love the Wilden Mann hotel and restaurant - although I must admit a lot of the preference has to do with the name. For hotels we have also stayed in and enjoyed the Montana, Chateau Guetsch and the Balances & Belview (also a good restaurant).

So - for a more busy trip: Berlin; more relaxed: Lucerne.

I agree with all above: for a relaxed trip - Lucerne, and take day trips to Mt. Pilatus, Zurich, Stein am Reihn, Schaufhausen, Interlaken, etc.

For a very intensive trip, with a lot oh history, wonderful museums, modern city - Berlin.From Berlin you can maake a day trip to Potsdam. 5 days will be minimum to spend in Berlin. We love the city, but after 5 days there, you need 3 days to relax somewhere in the mountains or in a small village.

Richard,
If you are planning on using your ff miles do you know if there are available flights to these destinations? That may make your choice for you.

In general Switzerland is more expensive than Berlin. Zurich has very high end shopping, and great, great food ( except Mexican).
Luzern is very touristy in July.

And I wonder if Berlin won't be trashed after hosting the World Cup finals 3 days prior to your arrival?

Just some random thoughts...

I have lived in Luzern, know Zurich well and adore Berlin. For me, the choice would be Berlin. NYtraveler pretty much nailed it with the exception of the food. They have some very good ethnic restaurants there.

Berlin is much edgier than Zurich or Luzern. It has a vibrant arts and music scene as well. It reminds me of a mini NYC.

So far all the feedback is good.

nytraveler, what wrong with New Jersey? I happen to live there.

Queenie, yes I am using my miles so I will see where United and the Star Alliance partners can get me. For Switzerland there are Privatair operated SWISS airlines flights. Its a 737-800 which is configured as all business class non-stop to Zurich. Indeed the same flight could get me a connection to Berlin.

Who said Lisbon? Now that could be interesting. What does one do there?

I have been to both Vienna and Salzburg. I didn't think Salzburg was worth my time.

Also, there is also Munich. I love that place and there are direct flights from Newark on Privatair also.

It seems like I may end up wherever the wind blows.....

ttt

Although I think Zurich is handsome and under-rated, I would pick Luzern if you wanted to relax and Berlin if you wanted something faster paced. Also, Zurich is probably not the best choice for someone primarily interested in bargain hotels, etc. They do have them, but the city is oriented toward the business, expense account crowd.

IF Germany wins the World Cup, by mid July, Berliners will probably still be enjoying the buzz from the victory. Or else suffering a collective hangover from too much celebrating.

Other secondary cities to consider in Switzerland: Lugano or Locarno/Ascona (the Hotel Pestalozzi in Lugano is a nice budget hotel with a great location, but no AC)
Ausria: Graz (with a side trip to Slovenia)
Germany: Bremen (north) or Nuremberg (south)
Poland: Krakow

I can only comment on Berlin.

I think it is worth a few days of anybody's time. For one thing, it is different from all the usual Bavarian tourist kitsch, most foreigners associate with Germany - and that's what personally I am grateful for.

It would not occur to me to consider Berlin a small city, though. There are more than 3 million inhabitants and the city is very spread out.

Berlin has an interesting vibe to it - and some of its fascination for me comes from the fact that while one has the impression that the city is really bustling, much of that is really camouflage. There is an extremely high rate of unemployment and hardly any perspective that that is going to change as the city remains depending on public subsidies. However, this is not really important for a tourist IMO.

While most people here usually claim that it takes at least 5 days to fully appreciate Berlin, I think it is also feasible to gain a reasonably good impression within 3 days. That would leave you with 2 days for side-trips. Potsdam and its parks and palaces would be one obvious choice.
My hometown of Hamburg would be another - train connections by the hourly running ICE trains with travel time amounting to only 90 minutes would be another.

Lodging is rather cheap in Berlin - and much cheaper than in Switzerland, I should think.
I keep recommending to watch out for the HotDeals of Radisson SAS. Their Berlin property has a great location in Mitte facing Museum Island, features a very pleasant modern decor and is only a few years old. The HotDeal rate is usually only EUR 99.00, which is a steal.
A great - and IMHO probably the best hotel in Berlin - would be the Grand Hyatt on Potsdamer Platz. It has been voted to be the best Hyatt Hotel worldwide recently and for a reason. Their decor is modern, too, and the rooftop sportsclub and pool sports great views over the Western part of Berlin.

For parts of the city to stay in, Mitte (former center of East Berlin) jumps to mind, or Charlottenburg (center of West Berlin). Potsdamer Platz in the middle between the two would be your third option.

There are good meals to be found in Berlin, but you could also get a fairly bad one. If you click on my screen name, you might find a few threads with some recommendations on Berlin.

Shopping is good along Friedrichstr. and Unter den Linden in Mitte and along Kurfuerstendamm and its side streets in Charlottenburg. KaDeWe near there is probably Germany's best department store.

That said, depending on the time of year you intend to do this trip, Lisbon might be a very good suggestion, too. If you care for some warmer weather, fall would be a good time.

"I thought it would be a good idea to see a small euro city.."

If "small" is the operative term here then stay well away from Berlin because it is anything but small.

However, having been to all three of the cities you mention I think you'll find far, far more to see and do in Berlin than in either of the others.

There really isn't any comparison IMO and if this is your chance to finally see Berlin I strongly suggest you do so. Totally vibrant and certainly not stodgy as some find Zurich to be.

What an alternative! Zürich and Luzern are villages compared to Berlin. There are absolutely no match.

Starting with hotels. Zürich has two or three very traditional and extremely high-priced luxury hotels and many mediocre hotels which lack style and beauty (I have tried half a dozen hotels in Zürich and was always disappointed.) Berlin has a huge choice of hotels ranging from luxury to economical, from traditional to ultra-contemporary, from large to boutique-style. Quite uncommon for European cities, there are about a dozen hotels with a swimming-pool right in the center. Tell me you taste, price range and preferences and I can give you recommendations. Or look at www.hrs.de.

Second, food. Zürich has one excellent restaurant (Petermann's Kunststuben, which is out of town), Berlin has half a dozen world-class gourmet restaurants right in the center.

Third, attractions. Berlin has a world-class museum scene. The Pergamon altar, the Babylon gate, the bust of Nefertiti are outstanding.

Fourth, nightlife. Yes, one poster is right, there is a bit of New York City feeling.

Okay, make your own decision. If you prefer a quiet, romantic setting you may chosse Luzern or Zürich. If you prefer a vibrant metropolis full of history and urban life take the chance to see Berlin.

One side of me wants to relax and look at the mountains and the other wants to eat, shop and walk the streets....

Excuse me for referring to Berlin as small. I was thinking about the three mega cities, London, Paris and Rome.

ttt, still looking....

No excuses necessary for your characterization of Berlin. I was merely referring to the general geography of the place since, in comparison, Zurich and Lucern are smaller with all the advantages/disadvantages that go with that.

I would also comment that if you really want to gaze on the mountains/scenery etc., from the place itself, then I would opt for Lucern.

RichardAB-you DO know, don't you that in terms of land mass, Berlin is 4 TIMES the size of Paris-it's enormous!

What traveler1959 said is dead on: the other two are mere villages compared to Berlin.

And Paris, to take one of your examples, has NOTHING on Berlin in terms of cultural programs-it's actually sort of hard to find things to do at night in Paris other than eat or go to a bar. Not true of Berlin. Berlin's problem is that there is too much to choose from in terms of history tours, cultural programs, museums and nightlife.

You'll see what I mean once you get there, and just take a look at the daily cultural events listed on the window of the Berlin Tourist Office-a dizzying array of light opera, regular opera, symphony orchestra, casinos, live shows, etc. - in short, everything you might be interested in-is there.

It is, as the slogan says "the Capital of Cool"

Today's newspaper published a list of the 10 most expensive cities in the world. Zurich was on the list.

richardab -

There's nothing wrong with many parts of New Jersey. However, there are a lot of areas that are blighted by 1950's/60's type strip malls - filled with tacky chain stores - and interspersed by giant highway signs. A lot of western Berlin has that atmosphere - rather than that of a renaissance or 18/19th century european city.