Zurich to Barcelona -- Where to go in between??
 

I am flying into Zurich to stay with family in on August 10th/11th. I am flying home from Barcelona to the U.S. on the 21st/22nd. I would like help choosing one or two distinct cities in between to break up the train ride.

I want to spend about 4 days in Zurich, 3-4 days (including travel) in the middle, and about 4 days in Barcelona.

This is my first trip outside the U.S. and would love any feedback. Originally, I wanted to stay in Barcelona for a week, but plans changed to visit family.

I am confused about which Euro-rail pass to get. I would also like to learn more about hostels. I'm on a tight budget. I looked at Milan, but it seems like a big commercial city. Is there anywhere/anything cheap to do in Milan for a few days?

How's Genova? Or Monaco?

Sorry, just some generic remarks:

Since you have just one rail trip planned, you may want to check if any rail pass is actually cheaper than a point-to-point train ticket. Flying budget non-stop to Barcelona may be the cheapest option if budget carriers serve that route(whichbudget.com).
Also accessibility may play a big role. Check where the trains usually connect (www.sbb.ch) and which stations/ cities they serve. Night trains (if existing on those routes) may also be an option to save costs for one night in a hotel/hostel.
And finally, since you have just a short amount of time in each stopover city, so smaller sized destinations (like Avignon, Arles, Nice - IF the train connections are good) may be better to get more than a glimpse.
IF you want to see Italy/Milan, it may be the cheapest option to go there by train from Zurich, but fly Milan-Barcelona (whichbudget.com).
For most of my friends, Milan is the first choice when going to Italy (I live in Munich, so it's just a rather short drive/ weekend destination) because of the shopping opportunities and a more authentic lifestyle or vibe than in the tourist-oriented rivals like Florence or Venice. Neighboring Torino I would indeed describe as a "commercial city", but not Milan.

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond!

Milan is very expensive and rather seedy if you're on a budget. Besides that, it's very expensive getting from Milan to Barcelona. When we did it we went via Geneva because it was cheaper to buy a 15 day Swiss Pass and incorporate four nights in Northern Italy into the 15 days, than buy a ticket direct from Spain to Italy.

I'm not suggesting you do that, but you will need to look into whether a Eurail Pass is worth it. You may find the 3 country one does work for you.

I think the most scenic route from Zurich to Barcelona would have to be through Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux to Geneva, and from there to Lyon, and very fast train - beacuse it's a long way - to Montpellier and then around the Mediterranean to Barcelona. If you enjoy train travel there's nothing wrong with that, but you would have to compromise on stopovers. I would suggest two nights in Lucerne, one night in Geneva and one in Lyon. I stayed one night in the Lucerne Youth Hostel years ago and another at Gersau on the lake in another YH with a wonderful view of the Alps.

See http://www.youthhostel.ch/search.htm...er_hostels_pi1[quadrant]=NE&cHash=845c8381bf

Alternatively you could just travel through Lucerne and stay two nights in Interlaken, which would give you a chance to get up into the spectacular scenery of the Bernese Oberland. The trip from Interlaken to Montreux via Zweizimmen is one of the great Swiss train routes. You could have a look around Montreux before going on to Geneva. Geneva is not that nice (the old town around the Cathedral is the most interesting part imo) but there is a colourful Youth Hostel quite close to the station. The station precinct itself is uninteresting (unless it's improved in the last 7 years). Switzerland is expensive, but the hostels, like the trains, are excellent. Geneva to Barcelona can be done in one long day, but it might be nice to break it either in Lyon or on the French Mediterranean coast.

Be aware that in Spain there are both hostels and hostals. The latter are not hostels but very small family run hotels, which range from budget to luxury. We have stayed in hostals and our daughter has stayed happily in both kinds of accommodation there.

Thank you. When I stay in Switzerland, I'll be staying with family, so I don't need to worry about hostels there. I am more interested in where to stay on the way to Barcelona.

Spain was my original plan, so I want to dedicate as much time there as possible. Also, my friend is interested in seeing Rome, but I think that might be out of the way for the amount of time we have.

Aug. 11 -- recover from flight
August 12 thru 14/15 -- explore Zurich
August 14/15 thru 17 -- ????
August 18 thru 22 -- Barcelona
23rd--Home