16 days Switzerland to Amalfi Coast

Consider starting in Rome and then flying home from Switzerland. This way you have a better chance to avoid the Italian heat and get better weather in the Swiss alps.

Hi Jen,

We are doing almost the same trip in May 2020 with a large group of family and a few extra days, and I’m also in the semi-early stages of planning. My husband and I did a similar, shorter trip about 8 years ago although we went in Mid-late May, and just went to Bern (daytrips), and then flew to Rome and then train to Amalfi, and flight out of Naples. I think it’s very doable.

We have tentatively planned to go to Bern for 5 days (we have family and logistics reasons for basing here vs. Luzern or mountains) and do multiple day trips. Then, we’ll go to the Italian Lakes area, then to Florence, Rome, Amalfi, and then fly home from Naples or Rome pending flight costs. We are staying 3 nights each in all cities but Bern. The airlines haven’t published their flights for the time period yet, but we are considering flip flopping the itinerary as PP suggested if flight costs are significantly different. As PP suggested as well, I have also considered whether it would be better weather wise to do the reverse. For now, I’m keeping my plans,

Good luck with your planning.

Bern is a great base for Switzerland day trips. Great trains and easy striking distance to Lauterbrunnen Valley, Luzern, Lausanne and Montreux, Basel, and even the Matterhorn (start early, return late) - though, Zermatt is an easy stopover en route to or from Lake Como. A home base can be nice.

16 days is plenty of time for Rome, Amalfi, Florence, Como and Switzerland. Personally, I would visit Pompeii while near the Amalfi Coast and add Cinque Terre to the trip.

2 nights - Amalfi/Sorrento/Pompei area
3 nights - Rome
(Consider a drop in to Siena en route)
2 nights - Florence
1 night - Cinque Terre area
2 nights - Lake Como area
1 night - Zermatt
4 nights - Bern/Switzerland

Just to show that we all have different travel styles, I would find the trip outlined by BradFrumos to be far too much moving around and far too little time seeing anything besides trains. However, if you look at the transit times and they work for you, the trip he outlined will work. I'd modify it by spending my overnights in the Berner Oberland (Lauterbrunnen, Muerren, Wengen, or Gimmelwald) rather than in Bern. Also beware that if you have clouds blocking your Matterhorn view during your one night in Zermatt, you won't get much out of the detour.

I agree with starting in Italy and ending in Switzerland, for best shot at both good weather and minimizing crowds.

Is the '16 days' exclusive of your arrival and departure days?

My impression is trying to do Amalfi and Switzerland has you too stretched out.

If Amalfi is a must, then Switzerland may be one stop too far.

If you can substitute Cinque Terre for Amalfi it makes travel more manageable to get all your other places fitted in.

As others have mentioned, staring in the south and going north seems a better idea at that time of year.

My experience mirrors others in that I prefer to go only in one direction, either north or south. Amalfi is south, everything else is north. For a non-rushed trip use the RS advice on transportation on this website to figure out how to go Rome - Florence - Lake Como - Switzerland, or the other way around (I like later in the year further north though). Lake Como is just east of the Swiss canton of Ticino (Lugano, Locarno, Bellinzona), which is just across the Gotthard Pass from Lucerne so that route is super easy. It sounds like half days of train travel between each major destination. The US east coast from Zurich is so easy that coming back that way after a trip appeals to me.