Interlaken/Grindelwald or Cinque Terre?

The are both stunning destinations (well, not Interlaken so much but the Lauterbraunnen Valley and the mountains above)--very special places and very worthwhile. Both take some getting to and they sure aren't close to each other, and two days isn't very long, so I'd decide by looking at where you are coming from and where you are going to. Look at train schedules to see how long it will take you to get into and out of each place--maybe that will help you decide.

If this visit is on a weekend, I'd think about skipping the CT. It's MOBBED on weekends with the tour bus crowd. May is not off season for this.

Diane, tough choice! Do pay attention to what Christy says about getting to and from either destination. To her excellent advice I'd add: a) these are very different destinations. Sea versus mountains, for example. Do you have a natural affinity for one over the other? b) In two days a person can "do" CT. But a person cannot "do" the Interlaken area (Berner-Oberland) in two days--it is much more vast with considerably more activity possibilities. c)Weather in the Swiss mountains in May can be very "iffy." It will definitely be cool there, while it will be warm in CT.
All things being equal--such as how either destination fits into total travel plans--I would personally opt for CT because it is more compact. I say that in spite of absolutely loving the Berner-Oberland. I'd save that for when I had more time there. Strictly in terms of beauty, you will not be wrong with either one.

Diane, as mentioned above, it really is important that we know where you will be orginating these two days. Since you can't fly into Interlaken or the CT, you're coming from somewhere. Then, where do you need to get to after the two days. We have been to Lauterbrunnen and Murren in the first few days in June and the weather was just great and warm. The snow was all gone up through 6,000 feet. BUT, as Dwayne says, things are different from year to year. No guarantees.

Thank you Christy, Dwayne, and Larry for your thoughtful replies.

I'm starting with a few days in Rome with my relatives there (lucky me!). Then a day in Orvieto, where I haven't been. Since I'm there, I can't miss Florence- I've been several times, but the Uffizi demands a lot, there's always more to see; and I really want to see Fra Angelico's frescoes at San Marco. So, a day or two there.

My conundrum is, I have around two days (this is all very flexible at this point) before I get on a night train to Amsterdam, where I'll be for a week. I can depart from Milan if I opt for Cinque Terre, or Zurich if I opt for Switzerland.

I don't have a particular affinity for either sea or mountains- I love both equally. It is looking, however, like the CT might involve less travel time. Not that I mind a long train ride, of course- I love rail travel!- but time is limited, so...

Thanks again for the thoughts, and others are welcome to chime in!

Diane,

After reading your last post, my first thought was that you might consider dropping several days in Amsterdam to allow time to visit both the Cinque Terre and the Berner Oberland.

Choosing the Berner Oberland and boarding the train in Zurich would mean a slightly shorter rail journey to Amsterdam (than from Milan). Choosing the Cinque Terre means a shorter rail trip after visiting Florence (as opposed to travel from Florence to Interlaken). There are pros & cons either way.

It's difficult to recommend one over the other, as they're both awesome areas and well worth a visit.

Good luck with your decision!

If you're already in Italy, the CT then. It'll take much less getting to and less time getting to your night train (it's easy to get from the CT to Milan). And, the weather will be great (it will be iffy in the Alps).