Italy/Switzerland? Need Help!!!

Does your husband have to go back to Zurich during your planned Rome trip? If not, how about making Rome your base? You could easily use up 8 days including the travel time from Zurich to Rome. Do you have a preliminary itinerary of what you want to see and do? Do you plan on flying in & out of Zurich?

What is best? There is no best !! It is your travel style. Some like to keep moving quickly and other like to stay put. Both are best for them. Our preference is to go slow but many posters would be bored with a slow schedule. You need to find you own style that works for you.

As much as I love Switzerland, at this time of year I would spend my time in Italy. The train from Zürich to Milan takes 3 hours 41 minutes and is very nice ( and scenic if not cloudy). You can often get discounted tickets for this trip in advance on rail.ch, the Swiss train site. From Milan it is an easy trip to to Florence, and from there to Rome if you like. Spend some time in each place. That is not too much moving around.

We would be meeting my husband in Zurich, since he would already be there. Our usual style of vacation leans towards the rushing around style of the Griswolds. Look at something for 2 minutes and then on to the next sight. I would like to slow down a bit and savor my surroundings. He wants to show us the Hadron Particle Accelerator in Geneva and a Glacier in the Alps. My daughter and I like Roman Gladiator history. When you only have a week, it's hard to decide what to cut out. Then my daughter just threw in that she would like to go to France to see Versailles. I think that is just too much.

Also, we would be beginning and ending in Zurich.

Well Paris, Rome, Zurich and Geneva are definitely too much. If you chose to stay in Switzerland I wouldn't make Zurich my base...unless I had a really nice free hotel room or something. I would probably make the Interlaken area my base, although Interlaken itself is not too interesting. If you really want to see Rome and the rest of Italy why don't you plan another trip just for that?

I think what we have here is 3 kids in a candy store. The problem is, if you overeat you get sick. But just a few things will all taste great.

Let's say you do just four days in Italy. You will need a travel day each way to/from Zurich to that city in Italy. I would save Rome and Versailles for another trip. I would take your daughter to Venice and Florence. So, a fast, four day trip would be: Day 1 train Zurich to Venice (7 hrs); Day 2 Venice; Day 3 train Venice to Florence (2 hrs); Day 4 train Florence to Zurich (6-7 hrs). Of course, you could reverse this route. If you add more days to this route, you could spend another day in Florence. I would also then stop for one night in Milan. The Duomo is beautiful and there is great clothes shopping in the area surrounding the Duomo. For a day trip out of Zurich, you could consider Lucerne. A beautiful, small city surrounded by the alps. If you go to the Berner Oberland, I would spend at least one night in Muerren. Another possible day trip may be Appenzell. Not sure how long the train trip would be. Yes, you could do these trips by car. Have a great trip.

Denise, thanks for the reply. You have some interesting comments. I see where you think we should skip Rome. We have not made any hotel reservations yet, but here is what we have come up with. Wed. and Thurs night - is in Switzerland (because of husbands' work) Fri. - Milan (leave early from Switzerland) Sat - Florence (leave for Flo, in the afternoon) Sun - Florence Mon - Rome (leaving early from Flo) Tues - Rome Wed - leave early to get back to Zurich Thur - leave from Zurich to fly home We have to leave from Zurich because the company is paying for the ticket.
For me, the main reason I wanted to go to Italy (instead of Germany or Austria) is because I have always wanted to go to Rome. I love Roman history. Why would I skip Rome this time? I also saw in the Rick Steves Italy guidebook that he would skip Rome if he only had 3 or 4 days. Why? Does it take a long time to get there? I would of skipped Milan, but my daughter wants to shop there. Thanks for your suggestions. The man from England has us pegged though - we are 3 kids in a candy store. Always have been!

Hiya Suzi For me, seeing Rome which you have always wanted to versus shopping in Milan - no contest. How about this.... While your husband is burning the midnight oil could your daughter (and maybe you) grab a train and run down to Milan for the shopping trip? Its only a short trip. If you left at 7:09 you would be there before 11. That would let you have a much better amount of time in Firenze and Roma. Good luck with it all, whatever you wind up with...

...and skip Florence. It's nice, but it's not Rome!

Nigel has it right. On Wednesday night you stay with the hubby. Thursday morning, you and Dear Daughter hop on a train to Milan for one day/night. On Friday morning, hubby gets a train to Milan; you meet him at the station and then get on an afternoon train for Florence. Now you've got an extra night for Rome. I'd fly back to Zurich from Rome to minimize travel time - try Germanwings, Air Berlin, or Vueling.