Tips traveling from Rome-Zurich-Munich-Amsterdam

Well let us start by asking how many days/nights you have fot this itinerary?

No direct trains between Rome and Zurich, there is a choice of uncomfortable connections in the middle of the night.

So what would be the best way by train to get from Rome to Zurich? We will spend 3-4 days in Zurich, Munich, and Amsterdam.
Thanks for your help.

Fly from Rome to Zurich. Use http://www.swissair.com/index_en.html 5 flights per day
travel time 1H45m cost 90 euro

There is a direct train from aroma Termini to Zurich, 7.5 hours during the day.

I can't seem to locate the train schedule for late June. Do you know when the train leaves and cost? Otherwise, the Swiss air for $90-$145 each sounds good.
Any ideas of where to stay in Zurich that is safe and clean but not too expensive?

Are you going to Zurich for any specific reason? It's a quiet business city and it's not in the Alps. Last time I was there, we were just going through flying to the U.S.

Have you considered going from Rome up to Northern Italy or to Austria for the incredible mountain scenery? It's just so much easier to get to Munich through Innsbruck and the Brenner Pass.

Agree with David. Zurich is expensive and not, in my opinion, a sightseeing destination. I use it as strictly a place to fly into, then catch a train right out to the Austrian Alps.

David and Alex said it. I wondered too. Why Zurich?

We will stay probably 1 night in Zurich and the rest in the Alps. What are your recommendations for staying at in the Alps?

Mine is always Lech am Arlberg...beautiful location in the Austrian Alps. Have been there twice, each time stayed over a week. You can catch the Railjet right out of Zurich Hauptbahnhof and disembark at St Anton, where you can catch the Postbus up to Lech. Others here will have different ideas, I am sure. What time of year are you going?
Here is where we stay: http://www.aurora-lech.com/braunarl

Regarding the train schedule, I had the same problem for Italian train travel since they schedule switches over some time in late June (cannot recall the exact date), so put in an earlier date to see what time the train leaves (the schedule usually does not change). That won't help you with prices/booking though. If you know of your exact dates, it can save money to buy ahead of time.
I am also curious as to how long you have for this trip. The locations are a bit far from each other, and flying between your locations may make more sense than training it.

Most train schedules are currently published through June 13. Work on choosing your destinations and considering whether any cheap flights work for your longer distances before worrying about pricing out a rail pass. Transport options will depend on whether you are specifically making these three long hops or also making other stops along the way.

Rick's guidebooks provide all his recommendations for hotels and sightseeing, as well as a summary of travel times between the cities covered. His Best of Europe book covers Rome and Amsterdam, but in Bavaria covers only Fuessen, not Munich or Zugspitze (which are in Bavarian Snapshot book). It also covers the recommended Berner Oberland region of Switzerland, not the big city of Zurich.