trip to Italy and Switzerland in 15 days

Sara,

One route you might consider is something like this.....

• Flight inbound to Venice - 3 nights
• Train to Lago di Como (I'd suggest staying in Varenna) - 2 nights
• Train to Milan - perhaps 2 nights (I'm not overly enthused about Milan, but your choice)
• Train to Berner Oberland (Lauterbrunnen Valley, staying in Lauterbrunnen or Mürren) - 3 nights
• Train to Lucerne - 3 nights
• Train to Zürich (1 night prior to your flight home, although you can easily get from Lucerne to ZRH by train on the day of your flight)
• Flight outbound from Zürich

There are many ways your Itinerary could be arranged, and this is only one suggestion. At that time of year, I'd suggest pre-booking all accommodations.

Ken's itinerary sounds perfect as does his comment about Milan. Why Milan? Don't waste your time.

If not Milan, what can I add in?
And stay recommendations also would we welcome, we have 2 kids, 14 and 21.
Thanks again!

sid,

Thanks for the additional information about your group. As you'll be travelling with teenagers, one possibilty would be to spend a few days on Lago di Garda and visit Gardaland (kind of like Disneyland). As I recall, it's not far from Peschiera del Garda and there are regular Buses so that would make a good "home base" for visiting the park. You could also do a bit of exploring around the lake by boat, if you have time.

Thanks! My 21 yr old son is autistic so we would rather keep it relaxed.
Sara

sid,

Thanks for the additional details. Yes, I'm sure a quiet ambience would be better. Here's another suggestion....

Travel from Lago di Como to Stresa on Lago Maggiore. Although that means you'd be visiting two lakes, they're each somewhat different. While in Stresa you could.....

• Tour some of the elegant Borromeo Islands. Isola Bella has beautiful, ornate gardens (complete with Peacocks) and it's very relaxing to just wander about and enjoy the ambience. Isola dei Pescatore is mostly restaurants but there's also a small Church. If you sit at a restaurant at the waterside, you can enjoy watching the Ducks swimming about while you're dining.
• Take the Cable Car to the Alpine Gardens on Mt. Mottarone and walk about. The views from there over the lake are incredible. You could also go right to the top of the mountain, but that involves a Chair Lift as I recall and not sure if that would be a problem for your Son.
• Take a day trip to Locarno (CH) using the scenic Cento Valli Railway, returning by boat in the early evening. You'd first travel from Stresa to Domodossola via regular train to connect with the Cento Valli. In Locarno you could stroll along the beautiful lakefront, explore the shops around the Piazza (where the Locarno International Film Festival is held each year), take the Funicular to the impressive Madonna del Sasso Franciscan Monastery or take the Cable Car to Cardada and stroll about the alpine meadows (great views from there).

Staying in Stresa would also put you slightly closer to Switzerland for the next segment of your trip.

Ken,

Make this simple for me please:-)) Land in Milan and then how many days in venice, and the places you mention here?
Thanks
Sara

I am very much with Ken's ideas above. Add lakeside Lausanne for a few days, from where you can visit Geneva, Bern, Montreux. Arriving Venice and departing Zurich is the most efficient routing for you - go straight to Zurich airport from Lucerne.

Inbound flight to Venice - 3 nights
Train to Lago di Como - 2 nights
Train to Milan - 2 nights
Train to Lausanne - 3 nights
Train to Berner Oberland (Lauterbrunnen or Mürren) - 3 nights
Train to Lucerne - 2 nights
Train to Zürich for outbound flight

So you already have flights booked into Milan? Where do you fly out?

Because I loved the Bernina Express when we finally got around to taking it (on our 5th trip to Switzerland) I am going to suggest:

Land in Milan, go directly to Venice, OR spend one night and travel to Venice the next day.

3-4 nights Venice.

Return to Milan by train and transfer there to the train to Varenna on Lake Como (one-hour trip). 2-3 nights Varenna.

Then continue north on the same train line to Tirano on the Swiss border. Transfer there to a Swiss train over the Bernina Express route. You can take a regional train or the special Bernina Express Panoramic train (costs more). It is a beautiful trip to the Engadine area in Switzerland. You can stop in Pontrresina for a night or two, or change trains and continue 10 minutes to the small village of Samedan. We had an apartment there which would be ideal for a family. It is above a bakery and the breakfast is delicious.

From Pontresina or Samedan, you can either (a) take the Glacier Express train via St. Moritz to Brig and head to the Berner Oberland from there, or (b) head north to Chur and transfer there to a train to Luzern, spending 2 nights there before heading to the Berner Oberland.

Only choose option a (the Glacier Express) if your son does well on long train rides. I suggest you break up the journey to the Berner Oberland with a night or two in the village of Kandersteg on the way.

We have finally booked our tickets. We wil be in Tuscany for 5 nights and head over to lake Como. I need to get ideas on how to head to Lauterbrunnen from Lake Como.

We will stay put in Lauterbrunnen for 4 nights and head to Zurich to meet friends who will take us to Lucerne and the Rhine fals (?) for day trips.

The train route is confusing and I would love some direction from you all.
Thanks!
Sara

This is your best connection from Milan to Interlaken, and then on to Lauterbrunnen.
EC 52 Dep 11:23 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy) Arr 13:53 SPIEZ (Switzerland)
RE 6724 Dep 14:05 SPIEZ (Switzerland) Arr 14:28 INTERLAKEN OST (Switzerland)