We are planning a trip for mid august with our 12 year old daughter - unfortunately the only time we have free. Flying into Milan. Looking for itinerary ideas for a 12-14 day trip including Lake Como and Switzerland (open to destination). we tend to like to stay in a location for at least a few nights. We have already been to Florence and Venice. Any thoughts?
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We are planning a similar trip in June, flying into Zurich then working our way down to Northern Italy (Dolomites, Lakes region) and leaving from Verona.
We were in Switzerland in the spring last year and started in Zurich, ending in Geneva. If you only have a few days in Switzerland, I would prioritize Central Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen Valley) and Luzern. We stayed in Murren when we were in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and used that as base for the hikes in the area. It is small, car-free, and easy enough to get to using trains and cable cars. Hotel Edelweis where we stayed at is at a cliff- gorgeous view from the balcony of the rock face on the mountains and the valley beneath.
The train between Luzern and Lauterbrunnen goes through very scenic areas and was in itself a treat! We stayed in Luzern for a couple of nights, and also spent a night at the Rigi Kaltbad. It is a bit remote up the mountain and to get there, you can take the boat across Lake Luzern, then train to the hotel. My 13 yr old enjoyed the mineral bath at the hotel and there are easy hikes near the hotel with gorgeous view of Luzern.
Last thing is how easy it is to use public transportation in Switzerland. The trains and buses are on time and quite comfortable. We bought the Swiss travel pass for 8 days, which includes a free ticket for our son and used it everywhere, including on the Golden Pass Express between Interlaken and Montreux. It was worth it.
We had such a great time that we will be back in June, this time including Northern Italy region.
Hopefully others have suggestions on Northern Italy, Lake Como and the Dolomites... I'm doing some research now and could use ideas from others also especially on best way to get around the Dolomites and Lake areas. I think there is an opportunity to get on the Gotthard Panorama Express (between Luzern and Lugano) for scenic views!