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Help with Switzerland-Italy Itinerary

Hello,

I'm hoping for some feedback on the itinerary I have devised so far. My husband and I are flying into Zurich, and then traveling through Switzerland and Italy for about 10 days. Here is the plan:

Days 1-2: Grindelwald
Days 3-4: Cinque Terra
Days 5-9: Tuscany
Days 10-11: Lake Maggiore/Giubasco

Does this look doable? We are traveling by car, so I realize we will have some long-ish travel days but hoping that car transport will allow us flexibility and also to stop and see as we make our journey. I appreciate any thoughts or guidance. Thank you!

Posted by
907 posts

I am confused. You say 10 days and then show 11. Also, that likely means 12 nights. Count nights, not days. 2 nights means 1 full day.

Grindlewald is beautiful but 2 days is 1 too many unless you are going iut to Murren sight seeing.

Cinque Terre ends in e not an a. E's are pronounced A in Italy. The e makes terra plural, 5.

You will basically drive right past Lago Maggiore to get to 5 Terre and Tuscany.
A car in 5 Terre is useless except to get there. It will be great in Tuscany though.

So, redo agenda using nights and let us know what changed.

Posted by
7175 posts

If your plan is to ...

Arrive Zurich Airport
Drive to Berner Oberland - 2 nts
Drive to Cinque Terre - 2 nts
Drive to Tuscany - 5 nts
Drive to Lake Maggiore - 2 nts
Drive to Zurich Airport

... then you time is so limited and the driving distances so great that I would ditch the car from Zurich, and just get one for Tuscany. It's a very tight schedule, and with two journeys through the Alps.

My preference would be ...
Arrive Zurich Airport
Train to Berner Oberland - 2 nts
Train to Milan - 1 nt
Train to Cinque Terre - 2 nts
Train to Tuscany - 5 nts (and get rental car)
Train to Lugano - 1 nt
Train to Zurich Airport

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you for your responses. They are helpful. Here is our revised plan:

Arrive: Zurich Airport
Drive to Italian Riviera - 2 nts
Drive to Tuscany - 5 nts
Drive to Berner Oberland - 2 nts
Drive to Zurich Airport

From my perspective, driving is less expensive and allows us to see more. Train does not appear to be faster. I read that a car in Cinque Terre is not a good option, so booked accommodations in Golfo Paradiso. What is the benefit of using the train?

Posted by
907 posts

That sounds better, but....
Zurich Airport to Camogli is about 270 miles, then another 175 miles to say, Siena in Tuscany, then 400 to Grindelwald (Bernese Oberland), and finally another 85 miles or so back to Zurich. You are over 900 miles for this trip, that seems like a lot.

The thing that kills you here is going into Tuscany (and to a certain extent the Ligurian coast). You are going a long way out of your way to see Italy. Your original idea of Milan entry and Zurich departure makes a bit more sense and saves you 150 miles with basically no back tracking. You could save another 100 miles if you just went to Florence instead of deeper into Tuscany.

So, there you go, a long trip. And, I always prefer cars to trains unless I need to go a long ways in a hurry and then only between major cities, the local trains aren't as efficient and the fast trains. The problems with cars are ZTL's that you have to watch out for and parking at your hotels, some may not have any.

At any rate, have a great time, post back if you change things and we can make more comments if you want them.

Posted by
4637 posts

Train on long distances is faster and cheaper than rental car in that part of Europe if you count all expenses. Car allows you to see more? Not if you are on freeway.

Posted by
3 posts

Okay, great. Thanks everyone. With your responses, I am considering making some changes and would your input and help. Here is the revised plan:

Arrive in Zurich
Train to Grindelwald 1 nt
Train to Genoa/Ligurian Coast 2 nts, pick up rental car
Drive to Tuscany - 6 nts
Drive to Rome, drop off rental car
Fly from Rome to Zurich- 1 nt, catch return flight following day

Thoughts? Also, I would appreciate any help navigating the trains in the areas. Or if there are other links/posts you can point me to for train information that'd also be great. Thanks very much.