Keep it just to Italy or add in Switzerland?

I am curious about the rest of your itinerary. Naples to Venice with what in between? How many nights might you devote to this Swiss dream? If you want to "enjoy the amazing beauty of the Alps" there's nowhere better than the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Read Rick Steves' guide on that and see if it calls to you. We've been a lot of places in Switzerland but this is the area we come back to over-and-over. I recommend a minimum of four nights to make the journey from Italy worthwhile.

the Dolomites are just as beautiful as the Swiss Alps ...pretty much the same mountain range

Hi Laurel,

Our plan is still pretty tentative at this point, but is basically as follows: 2 days in Naples (for Pompeii and museum); minimum of 5 days in Rome; 4-5 days for Florence/Pisa/maybe 5 Terre; at least 2 days in Venice; and at the very end at least 2 days in Milan. In that plan (but not listed) I have allowed for some travel time from city to city. I was planning on about 4 nights for Switzerland. I do appreciate your thoughts on Lauterbrunnen Valley. I do have Rick's books and am using them for guidance.

Thanks!

Thanks, Jim. I am glad to hear the vote for the Dolomites.

With 4 nights you can easily go to either the Val Gardena in Italy's beautiful Dolomites, or to the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland. We have visited both extensively in the past few years and have a hard time deciding which is our favorite. The food is better in Italy, and it is less expensive as we are on the Euro, but the transportation and the snow-capped peaks of the Berner Oberland are phenomenal. 4 nights is a minimum stay in either region, IMO.

It sounds like regardless of what we decide, we will see amazing things. I am so glad to hear others' thoughts and experiences. I welcome more opinions should there be any out there.

Very nice and quick to go to from Milano is Lugano. Train every hour.

For Switzerland you can easily make a short round trip from Milan, especially if your plans include time on Lake Como.

Naples & Amalfi Coast - 4 nights
Rome - 5 nights
Florence & Tuscany - 5 nights
Venice - 3 nights
Lake Como - 3 nights
Luzern - 2 nights
Lausanne - 2 nights
Milan - 1 night

I have been doing my research for the same type of trip Italy and Switzerland. I have decided to base us in Milan for a few nights close to Milan Centrale station as you can go to so many towns from there. I have decided we would go to Zermatt for 3 nights which only has one train change. Photos of Zermatt look stunning. It is a small town but that's ok for us. We will then travel back to Milan and travel to the Bernina Express for the day😀 My husband has no idea what he is in for but this is our last O/S holiday so I am trying to see as much as possible. We have been to Como and plan to go back for 4 nights then Venice Florence and Rome. We have 30 days so we can see so much more and relax a bit. Hope you enjoy your trip Italy is just stunning.

More great ideas! Thank you. I love planning trips and considering all the options. Too much fun!

Another vote for the Dolomites. In particular, Ortisei. Look up pictures of the Alpe Di Siuisi online and you can see what we are talking about. It's beautiful and Alpine with plenty of hiking and activities. I agree with Laurel that the food is pretty incredible there too.

The Dolomites are stunningly beautiful and we love to hike there. But I want to clarify that they are not the same mountain range as the Alps--they are geographically and geologically distinct. And they look very different---jagged peaks of eroded light-colored rock, rather than snow-capped peaks and hanging glaciers. (There is a glacier on Marmolada but you may not be able to see it from the Val Gardena).

So if it is ice and snow you want to see, the Swiss Alps are a better choice.

April and Lola, thank you for the additional information.

mp

I would most definitely suggest spending a few days in Switzerland, as it's incredibly beautiful and (IMO) somewhat unique compared to the Dolomites and other areas. However for visiting Switzerland, you'll need to bring money, as it's expensive!

Forget Lake Geneva, there are better options. Lucerne would be an excellent choice as it's not only an incredibly beautiful and historic city, but it also offers a lot of "bang for the buck" in terms of sightseeing opportunities. It's easy to spend a couple of days just seeing the city, the historic Chapel Bridge, the Museum of Transport and other sites. There are also cruises on the lake or day trips to Mt. Pilatus or Rigi, etc.

One of the big favourites with many here is the Lauterbrunnen Valley, just outside Interlaken. Not only is the scenery incredible, but there are some interesting sights such as the Schilthorn (where a James Bond movie was partially filmed), but also the Jungfraujoch (the highest rail station in Europe at about 12,000 feet). If visiting that area, one can stay in either Lauterbrunnen (most convenient for transportation), Muerren (fantastic alpine views), Gimmelwald (very small town, featured in Rick's TV shows) or Wengen (other side of the valley, more posh).

Ken, thank you for the info on Lucerne. That may be a good option. One thing I did not state in my original post is that one of our family members must eat very strictly gluten-free. For this reason, I tend toward apartment rentals where we can cook rather than hotels or such where we are required to eat out. I am wondering if being in Lucerne might make finding food options easier. Although, as you stated - $$$ will be a must. So much to think about. Everyone's perspective is really helpful.

We've been to the Lauterbruunen area twice and the Dolomites twice. If you really want the Swiss Alps, go there. On our last trip to Switzerland, we were in the L area for 4 days and then took the efficient train to Stresa, Italy for a lovely two days enjoying Lake Maggoire with Isola Bella, etc. Stresa would be an easy connection to Milan to fly back home.

I am gluten-free as well so understand the desire for apartments. In Switzerland, we like to stay in the apartment at Chalet Fontana in Mürren ( the village above Lauterbrunnen). It is nice for a family ( two bedrooms and four beds) and very budget-friendly (for Switzerland). The Coop grocery is just across the street, and the Asian restaurant just up the way will package food for take-away. Lunch for me is Rösti ( a potato dish) and salad at a mountain hut.

Our teenage daughters loved Mürren---big smiles on aloud photos from there.

Having looked at the prior post, my only suggestion is that three nights (only two full days) may not be enough in Venice. Others will probably disagree, but it (imo) deserves three or four full days. Just a thought.

Jean- Thank you I will look into the making the connection in Stessa. Good idea.

Lola- I appreciate knowing you have successfully managed gluten-free needs in Murren. I will check out the apartment. Was the Coop sufficient to find all your basic food needs?

TC - Thank you for your recommendation for more time in Venice. Since we have never been to any of these places it is really hard to determine how many days we want in each place. More time in Venice has been on my mind.

Fabulous information! Thank you!