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milan/stresa/ wengen itinerary - mid august

We are a family of 3 (12 year old daughter) flying into Milan 8/15 and leaving Milan 8/26 (evening). We would like to explore Italy's lakes and also see a bit of Switzerland. Unfortunately only able to travel in august and slightly worried about the heat in Milan. Our daughter doesn't love to hike but does love cute little shops, beautiful scenery and swimming and could probably be convinced to do some shorter hikes.

We don't love to cram too much into vacations and also don't love crowds (though I know they are inevitable in August.

Would love advice on itinerary. Curious if we should try to fit in Lucerne? If we should spend more or less time during each leg of the trip. Thanks in advance!

Brief overview:
day 1 - arrive Milan, take bus to Stresa
Day 2 to day 5 or 6 - Stresa
Day 5 or Day 6 - Wengen
Day 9 or Day 10 - Milan
Day 12 - evening flight home

Slightly more detailed:
August 15th - arrive Milan, take bus to Stresa.
Stay in Stresa for 4 to 5 nights - leaving either 8/19 or 8/20. Will do various day trips while there. Would like to avoid renting car but open to it if would improve experience.
August 19th or 20th - take train to Wengen and stay for 4-5 nights - taking various day trips
August 23-24th take train to Milan.
Leave Milan evening of 8/26

Posted by
2545 posts

We spent two nights in Stresa followed by 5 nights in Wengen last June. Loved both places. I would spend more time in Wengen and less in Stresa, because the weather in the alps is so variable.

Take the ferry to the islands from Stresa. Visit the palace and gardens. Not sure how easy day trips would be without a car. Might be a bit of an adventure. We stayed at Hotel du Parc in Stresa. There is a lake view room on the top floor that is a double br and full bath, plus a single room and full bath. Highly recommend it. Here is my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/so-lovely-i-don-t-even-want-to-tell-the-name

In Wengen, we used the Half Fare Card plus BO Pass and traveled all over the place. Definitely recommend it. Here is my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-wengen-switzerland-june-2023

I would not try to add Lucern, unless you changed your flight to fly out of Zurich.

I would be concerned about heat in August at all of your locations, not just Milan.

Posted by
17418 posts

Sounds pretty good, but I have a couple of suggestions that should make it more fun for your daughter, and a nicer trip for all.

First, do not spend any nights in Milan. It is a big, busy city, and can be very hot. There is no scenery there, nor swimming, and “cute shops” are not Milan’s strong suit—-it’s high end fashion and design that are important.

Second, if she does not like to hike, you don’t need so much time at Wengen. There is one irresistible hike there that she cannot help but enjoy; the Panorama trail from Männlichen (a cablecar ride above Wengen) to Kleines Scheidegg. The scenery is gorgeous and the trail is easy. She might even like some of the offerings at the playground up there—-my 11-year-old grandsons, and their father, had fun there on the slack line, and climbing in and out of the huge cow. There more adults playing there than kids when we went.

https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/experiences/alpine-herdsmans-playground.html

From Kleine Scheidegg, you could ride the train back down to Wengen (don’t walk, especially on a hot day). Or you could walk up to Eigergletscher and ride the gondola down to Grindelwald, walk around the village, and return to Wengen by train.

Then figure out what else you want to do from Wengen, but I will suggest you only need 3 nights there, and you can head to Luzern for 3 more.

But do not stay in Luzern—-it is crowded with tourists and we have not found a hotel to our liking there. Instead, board the lake boat and ride 40 minutes to the lakeside village of Weggis. Book 3 nights at the Seehotel Gotthard, right on the lake. Your daughter can swim in the lake or in the outdoor pool with a view right next door (hotel guests have access to that pool).

https://www.gotthard-weggis.ch/en/

We were there last September with our family and everyone, especially the 11-year-old twins, loved it. They had the 3d floor family room in the turret (the one on the right in the photo and felt like princes.

With 2 full days at Weggis, you can use one to explore Luzern (accessible by boat or bus/train). Use the other to ride the cablecar from Weggis up Rigi to Rigi Kaltbad, and tempt your daughter into another hike, with beautiful views over the lake to the peaks opposite. Continue by cogwheel to the summit ar Rigi Kulm if you like. There are easy and very scenic hiking trail up on Rigi, and a mini-golf course at Rigi Kaltbad if she likes that. Or maybe you and she would like some mother-daughter spa time in the outdoor infinity pool you can see in these photos:

https://en.hotelrigikaltbad.ch/wellness-spa

You need not be a hotel guest; you can pay for entrance to the spa, and children are welcome in the indoor and outdoor pools.

for more water activities in or near Weggis, see here:

https://www.rigi.ch/en/experience/at-the-lake/swim-vacation/water-activities

The Pedalo, motorboat, and SUP rentals are at Küssnacht am Rigi, a 10-minute bus ride from Weggis. Also, the Seehotel Gotthard has a couple of sea kayaks available to guests for free.

After 3 nights at Weggis, you take the scenic Treno Gottardo over the mountains toward Locarno, but you leave the train at Bellinzona and transfer to one heading to Milan. Stop on Lake Como, and overnight by the lake instead of in Milan. The train ride into Milan the day of your flight from Como is 40 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to get to the airport for your evening flight. If you prefer, you could stay on the Treno Gottardo to Locarno and overnight there, a 2-hour train ride from Milan.

You can catch the Treno Gottardo from Weggis by (a) taking the boat back to Luzern and boarding there, or (b) taking the boat from Weggis south down the lake to Flüelen and meeting the train there. We did that and all were very happy with the boat ride—beautiful and relaxing.

So, 4 nights Stresa, # nights each in Wengen and Weggis, one at Como (or Locarno). None in Milan.

Posted by
17418 posts

I ran out of room, but just want to add that moving to Luzern/Weggis not only gives you more opportunities for water-based activities your daughter will enjoy (and hopefully you as well), but also makes for a much more pleasant and scenic train (or train plus boat) ride back to Milan.

The route you are taking from Stresa to Wengen involves two long, dark, and deep tunnels under the Alps, so you miss the scenery. The Treno Gottardo, by contrast, is a very scenic trip with a short tunnel near the top and lots of beautiful waterfalls, peaks, and other scenery to enjoy on both sides of the pass. At one point you pass the same little village of Wassen, with a lovely chapel, 3 times as the train makes switchbacks up the mountainside.

https://www.mystsnet.com/en/download/image-treno-gottardo-with-the-church-of-wassen/?wpdmdl=30206&refresh=659b40080b7c41704673288

You can see more images here:

https://www.mystsnet.com/en/experiences/scenic-routes/treno-gottardo/

This is one of those examples of “the journey is the destination”. My family has been to Switzerland 5 times over the past 20 years, starting when my son and his wife were just out of college. We are all llljavid hikers and go mainly to hike. The last 2 trips, in 2018 and 2023, were with their two boys (the 11-year-olds I mentioned above). They are great hikers, and good travelers, and loved our whole trip. But Weggis and the boat/train trip from Weggis into Italy were one of the major highlights for everyone.