My husband, myself and our younger daughter(21) will already be traveling in Europe but our oldest daughter(23) only has one week because of her work. We have 8 days to travel together. I was originally thinking that we all meet in Zurich, spend one day and night in Zurich then we take the train and stay in either Murren or Wengen for 3 days. That would be our "adventure" outdoor time for hiking etc. Then I would love to do something totally different and I thought about going to Varenna on Lake Como and our daughter could fly out of Milan. But it seems really hard to get to Varenna from the Interlaken area? I wouldn't mind taking a day on a train if it was pretty. I've read about the Bernina Express but I don't know if that would work? Would we need to spend the night somewhere in between Interlaken and Varenna??
Or is there somewhere else you would recommend we go in Italy from Interlaken?
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2836 posts
It's not hard to get from Murren/Wengen to Varenna, but it's going to take a minimum of six hours, possibly longer, depending on connections. The connections in Switzerland are quick and easy. In Italy, you will need to change in Milan to get to Varenna. It's a much bigger train station, but should not be too difficult. The ride is scenic, but I would not want to spend that long on a train on such a short trip. You can get to either Lausanne or Lucerne in just 3 1/2 hours and either will give you a lake with mountains in the background. Plus there's a lot more to do. From Lucerne you can get to the Zurich airport quickly for your daughter's flight home. From Lausanne, she could fly out of Geneva, which I think is not that far.
I would suggest staying in Murren/Wengen for four days instead of three. That will give you more time in case the weather is bad, and I think you will like it much better than Varenna, Lucerne or Lausanne. It's just stunning, and the hiking is fabulous!