Switzerland/Italy Trip Never been to Europe

Two weeks is not that long. If that includes travel days, that means 13 nights and just 12 full days in Europe.

You might spend 3 nights in Lucerne and 10 nights in Italy, but that’s a bit short for even a good taste of Italy. Maybe just plan Italy only?

Was thinking flying into Zurich and taking a train to Interlock then spend two nights there only and heading to Italy.

Hi, Maspeth.

We did the Swiss-Italy trip 2 years ago. It was fabulous.

My suggestion is to use train system in Switzerland and car for at least part of Italy.
SwissPass is the key for using the train in Switzerland and, in our experience, the trains mostly go everywhere you would want to see in the country. On the other hand, while the trains in Italy are great, if you want to have the flexibility of escaping some more populated areas, I would rent a car. Not absolutely necessary but definitely doable.

We did not fly into Zurich but we loved Switzerland so much we almost planned our wedding there. Many people here have great itineraries. We started ours in Grimmelwald as a home base (middle of country) in Alps and took train everywhere. eventual we took the train to Lucerne toward Italy, took the boat on Lake Lucerne to Flulen, and then picked up a roofless train to Lugano (Gotthard Panorama Express). In Lugano, I rented a car and drove through Italy and eventually to Milan to fly home. In italy, I visited Como, Turin and Milan.

The trip was really special. I would spend a week in each country if I had that much time.
I have more info on specific hotels and things if you are interested.

In my opinion, there is no wrong place to go in Switzerland or northern Italy. All fabulous places.

Nothing wrong with pairing Switzerland and Italy— depending on what you choose though, as it has to be relatively close-together places chosen with transport in mind. I would get a guidebook focused on the northern Italian regions and see what appeals. I know y’all have to work it all out and all but I cannot say I would have been satisfied with just two days in the Swiss alps, and that is coming from someone who has been to Italy eight times!
Are you outdoorsy types who will want to hike in Switzerland? Do you also want nature adjacent stuff in Italy, or will you be looking for a very different experience in Italy?

Thank you all for the information. Our main focus is Northern Italy but we really want to spend about 3 days in Switzerland. So I guess best place to experience the Alps. We are not hikers so we won't be doing too much of the nature hiking thing. We just want to immerse in the culture, eat great food and see the beauty of each country. Will probably stay more north Italy of course since it is closer.

Two weeks is quite doable for this two country trip though traveling without an itinerary any where in northern Italy is difficult nowadays. The least touristy areas are likely to be the stunning Dolomites and the alpine area around Turin. Lots of stunning mountain scenes in both areas. The end of September should maybe see a drop off of crowds in places like Venice (always crowded but it’s worth putting up with), Florence and Rome. Choosing an Agritourismo somewhere near Florence is a good way to stay in quieter places but a car is really needed for getting around. Trains in both Switzerland and Italy are the best if you prefer to go careless. One thing to note is, particularly on the two Italian train sites, that you need to use the Italian spelling of cities, Roma, Firenze, Venezia. I find that a good paper map is useful when planning a trip like this, Michelin for example. Look at getting multi-city airline tickets - flying into one city and out of another. For example, as you suggest, fly into Zurich and out of say Florence if you decide on Tuscany. Hiring a car and taking it to another country can involve heavy drop-off fees. Read up about driving in Italy, particularly the ZTL’s which restrict traffic in city centres. You can find lots about these in this site by searching ZTL on the Italy forum.

Gotcha, so the Switzerland part will just be a “taster” — and is he tackling planning that part? There are better places than interlaken, but I’ll leave that suggestion to the Swiss experts because train travel will be what is important.
Could you tell us one place in Italy that you have identified as interesting? I think that might help get across what you are looking for.

Fly into Zurich
Train from Zurich to Chur then take the scenic Bernina Express to Tirano Italy. ( https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bernina-express.htm ) then...
? train to Varenna and enjoy Lago di Como
? train to Milan which links you to pretty much anywhere
- Venice in 3ish hrs
- Florence in 2 hrs
Fly home from Florence Milan or Venice.

In Italy, eat anywhere, particularly places away from the tourist core of big cities and you'll have great food.

taking a train to Interlock then spend two nights there only and heading to Italy.

Interlaken is the closest thing Switzerland has to a tourist trap.

I'd go with the previous suggestion of Luzern. Beautiful lake for cruises, several mountain-top railway/lift excursions. The high Alps are only a 45 minute train ride away in Engelberg. For a scenic ride to Italy, take the Gotthard Panorama Express to Lugano, then easy train connections to Milan and the rest of Italy.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/trains-boats/panoramic-journeys/gotthard-panorama-express.html

Also train to Chur, then Pontresina, then train to Tirano and Varenna as previously suggested. Very scenic trains through the mountains with the Bernina line between Chur and Tirano. You don't need to take the fancy Bernina Express as regular hourly train travel the same route.

Building on the excellent advice already given here - and especially on Sam’s recommendations - if opting for the Bernina route, OP could skip Lucerne and instead spend time in Engadine valley in Graubünden (eastern Switzerland). Not St. Moritz itself, but the surrounding area: there are great train connections to smaller, more authentic villages, and the region offers plenty of spectacular cable cars up into the high Alps. It's a special place to stay, also because the Upper Engadine sits at around 1800meters altitude - very alpine, yet with plenty of sunshine year-round.

If you choose Switzerland you'd br aware that there everything is much much more expensive then in Italy. So you could stay in Northern Italy also with mountain and lakes around, drinking good wine and enjoying very good food. Have a look at Lake Como (Varenna) or Lake Garda (Bardolino, Garda Town)

We are doing basically the same as you, but we’re beginning in Rome and ending in Milan with the focus on northern Italy. (I can’t go to Italy without visiting Rome.) My husband wants to focus on northern Italy, and the idea of riding the Bernina Express evolved into the addition of Switzerland to our itinerary. We too are not hikers but want to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. What I’ve found during my researching is that Switzerland offers SO much that it has been difficult for us to choose. At this point (we travel in April/May) I’ve made a list of the things that we’d like to do (and which train passes I think are best), but no final decision will be made until we’re there as so much is dependent on the weather. Whether or not this is the best way to go about it, I’ve no idea, but that’s the best I’ve come up with to date. The remainder of our time will be split between Rome, Sirmione (Lake Garda), and Milan with day trips from each. Oh, we use trains, public transportation, and taxies as my husband has no desire to rent a car, and we find this meets our needs.

Great idea! If you fly into Zurich then consider flying home from Italy (or vice versa). In Switzerland I suggest staying up in the mountains for several days after your arrival rather than in a Swiss city. The Berner Oberland and Zermatt areas are both have spectacular scenery, a great vibe, and easy train access to Italy. Andermatt is another good mountain village option that's close and easy.

Our first “big” international trip was to Switzerland and northern Italy. It’s easy, it’s wonderful, and we did the whole thing by train.

We flew into Zurich, then took the train to Wengen. You land at the airport, hop on the train, and you’re there in just a couple of hours—so you still have most of the day to start settling in and shaking off the jet lag. From there we went by train to Zermatt, then to Varenna on Lake Como, and finally on to Milan. Every train day still left plenty of time to arrive, check in, and start enjoying the next place that same afternoon or evening.

It was about two weeks total. I don’t remember the exact breakdown, but I think we did roughly three full days in Wengen, two in Zermatt, two in Varenna, and three in Milan—plus a couple of days for flights and travel days, and voilà. Looking back, I’d probably trim Milan a bit and add another day in Wengen and another in Varenna, but for a first trip, we had an absolute ball.

There are 2 slogans you will often see posted on this forum. “Less is more,” and “remember you will be back.” I am very much of that school of traveler.

Northern Italy has plenty of beautiful alpine scenery; you don’t need to go to Switzerland for that. Also, every change of location eats up at least half a day, or more. The north is also quite varied. The Alto Adige is different from the lakes area.

I would keep things simple by flying into and out of Milan. Investigate whether a car rental makes sense for all or part of your trip. Do plan to spend your last night near the airport. If you fly from MXP, there are several nice places less than an hour away. Everything - - returning a car, checking in, Schengen clearance - - will likely take longer than you expect.