We plan to fly in to Zurich.
Plans so far include Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, jungfrau region, murres and possibly Zermatt. Is there a central location to tay in the Bernese / overland / jungfrau region where we could take day trips and hikes via train?
Also, thoughts about Zermatt? Day trip? Or is it an overnight?
We plan to travel via train as much as possible.
Thank you.
Mary
I don't think you have enough time to get to Zermatt in 7 days. I'm assuming this is 7 actual nights in Switzerland?
Arrive in Zurich and immediately take the 1 hour+ train straight to Lucerne- it's really easy. Spend two nights in Lucerne.
Travel to the Berner Overland area and base yourself either in Murren or Wengen for the rest of the trip. Folks don't generally stay in Interlaken, as they prefer to stay in the Alps. It's easy to visit the Jungfraujoch from either Murren or Wengen. Have a great trip in this beautiful country!
If you want to do a long day trip through the High Alps you can do the Gotthard Panorama Express from Lucerne along the Lake to the south end and then over the old Gotthard Pass train route to Lugano - and then catch the fast train back to Lucerne through the new Gotthard tunnel. Not Zermatt but quite fantastic scenery.
Definitely visit the Berner Oberland/Jungfrau Region and stay a few nights in either Murren or Wengen (we prefer the latter - more commercial options). Explore the mountains from one of those two bases. Then relocate to another base for day tripping to other parts of Switzerland. Zurich, Lucerne and/or Interlaken all make good bases depending on your interests. Haven't been to Zermatt but you may not need to go that far if you get your mountain fix in the BO/JR.
Don't stay in Interlaken. Try a couple of days in the Mountains, i.e. Lauterbrunnen, or even go to beautiful little Thun. Interlaken offers nothing of substance or beauty. Thun is only about 30 minutes up the track from Lauterbrunnen, and Bern only 20 min. from Thu - so there is lots to see and do. Sounds like a great trip.
With 7 days you probably can only have two bases, and it may either be Zermatt OR the Berner-Oberland for mountains, but not both. Can't really do Zermatt as a day trip. Don't spend time in Zurich unless you absolutely need to (we had to stay one night because our flight home left at 6 am for example). So figure out if you HAVE to stay in Zurich either at the beginning or end ( we arrived at 11 pm on our delayed flight and still made the last train to Lucerne but that was cutting it a bit close).
You could start in Lucerne, which is worth at least 2-4 nights depending on how your timing ends up. For example, if you have to stay in Zurich your first night, you could be in Lucerne mid-morning easily, and then spend 2 nights with effectively 3 days there. If you arrive late, you'll want to add another day/night so you can enjoy the area.
In the BO region, agree that Wengen or Murren are the best places to stay. Consensus is views in Murren are the best, but Wengen is slightly easier to get in and out of by train and has a vibe that teens and kids sometimes prefer. It is also a bit larger and therefore has more accommodation options. Wengen is also a good place to stay to do the Mannlichen to Kleine-Scheidegg hike, which is awesome, flat and easy and should not be missed. The cable car to Mannlichen leaves from Wengen, then you return to wherever you are staying via train from Kleine Schiedegg. The funicular above Murren is also nice and you can hike down to Murren from the top.
Zermatt is also a great mountain destination with lots of summer hiking options and great views. Be aware, however, that the Matterhorn can be sort of shy and may hide behind clouds for the period that you are there.
