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A train trip in Switzerland! Need help with itinerary please

Hello lovely helpful folks! I have been planning a trip to Turkey for some time, and realized that I could also swing a few days in Switzerland, a country I have always wanted to visit! My reasons for wanting to visit has always been for the train travel and seeing the Alps! When I first started planning, I figured I would fly into Paris ( cheap flight!) and then travel to Zurich that same day, I’m very familiar with Paris and have allowed myself 3.5 hours to get from CDG and onboard a train departing Paris around 5 pm. From Zurich I planned to travel from Zurich down to Zermatt the next afternoon, in order to take the Glacier Express the day following that! I have booked my seat reservation (and using Eurail pass) and a hotel in St Moritz that night after my train ride…

Following that I plan to take the Bernina Express to Turano and onto Milan. The following day I will board a flight to Istanbul! A lot of moving around in a short time, but I am so thrilled to be taking these two train trips!

Rather than taking a train trip to Zurich from Paris, I am wondering if I should take the train to Interlaken or Bern instead and overnight there? I would arrive at midnight and have most of the day there before having to leave for Zermatt. Reading Rick’s recommendations it sounds delightful, and I have seen lots of big European cities…Will I have enough time in one short day to enjoy The area or am I nuts?

Any advice from those of you familiar with Switzerland would be so appreciated! You will be happy to hear my trip to Turkey is much, much slower!

Posted by
21139 posts

When is this to take place? I don't see a train from Paris to Zurich at 5 pm. 4:22 pm or 6:22 pm. The 6:22 pm will get you to Interlaken at midnight.

If you're really open to advice: This sounds nuts.

Visit fewer locations and actually explore Zermatt or another location. This itinerary sounds like you are basically sitting on a train for three full days. You're not even going to be able to take the gondola up to Kleine Matterhorn or the train to Gornergrat. Also, the Glacier Express gets really boring by the end. I would have had break up that trip. Maybe take the Glacier Express as far as Andermatt, then head to Lugano for a night.

Unless you really want to see Zurich, I would just head straight to Zermatt. You can break the journey in either Lausanne or Basel depending on the TGV route. You are adding a couple of hours by transiting through Zurich that can be avoided.

Posted by
4 posts

Thank you! This is exactly the advice I needed…I was wondering if I was nuts trying to do this… I’m going to skip Zurich, go to Interlaken and spend some time there! Thanks for your response!

Posted by
16269 posts

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