My daughter and I are flying into Zurich late afternoon on April 18th from Seattle. We need to be in Turin, IT mid-day on the 23rd for a food and wine tour. Looking for recommendations on how to spend our limited time in Switzerland. Initial thoughts are to head straight to Lucerne and spend the first night there. Have considered spending more time in Lucerne and/or heading straight to the Berner Oberland area. Since we will be doing more city type activities in Italy, would love to get in some hikes and outdoor scenes. Have also thought about heading to St Moritz then taking the Glacier Express to Zermatt, spending time there and then heading to Milan. But then there's also the possibility of going to Lugano ... help!
Posted by
Florida
1443 posts
I'd recommend Lauterbrunnen. The nearby villages of Wengen and Murren are also excellent but in April there is a still a good chance of snow at their elevations - much less so on the valley floor in Lauterbrunnen.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16241 posts
You have a short amount of time for Switzerland, but this can be a very nice trip. I would advise skipping a long train journey like the Glacier Express which takes you far off the best path to Turin. Focus on the Berner Oberland and Luzern according to your initial thoughts, and then take a different scenic route to Italy which I will suggest below.
Look first at how you reach Turin from Switzerland: the most direct is via Milan, a 48-minute train ride from Turin. To reach Milan from the Berner Oberland (say, Lauterbrunnen), the shortest routes go either via Visp and 2 long deep tunnels, or via Luzern and another deep tunnel or via a scenic route, the Gotthard Panorama Express, which combines a boat ride from Luzern with a train route to Lugano, passing mostly over the Alps rather than under them (there is still a comparatively short tunnel near the top).
You are in luck, because the Gotthard Panorama Express starts running April 15, so that would be my recommendation.
A possible itinerary to hit your highlights would be to spend your arrival night in Luzern, then 2 nights in Lauterbrunnen, then back to Luzern for another night, and take the Gotthard Panorama Express to Lugano on the 22nd. It departs Luzern around 11:15 am and arrives in Lugano around 16:40/.
Spend that night in Lugano, or continue to Milan and spend the night there. The following day, when you need to be in Turin for your tour, the train will take you from Lugano to Turin (with a change at Milano) in 2h 45 min to 3 hours. So you can easily reach Turin before noon. Or if you stay in Milan, if you prefer.
A different option would be to go directly to Lauterbrunnen the first night, spend 2 nights there, then to Luzern for 2 nights before the scenic journey to Lugano. This avoids one hotel change, but requires you to make the 2.75-hour journey to Lauterbrunnen after the long flight from Seattle. I have done that myself, once (flying British Airways which arrives in Zurich around 5-5:30 pm). But is makes for a very long day, so personally we prefer to spend the first night in Switzerland closer to Zurich and have time to get outside for a walk before dinner. Luzern works well for that.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Excellent recommendations - thank you! Would you recommend making lodging reservations ahead of time? I prefer to have flexibility and see how I'm feeling when I arrive but I know that's not always the best way to do it. What about for train travel?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16241 posts
Reservations for most Swiss trains are possible but rarely needed, especially during shoulder seasons like April. But you probably should have them for the special Gotthard Panorama Express, as there is only one each day. You could wait until the day before travel and buy them there, so you have a chance to evaluate the weather, or if you are not sure you want to do this.
The alternatives for travel between Luzern and Milan (or Lugano, which is a stop on the way) are (1) the regular cross-border route that uses the deep Gotthard Basistunnel (I don’t see the direct train on the schedule but there are many with a single change in Zug); or (2) take a regional train from Luzern to Flüelen (single change at Zug) and then board the Gotthard Panorama Espress train that avoids the tunnel. It departs Flüelen at 14:09 and there are numerous trains that will get you there from Luzern in time.
As for lodging, I always book in advance, because I like to choose my accommodation ahead of time and not be limited to what is still available later. During April, the hotels they may not be in danger of selling out, but you face a different challenge in the Berner Oberland: many of the smaller hotels will close for a bread after Easter (and post ski season). So you may have limited choices available. This may be more of a problem in the higher villages like Muerren than in Lauterbrunnen. But I would still want to check them out in advance to know what will be available. You can remain pretty flexible by booking places with a good cancellation policy, like 48 hours in advance. And don’t be tempted by the discounts offered for advance booking with no refund.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Lola,
You have been beyond helpful and I have been busy planning and making reservations. I have not wrapped my head around the whole train pass situation and would love your input. Here's what I know we will be doing:
4/18 - train to Luzern
4/19 - train to Wengen (stay for 2 nights and am guessing we will so one or more finiculars/trams etc)
4/21 - train back to Luzern
4/22 - Gotthard Panorama boat/train to Lugano
4/23 - Lugano to Turin
Any thoughts re what type of pass to buy?
A million thanks!!!
Posted by
USA
62 posts
I think lodging reservations always need to be made in advance now. The old days of showing up at a pension the day of your stay or calling ahead one day are gone due to the internet. Because everyone can book ahead, they do. And unless you are traveling in an out of the way place at an off-season time, you will find that other travelers have booked the accommodations.