Basel to Geneva or Zurich 5-night Itinerary Ideas

First there is Basel. You will be right there so don't miss what it has to offer. It doesn't get much press in Rick Steves land but it is a great little city, on both sides of the Rhine. A little hilly but the comprehensive network of trams solves that. Quirky art including a kinetic fountain which has to be seen to be believed. Not far out of town is a Roman town. Not far out of town the other way is a modern museum which is square and white. Basel and Baselland are great.

I've never been particularly pleased with lodging choices in and around Bern and since I discovered all the fabulous scenery and fun things to do around Luzern I just use Bern to change trains now.

June is almost the perfect time to visit the Berner Oberland (other than if you are a skier). I'd lobby for somewhere in the Lauterbrunnen Valley (personal fave Mürren because of its reach out and touch the mountains feel) but wonder what drew you to Grindelwald?

What time will your flight out of Zürich likely be? Luzern is only around an hour away from the airport (trains stop right at the airport both there and at Geneva) so is a good place to spend the night before the flight.

I think I have met the requirements you discuss. An added benefit of Luzern is directly outside the station is the dock for the lake steamers which can take you to trains and gondolas up into the mountains very close, and the old town of Luzern is just across the street from the station too. Luzern also has plenty of things to do if the weather gods splash on your parade.

We enjoyed scenic Grindelwald with easy transportation connections. It's mountain setting is spectacular. The Berner Oberland ,where it's located, is what you think of as Switzerland.

Thanks for the great feedback. Luzern sounds like a perfect base location, and one I hadn't even considered. We could get a late enough flight from Zurich, to stay at Luzern through our last night.

I must admit I had discounted Basel! Will look into doing some sightseeing there, since we will be on location.

Nigel, Grindelwald appealed for the reasons Suki mentioned. It sounded like iconic Swiss scenery. We don't have time to visit the Matterhorn, but we would like to see some pretty mountain views. Looks like it would be an easy day trip from Luzern.

Great ideas, thank you!

Luzern (Lucerne in English) is a good base.

About an hour by cogwheel train over the Brunig Pass and into Meiringen - where Sherlock Holmes had his famous fight to the death at Reichenbach Falls which you can visit by funicular - and then 30 minutes along Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) to Interlaken Ost and a quick 20 minute run up to Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. I prefer the Lauterbrunnen Valley (with the car-free villages of Mürren and Wengen, and the mountains of Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch) to the next valley which contains Grindelwald (a much lower and bigger resort with cars and buses, with a view of the north face of the Eiger, and the mountains are reached by train). Different people prefer one over the other and for different reasons.

Have you got the Rick Steves' Switzerland book? He describes quite a lot about Luzern and the Berner Oberland area I have just been speaking about, including maps and diagrams of the transportation choices in the area and both level and nearly level hikes.

The problem with going to the Berner Oberland region as a day trip is that the mountains have notoriously fickle weather. If you look at the TV in your hotel in Luzern and see a clear summit, by the time you get to the mountain it may be covered in cloud. The mountains make their own weather. Weather is usually better in the early to mid morning, with clouds often boiling up by noon.

Great info and suggestions, thanks! I have Rick's book on order. Obviously I have a lot of reading to do between now and June! All suggestions appreciated.