BO/Lucerne or Annecy/Chamonix before Italy?

Posted by shekinahmacmillan on 01/08/17 06:31 AM

So my husband and I are planning a trip to Europe (about two weeks will be devoted to Italy), but we both would really like to go somewhere else for 2-3 full days before we take a travel day to head into Italy. It's going to be our last big trip before we starting trying for kids so I'm milking it for all its worth lol :)

Anyway, the two options that really appeal to us are:

Either Lauterbrunnen or Lucerne for a couple of days, and then take the Bernina Express into Italy, stay overnight in Milan or maybe a cute town close to that area, and then head to Cinque Terre to begin the rest of our trip (3 nights Cinque Terre, about 7 nights of Florence and Tuscany, 3 or 4 nights in Rome).
Annecy or Chamonix for a couple of days, and then head to Cinque Terre as mentioned above (have no idea how that would work- if it would be better to do car or train or how stressful it would be to drive).

We also know that 2-3 days wouldn't do either of those places justice, but it's what we have to work with (unless I take out some days in Italy-maybe cinque terre and a day in Rome, but then I have a feeling Italy would start to feel rushed- plus, Italy has been a bucket list item for me for years and I never have been there). We would just be there to relax, bike or leisurely hike around the beautiful area, wander in the local shops, eat to our hearts' content, and just take in the beauty. The only thing we would do in either area, is go up to one of the mountains/glaciers (but probably one of the smaller ones like Titlis instead of Jungfraujoch because I'm nervous about getting altitude sickness). Otherwise, all free time.

Anyway, I'm completely torn. Looking for some advice on what would make the most sense (in terms of actually being able to relax, the logistics of getting into Italy, etc). I'm assuming Annecy/Chamonix would be cheaper and it seems like a gorgeous place (and it seems closer to CT, but have no idea how direct it is) and I can imagine myself just falling in love with the town and lake, but the pictures of Bernese Oberland and mountains and waterfalls, plus the idea of coming into Italy through the Alps seem absolutely amazing. For your reference, we would be going at the very end of June (around the 27th) if that makes any difference.

Thanks for any input!

Posted by csu15269

Atlanta, Georgia

01/10/17 05:34 PM

451 posts

I am a huge fan of Murren in the Lauterbrunnen valley. We loved it so much, we returned the following year! It has some easy hikes and lots of restaurants and hotels. Most hotels have a view of the Jungfrau across the valley. From Murren it takes about 6 hours according to Rome2rio.com to reach Chur going through Lucerne, which is more scenic but also makes one more train change than the route through Basel, which adds an hour to the trip.

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

01/10/17 07:34 PM

16376 posts

We spent four 2-week vacations in Switzerland before we made it to the Bernina Express. But for our most recent trip to Italy, we decided to fly into Zurich specifically so we could take the Bernina Express route ( not necessarily the actual scenic train by that name). I highly recommend it. We broke up the journey in Samedan in the Engadine area and Varenna on Lago do Como, and would recommend both.

Here is one way to do it;

Fly into Zurich, head straight to Lauterbrunnen (about 2 hours from the airport) and spend two nights. This gives you a full day to explore and enjoy the scenery.

Then takenthe train to Samedan or Pontresina ( Samedan is 5 hours 42 minutes; Pontresina a bit farther and probably an additional train change). Make SURE you take the route via Chur, not Klosters! You see them on this map:

https://www.graubuenden.ch/sites/default/files/generic_files/2015_geltungsbereich_swiss_transfer_ticket.pdf

The two routes are the same price and your ticket is good for both, but the western route via Chur is much more scenic--including the famous Landwasser viaduct.

After a night in the Engadine, you take the train to Tirano, over the Bernina Pass. It is spectacular. At Tirano, you change to an Italian train to Varenna, 1.5 hours away.

Varenna to .Cinque Terrence in a day is fine---we did it several years ago. The easiest route is via Milan and the coast, but try to get a combination that includes the direct train from Milano Centrale to Monterosso, without a change in Genoa. There should be an IC train leaving Milan at mid-day that will work. It is only an hour from Varenna to Milan, but the trains are not all that frequent. When we did this we left Varenna around 10:30 am and easily caught a 12:30-ish IC train to Monterosso, but the schedule may have changed since then.

I can suggest a great place to stay in Samedan if you are interested. We chose that over Pontresina as it is a smaller, less expensive village, and the Lodge is easy walking distance from the station.

I booked our Bernina tickets well in advance on a regional train, not the "true" Bernina Express, and got a great price on sbb.ch. The train was so uncrowded we almost had a coach to ourselves, and it was easy to move from side to side to catch the best views.

Alberto Milano in Varenna is one f our favorite places to stay---we like the top floor room in the annex, Casa Rossa. Lots of stairs to climb but a nice balcony overlooking the lake.