I have two days to get from Dijon to Milan and I am trying to determine the most scenic route. My first thought was to go from Dijon to Luzerne and take the Gotthard Panorama Express boat/train trip to Lugano and then Milan. However, I am wondering if it would be just as scenic to go from Dijon to Lausanne and then do a boat/train combination to Milan. Any and all advice very appreciated.
I'd probably start out doing what you're doing, prioritizing scenery, but I think you'll find the more mileage you travel through Switzerland, the more expensive that ticket is going to be. I believe the cost per mile on Swiss trains is higher than it is in France and Italy. And I'm not sure there is any advance- purchase discount on the Swiss leg of the trip, at least not most of the time.
(Just in case it matters. I'm afraid that in the end, it would matter to me.)
You should be able to get an advance-purchase discounted ticket from Dijon to your first stop in Switzerland ( Lausanne, Zurich, or maybe Luzern) by buying 3 months ahead on SBB.ch
As for the route, you can see the trains and boats on the Swiss transport system mP here:
For the Lausanne route, do you mean a boat from there to Montreux? Then train from there via Brig? This route would use the long Simpson tunnel under the Alps. ( Tunnels are shown by dShed lines on the map).
I would prefer the Gotthard Panorama route. It still goes through a tunnel, but it is not S deep or as long as the Simpson tunnel. You will see quite a bit of nice alpine scenery from the train. And Luzern is a nice place to spend the night to break up the two-day journey.
Thank you thank you for all your advice. I think that I will go to Lucerne first and then do the Gotthard Panorama Express boat and train trip. Can anyone offer advice on how to purchase first class tickets for the boat and train trip. Do these have to be purchased separately? Thank you again.