Driving or rail for 2 weeks in Switzerland

There are a few towns you might drive past that would not have been train stops. But given the frequency of trains on most routes, the Swiss aversion to requiring reservations, and the hop-on flexibility of a Swiss Travel Pass, you really can stop almost anywhere that you decide to that is served by public transport.

If you have luggage with you, then you might have to store it at the train station, instead of in the trunk of a car. Or you'd also have the option to check luggage through to your destination on a day when you want to be free from it. See details at https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/luggage-and-flight-luggage/luggage/express-luggage.html.

Thank you, Laura.

Shirley..... I am planning just as you are but our trip will be this fall. We have also spent several days in Switzerland touring and are ready to go back this fall, celebrate retirement and walk more trails in the Alps. We rented a car last trip, which was our first trip there, and picked it up in the Zurich airport. We drove the diagonal from Zurich to Geneva with stops along the way whenever we wanted to. We thoroughly enjoyed our car.... the freedom of having it is hard to beat. This fall we feel like we should try a scenic train trip, possibly the William Tell, as we plan to complete our trip in northern Italy and fly home from Venice. Everyone says we are crazy for not trying the Swiss trains.... I get it... but we are so spoiled having a car. The 4 or 5 past European trips we have taken have been with a rental car. I will always remember the beauty of the drive from Lucerne to Interlaken.... just gorgeous. Any advice?

Shirley,

My personal opinion is that many of the postings that press the use of trains when traveling in Europe are trying to educate Americans on the excellent train systems that exist. Most Americans simply aren't aware of how extensive and inexpensive train travel is in Europe. The only real issue for a decent American driver in most of Europe is in/around major cities - not dissimilar from trying to drive in downtown New York or Boston actually.

Make sure you are comfortable with international signage, don't speed (those cameras are EVERYWHERE), don't try to drive into big city 'old town/downtown' areas, make sure your hotels/B&Bs have parking available and the rest is simply being a good driver. It helps if you are comfortable with a stick-shift, but you can rent an automatic if you aren't.

I've found driving around Switzerland straightforward; the roads are well marked, the traffic is moderate and the other drivers are well trained. The ability to stop at any time, for any reason along with the flexibility to 'go down a rabbit-hole' whenever we want makes the decision easy for us.

Have fun!

we were in lauterbrunnen and montreux a few days ago ( our third trip driving in Switzerland) after driving many hundreds of kms
there, here are a few observations.
there are not always places to pull over for a short stop. just when you see a beautiful scene/river etc there is absolutely no where to pull over. its almost like they don't want you to stop on the side of a road ( seriously !!)
the roads are very good, but always being maintained, with lots of road works( where they paint orange lines on the road)
the swiss vignette is no good for tourists ( if your rental car doesn't have one) paying for a whole year when you are only there for days/week etc ( whereas nearby austria you can buy a vignnette for 10 days)
if you are near brienz take the time to visit, we found it a lovely town to visit. and parking was possible, in the town.
I realise people like train travel, but having a car to tour the small towns, stop when you want and get away from the tourists is priceless.
hope this helps.

Driving here is easy enough and we have a car, but I almost exclusively take public transport. I occasionally forget the trouble of driving and take my car to Lausanne and get reminded again why I avoid it. Parking is not easy to find and when you do, it's for a very limited time or it's expensive, but I'm usually more than willing to pay after driving around and around trying to find it. Once parking is found, you still have to walk to where you want to go. With public transport, I can walk out the door, take a quick train to Lausanne, walk the same distance and with a lot less trouble.
We do have friends who live in the country and we drive there as it's much easier and parking not an issue. The decision to drive is easier to make when you know which areas you would like to see. I would decide, then check sbb.ch for schedules. If it meets your needs, it's probably easier to not drive. If it doesn't meet your needs, you can opt to rent a car or a combination of the two.

Just remember you cannot get to Zermatt, Wengen, or Mürren with a car---you will have to park outside the village and take a train or cablecar in. You will be paying the daily rental fee plus parking each day, but not actually using the car.

And several of the cities you plan to visit may present parking problems.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to respond to my question! Your insights and experiences are invaluable. At this point, it looks like we've decided to take the trains...the luggage issue is annoying, but overall, it seems like a better option for us. Thank you again!
Shirley

Bring coins for the luggage lockers... I spent many afternoons during my trip hopping on and off to wander around some scenic stops! I had no problem feeling like my luggage was safe in the lockers, but I admittedly traveled light with few valuables.