Family of 5. Brussels/Geneva/OB/Zermatt (Swiss portion about 6 nights). July 2020

OB?? Do you mean Berner Oberland? If so - that’s BO.

YES! Sorry for the typo. We will stay in the BO.

Forget the rental car. That’s a very bad idea. When you arrive into Geneva airport the train station is directly there. It’s just a few minutes ride from there to Geneva main station.

The best way to travel in all of Switzerland is the fabulous public transport. In fact the fantastic alpine villages in the BO (Murren, Wengen, Gimmelwald) are only accessibly by public transport. There is no need for a rental vehicle, and the vehicular traffic in Geneva is already congested to the max.. a car would only be a hindrance to you.

Lauterbrunnen (BO) most affordable hotel might be the Hotel Staubbach. If you plan to stay in Murren instead (which you should) then check with Denise at the Chalet Fontana for the best of the best including price.

Hi Tim,
We do tend to find things that are not typical, plus a car can provide us flexibility. Since we only intend to have 2 nights in Geneva, perhaps that's accurate. But how do we get around to a sight that is not really walking distance? We are not bus people but my family has traveled throughout Europe via trains, cars, boats, etc. I'm open to forgoing the rental if I have a better understanding as to why. I've never been to Switzerland.
Thank you.

The Swiss rail network is incredibly extensive. I would not even think of traveling by car. Look at the SBB Mobile site to see the extensiveness of its network and the options for rail tickets including Swiss rail passes, Saver Day Passes, and Super saver fares. Plus, your 14-year-old will probably be able to travel for 1/2 price.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/travel-advice/children.html

We do tend to find things that are not typical, plus a car can provide us flexibility. Since we only intend to have 2 nights in Geneva, perhaps that's accurate.

Momof3, I car in a city like Geneva is totally useless. In fact it is a liability as you will have to pay to have it parked.
I would advise you to skip Geneva. You do not go to Switzerland for cities, you go for Mountains. So just get a train direct from the airport to the mountains.

"Flights into Geneva are approximately $30pp" Have you included luggage costs in that price? Most cheap airlines charge per bag in the hold, and have an absolute limit of 1 piece of hand luggage, with a maximum size.
Also consider flights into Zürich

How do you get around to do sightseeing? Is there always a cable car out your door?
But how do we get around to a sight that is not really walking distance?

Trains, buses. Switzerland has 1838 stations, and each one has at least one train per hour. Connection buses wait at the stations to take you to other places. Yes you can get there by train.
Some places (Mürren, Wengen, Zermatt) cannot be reached by road, only by train. Then trains continue further up the mountains.

As for the Jungfrau region of the Berner Oberland, see this site for info and hotels: https://jungfrauregion.swiss/en/summer/

After Zermatt we are heading to Lake Como.

Not a simple route. Needs much zig-zagging because of the mountains. Exact route depends where on Lake Como you are heading for, which side of the lake.
I would skip Zermatt. I don't like 1 night stops. Instead go from The Berner Oberland direct to Lake Como. If you like scenic train routes. I would suggest:
Berner Oberland - Chur. Overnight. "Bernina route" Chur - Tirano - Lake Como east side (Varenna etc.)

Finally:
BO/OB - Please do not invent abbreviations. "BO" is not used as an abbreviation and many people would not be able to guess. Please put names in full, otherwise people will not know what you mean.

Hey Chris, I didn’t invent BO 😉 it’s dotted all over the place. Yes, for clarity it’s definitely better to spell it out.
And I definitely agree with skipping Geneva.

Don’t you just love when people say they “always” rent cars for the freedom it offers...yet have never been to the city to see how useless a car would be there.

Chris is not wrong, but everything here is (or should be) in the context of Rick Steves. Thus, CT=Cinque Terre, AC=Amalfi Coast, MSM=Mont. St. Michel. I would also point out that American WASP academic (college) abbreviation, as in "...za" in for "Pizza", or "... rents" for "Parents" may be ... er ... affected, but it's not disrespectful!

Someone on Trip Advisor NYC had a weird UK abbreviation for "Christmas" as his visit time-of-year. I'm afraid I forgot it already, but it was almost incomprehensible!

Your teens should definitely like some of these hikes in the BO region:

www.lauterbrunnenhiking.wordpress.com

Someone on Trip Advisor NYC had a weird UK abbreviation for "Christmas" as his visit time-of-year.

Xmas?
Crimble?
Crimbo?

Perhaps I should have said: "Abbreviations like BO, CT, MSM, Chunnel are only used by North American tourists, the locals might not understand them".
And Shouldn't Cinque Terre be "5T"?

Although you say you don’t take buses, you might be interested to know how different buses are in Switzerland from what you may know in the US. The buses, when needed, are timed perfectly with the trains and in some cases the lifts. You get off a train and the bus is there. You get off a bus and the lift leaves in a few minutes. If you have a pass, you seldom pay a separate fare on a Post Bus. They are clean, efficient, and uncrowded.

Renting a car you miss out on the total experience in Switzerland. Sometimes it is nice to drop our “gotta have a car” mindset and see how it is not only possible but desirable to get along without one.