Florence to Switzerland June 2024

First time to Europe and you're not going to Venice???
My suggestion is
Florence > Venice
Venice> Varenna, Lake Como, 2 nights, at least
Varenna > Tirano > catch Bernina Express regional trains >to Pontressina, 1-2 nites
Pontressina > Berner Oberland, 4 nites
Berner Oberland > Lucerne , 2-3 nites

You need an itinerary asap, as hotels are booking up very quickly due to post-covid pent-up demand.
Have a great trip in this beautiful country!

Thank you so much. My husband has been to Venice and I have seen strange reviews about it being a line to cross a bridge like Disneyland. But considering. We are going to Paris and Amsterdam after Switzerland. We are staying first near armadillo coast and then Rome and then Florence. Trying to figure out to limit hotel changes and not rush so much so we’re just thinking lucerne and wengen and going straight from Florence to Tirano to get bernina express but open. Honestly very stressed about booking everything even though we like to plan and wonder if should just get travel agent? Never used before.

Possible itinerary—

Fly into Rome from Chicago on may 13 (note will be with another group from may 13 to 19 so they planned that section). Day in Rome. Then to Salerno. Going to Pompeii, a winery and Amari coast until 19th.
Rome 20 to 23rd
Florence 24-27 and Tuscany day trip in there. Stay in Florence?
28 stay in Tirano
29 bernina express to chur and chur to Lucerne.
30- 31 lucerene
June 1 to 4 in wengen
June 5 to 10 in Paris
June 11-13 Amsterdam

Thoughts?

Venice is magical if you stay away from the Rialto and St. marks Square area. Quiet back canals are beautiful and few people. We stay in the Cannaregio area.
Safe travels!

Thank you. Good to know. Had heard it was so crowded as to be very difficult.

London is crowded around Trafalgar Square, Paris is crowded around the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero, New York is crowded around Times Square.

So, yes there are a few places in Venice like that but most parts are not. Lots of us here have visited Venice, some many times. You have 6 months to get a plan how to deal with the crowds and your helpers here can get you on the right foot. It is a shame that some people dislike Venice because they ended up in the herds instead of walking one or at most two minutes a different way and see a completely different place. Did you know that you can walk past the door of the building where Marco Polo lived? Or follow in the footsteps of (the fictional) Commissario Guido Brunetti nd go to the actual bar just down from the Questura where his office is, or do as I do every trip go to the actual bakery that he used to go to for pastries for the family (great pastry and wonderful fresh orange juice and coffee, round the back of San Pantalon - Pasticceria Tonolo. The calle around there is fairly narrow so it may seem a little crowded, but you will see few other tourists - much more likely to see university students celebrating graduation or grabbing a pastry and coffee before or between classes, or like me popping into the little electronics shop down the calle.

It is all a question of knowing where and when to go in the beautiful city.

Thank you! You may have changed my mind! Still want to do bernina express though but maybe take a day off Florence or wengen…