Help with Switzerland, please

You can easily take the train from Venice to Tirano in one day and join the Bernina Express the next day.

Hi Ruth,

You might consider staying a few nights in Varenna, on Lake Como, which would be a nice spot to spend a day or two before taking the Bernina Express. There are trains hourly from Venice to Milan, taking about 2.5 hours, then it's another hour to Varenna. See www.trenitalia.com/en for schedules and ticket prices.

It's 1.5 hours from Varenna to Tirano, where you can catch the Bernina Express. See this website for Bernina Express schedule and prices: www.rhb.ch/en/panoramic-trains/bernina-express#info. You could spend the night in Chur, the northern end of the Bernina Express, then the next day, take a train to Zurich (2 trains per hour, 1.5 hours). See www.sbb.ch for schedules and ticket costs). If you spent 2 or more nights in Switzerland, I'd stay in either St. Moritz or Pontresina, then take the 2nd part of the Bernina Express to Chur and on to Zurich the following day.

From Zurich, you could take the train to Brugge (about 8.5 hours with changes in Frankfurt & Brussels or Paris & Brussels). See www.bahn.com for train schedules and routes anywhere in Europe. I'd spend at least 1 night in Zurich beforehand.

From Zuriich, you could also fly to Brussels (less than 1.5 hours). Swiss Air has several flights per day, starting at $133. See www.skyscanner.com for options. If you fly, you could easily take a train from Chur, St. Moritz or Pointresina to Zurich and catch an afternoon flight to Brussels. From Brussels airport, there are hourly trains directly to Brugge, taking 1.5 hours.

Thank you both. Rich, I'm concerned about the string of one night stays I'm looking at for the experience of the The Glacier Express, plus another full day of train travel it will take to get us to Brugge. I do like Varenna, but not sure I can fit in two more days there.

I think I want to do the fast train from Venice to Milan, get a private guide for a walking tour and stay one night, but I will consider Varenna instead. From either of the two I could catch a morning train to Tirano. I want to stay one night somewhere beautiful along the Glacier Express route. Pointresina appeals a little more than Chur, but I don't know either place. The idea of training to Zurich from there, and catching an later flight to Brussels is a good idea. Not that interested in an overnight in Zurich; prefer smaller places.

So now, the question is: Where to overnight? Chur, St Moritz, or Pontresina? One night or two? Would really like some opinions! (I've only made one short trip in April in Switzerland, and it was pea soup fog start to finish. A little nervous about that.) Thanks again for your help.

well, if it was me, I'd stay in Varenna for a night rather than Milan and then spend 2 nights in Pontresina, which is beautiful. On your full day in Pontresina, you can take a lift up to Muottas Muragl for a nice 3-mile hike along the ridge, then take a chairlift back down into Pontresina (see the Pontresina chapter in Rick's Switzerland book for complete details). From Pontresina, I'd take a train to Zurich to catch an afternoon or early evening flight to Brussels.

Thanks, Rich. Just ordered the Switzerland guide. Thought I had almost all of the RS books, but didn't know there was a free-standing Switzerland now. That should help plans come together.

If you are considering any Alpine hikes, bear in mind that the Alps you read about in the Rick Steves guides are not the Alps you will experience in April. Mr. Steves writes mainly with summer travelers in mind, and there is a huge seasonal difference. April falls directly in the shoulder season, when conditions are too warm and wet for skiing but too cold and wet for hiking. Weather is cloudy and overcast more often than not (draping those stunning mountain vistas of your dreams under a veil of hazy grey). And much of the tourist infrastructure in the mountains closes temporarily until the hiking season begins in June.

Thanks, Tom. Weather has been a huge concern. My only previous (brief) spring trip in Switzerland was extremely foggy. We will not be in Switzerland this time any earlier than about April 26, and we won't be doing any serious hiking, but I just got the RS Switzerland book and it looks like all the tourist sites in Pontresina are completely closed in late April/early May. I've lived in the Rhineland of Germany, and recognize the difference between charming in season and totally dead, so now I'm rethinking. Off season and uncrowded sounds great, but foggy and sidewalks rolled up closed could be grim. Maybe we should stay in sunny Italy longer and fly to the low countries. Opinions welcomed. Love Italy, but have spent a lot of time there, and wanted try something totally different this trip.

I forgot to add to the above post that I was thinking of generally this itinerary:
5 or 6 nights Venice (day trip to Padua)
2 nights Varenna, then catch Bernina Express
2 nights Pontresina
fly from Zurich to Brussels, train to Brugge
3 nights Brugge (day trip to Ghent)
3 nights Harlem (day trips to Keukenhof and maybe Amsterdam)