Thinking of the following before heading to Milan in September:
Fly into Zurich
Private transfer to Lucerne
2 nights one full day in Lucerne
Train from Lucerne to Interlaken
3 full days exploring (Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen,Jungfraujoch)
Train to Thun
1 full day in Thun
Train from Thun to Milan (direct)
Never been to Switzerland before, does this make sense?
Thanks!!!!
What is your reasoning for a private transfer to Lucerne instead of taking the train? Where do you plan to stay in the Bernese Oberland? Interlaken would not be my first choice. More information on your interests, number of travelers etc. would be helpful.
Depending in our flight time from Chicago to Zurich (non stop vs direct) we may just take the train to Lucerne. Would staying in Lauterbrunnen be a better place to explore? We like to hike, not hardcore, maybe a train, cable car, boat ride. We like to explore towns as well. I picked this particular route for the logistics of the train on our way to Italy where we’ll spend another 10 days.
The train station is underneath the Zurich Airport Center (Bahnhof Zürich Flughafen) It is an easy and fast train ride to Lucerne, so there is no need to spend the money on a private transfer. The SBB site is very user friendly, so use that to check for schedules. I believe you should consider staying in either Wengen or Murren, rather than Lauterbrunnen. Both are car-free villages, and IMO give you a better experience of staying in the Alps than you will get in Lauterbrunnen. We chose Wengen, and loved everything about it. There was construction going on in Murren, and I am not sure when that is expected to be completed. We are not big hikers, but from Wengen, we were able to take the mountain excursions that best fit our interests. The cable car to Mannlichen is a 10 minute ride, and once there you can enjoy the views and take the Mannlichen Royal Walk which is not at all strenuous. You may also want to research a trip to the Schilthorn. After the Schilthorn, you can take a lovely, scenic walk from Murren to Gimmelwald, which is a quaint little Swiss village. Wengen has a COOP next to the train station, making it very convenient to pick up items for a picnic lunch. We found this very helpful in stretching our food budget, since Switzerland is quite expensive.
Thanks for all the advice, good to know about the train. We’ll definitely take it from the airport. Any hotel recommendations in Wengen?
Our stay Hotel Edelweiss was terrific! Daniel, Susanne and their staff have mastered the art of hospitality. The hotel is immaculately clean, delicious breakfast and their dinner option is a great value. Our room had a tiny balcony with a view of the Jungfrau Mountain. On one of our nights there, Daniel hosted a complimentary wine and cheese event. Highly recommend. Have a wonderful trip! https://www.edelweisswengen.ch/en/hotel
