Would love any feedback on this itinerary and timing at each location for our 2nd trip to Switzerland.
Flying into and out of Zurich
3 nights Engelberg
4 nights Bettmeralp
4 nights Lake Maggiore (Stresa)
5 nights Pontresina
1 night Zurich
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
34875 posts
4 nights is a lot in Stresa. I stayed nearby in Baveno and loved it. But parts of 3 days was plenty for me on the Borromean Islands. Maybe you have specific ideas of what you want to do there? I'm afraid that the question is a touch light on detail.
Posted by
OP
18 posts
Nigel thanks for the reply! Maybe we do 3 nights in Stresa instead? I added Stresa because my 14 year old son was asking for a little taste of Italy and some warmer weather with a few relaxing days since most of our trip will be full of hiking, biking and outdoor adventures. I was deciding between Lugano, Como or Lake Garda but ended up at Lake maggiore after researching. Let me know if you have other suggestions!
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1707 posts
4 nights in Bettmeralp is too much. It's a very small village. 2 nights is ok.
Posted by
OP
18 posts
I should add that we really love hiking, biking and outdoor adventures which is why some of the stays are a little longer in the mountain areas.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11954 posts
Bettmeralp has a lot of hiking options but is somewhat seasonal. Summer is great, but even in early September some lifts shut down. Pontresina is also terrific and a week would not be too long, best before September ends.
I agree with Nigel on time in Stresa.
Posted by
San Diego, California
6299 posts
You could ride the Bernina Express route ( regional trains) from Pontressina to Tirano, Italy, go onto a few nights in Varenna, Lake Como, and fly out of Milan. Or ride the Bernina Express to Tirano and come back ( RT is under four hours.) We did that RT a few years back. The scenery is spectacular both ways, and as the sun changes, you have a different perspective.
Just a thought.....
Posted by
Switzerland
197 posts
From your other post I see this:
We’ll be traveling around the 2nd week of July!
So if that is still the case, I think you should find lots of hikes and bike rides to do in Engelberg and area (77 results come up on this website, so there should be something there that fits what you are looking for).
And 300 km of trails in the Aletsch Arena
https://www.aletscharena.ch/en/activities/hiking
Here is a map:
But…you have probably already researched all of this. Happy hiking!