My wife and I are planning a second honeymoon! We really want to go to Lauterbrunnen (again!) as well as Wengen and Grindelwald, but we also really want to explore the Dolomites. Are we crazy?
We will have 9 or 10 days. Flying into Zurich and renting a car. I figure we'll do 3 nights in Lauterbrunnen and 4 nights in the Dolomites with a couple nights in Zurich.
Has anyone done a trip like this? Is it too much driving? I imagine the long drive from Lauterbrunnen to the Dolomites is gorgeous, no? So maybe worth it?
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1761 posts
I don't think you have time for the Dolomites, if you want to enjoy your trip and savor the moments. In Switzerland, you don't need a car, which in fact is a hindrance.
Posted by
Bend, OR
1519 posts
Well, you would be spending two full days of your trip just driving. I would do one place or the other but that’s just my opinion after driving from Vienna to Zurich. Scenery was nice but not so much for the driver and a long time in a car.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2820 posts
I would use the train in Switzerland and take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Bolzano, then rent the car there. Spend a few days in the Dolomites, ending in Venice to fly home.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3239 posts
I’m going to the Dolomites in September and looked at also visiting the Berner Oberland. I concluded it’s too much travel time—something like 10 hours to get to Lauterbrunnen from Ortisei by bus & train.
You also may not be aware that, if you rent a car in Switzerland, you will also need to return the car in Switzerland —unless you don’t mind paying a one-way supplemental charge of around $1,000 to drop the car off in Italy—if you can find a car rental agency that even allows it. That means 2 entire days will be lost in transit, effectively leaving you with 6-7 days. A car will be of no use in Wengen and it will be parked most of the time in Lauterbrunnen. You’ll enjoy your second honeymoon more if you can look at the scenery rather than the pavement while behind the wheel of a car.
With just 9 days, my advice is to get a Swiss Travel Pass and spend five days in the Berner Oberland, then take the scenic train ride to Lucerne before returning to Zurich for your return flight.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
@Barkinpark, I'm curious to know why having a car in Switzerland is a hinderance. I've been to Lauterbrunnen twice now and both times I went by train so I have no personal experience traveling through Switzerland by car.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
@travel4fun, we thought of that but then we'd be traveling by train for 8.5 to 10 hours vs. 6.5 hours by car. We'd also be paying anywhere from $186-$395 for a train ticket plus $400 for a car rental vs just getting a car for the whole trip which would cost $442.
Posted by
NW England
868 posts
you put your finger on the problem in the final sentence of the OP. Assuming you want the scenery it's a long drive in terms of time, over 7 hours plus breaks. It's VERY nice drive, assuming decent weather, but don't expect to average better than 40mph. Don't forget to ask for foreign usage which may cost more and if you go the fast route via Austria there will be autobahn tolls to add on as well (and a second foreign country...).
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2820 posts
You’ll probably end up getting a train pass in Switzerland anyway, since the most scenic places aren’t accessible by train. We had a car when we stayed in Wengen, as it was one stop on a 3 week road trip. We parked in the garage in Lauterbrunnen and didn’t use it for 6 days. We found using the train to be so much easier.
If you rent the car in Switzerland, you will have a long drive back. One way rental fees can be ridiculous.