We are a couple in our 50's, looking to travel for 2.5 weeks to Lyon, Fr, Switzerland and Italy. If other travelers have this mapped out, would love to get an idea of your itinerary, which country to fly into and start the trip. We will be traveling in August/Sept sort of last minute, I know. We travel very light and primarily will travel by train. Thanks for your recommendations.
Posted by
Maryland
1001 posts
Lyon has an large airport or Geneva to Lyon is easy enough on a train or on a Flixbus (or using another bus company). You can go back to Geneva and then proceed into Switzerland to the destinations of your choice. Are you flying open-jaw (in one airport and out another) or going in a loop? Or, you can go to Chamonix and then through the mountains into Switzerland through Martigny in the Swiss Rhone Valley if you want to head towards Zermatt anyway. Or from Lyon you can go through the Mt Blanc tunnel into northwestern Italy and then towards Milan and head into Switzerland last. Where you want to go in Italy and Switzerland will determine where you want to cross. There are a number of choices. Most importantly: What do you want to see?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks for the fast reply. We think Interlaken area would be good to see and Lugano, do you think we have time to see the border into Austria?
Posted by
Green Bay
22559 posts
Hate to say it, but there is really nothing to see just by going to the Austrian in order to check a box that you were in Austria.
Where in Italy are you planning on going?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Been to Como, Bellagio on another trip but may go again and also visit Cernobbio.
Posted by
Maryland
1001 posts
16 nights - Fly to Lyon which will mean a stop somewhere in Europe first. 4 nights. One night to acclimatize and three for food/wine tours.
Lyon to Milan by train and then north to Lugano... One travel day and 3 nights
Lugano over the Gotthard Pass or through the tunnel to the Lake of Lucerne and Lucerne. 3 nights.
Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen or Gimmelwald. 3 Nights.
Bernese Oberland to Zurich and fly home from there.
Adjust as needed. Have fun.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Hey all, Thanks for the great ideas and finally an itinerary, super excited! Cheers!
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
2216 posts
Last month I drove down to Dijon, then to Lyon, and back north via Basel. It was a good week. I like Dijon more than Lyon, and Basel has always been a city I'm fond of. I actually had planned to go further south, but ran out of time.
Posted by
melbourne FL
80 posts
I just made the trip from Varenna —> Mürren and it was a long day due to the train closures. We left at 8:30 AM and arrived at 6:30 PM with no significant delays. It just takes a long time with many changes.
As much as we loved Lake Como (technically I believe it is Lake Como north of Bellagio), as we traveled through Switzerland, we saw so many other fantastic lake, destinations, and spent some time in Lucerne, which was also wonderful. If you’ve already been to Lake Como, perhaps you could discover one of the Swiss Lakes to complement your time in the mountains?