Order of Cities to Visit

Also, do we ride the Glacier Express the other way

trains go in both directions, whichever fits in with your plans.

I might choose 0 > 1 > 2 > 1 > Sankt Moritz via Tirano and bottom half of Bernina route (although I don't care for Sankt Moritz or the Glacier Express) > Zermatt (although I much prefer Berner Oberland and parts of Austria) > 3 > 6 > 4 > 5 > US via short train to airport unless fliight very early.

YMMV

Presuming the entire trip will be done by train and boats.

Nigel isn’t the only one who dislikes the Glacier Express, someone on this forum referred to it as boring. I tried watching a video on it and after 30m I too was bored. You saw the same scenery over and over and over.

That is a lot of moving around, but since your itinerary includes Lugano here is one way to include the Glacier Express by a very scenic and interesting route. Use this map of the Swiss rail system, with the named scenic routes marked, to follow the route.

https://cdn-doc.myswissalps.com/docs/default-source/rail-network-maps/swisstravelpass.pdf?sfvrsn=7788603a_56

So Milan to Como to Lugano. From Lugano, take the Bernina Express bus plus train to St. Moritz. From St. Moritz, take the Glacier Express to Zermatt. Then proceed to Montreux. Take the Golden Panorama Express from Montreux to Interlaken Ost and transfer to Lauterbrunnen for your time there. From Interlaken, it is back on the Golden Pass route to Luzern. Then Bern and Zurich. Note that there is a quick way back to Zurich from Zermatt via the tunnel from Visp, like 3.5 hours from Zermatt to Zurich. The train stops in Bern, so if you want an overnight there it would be an hour less, just over two hours.

You would need to spend at least a night each in St. Moritz (or nearby Samedan or Pontresina) and Zermatt, as well as the cities you named. It is a lot to fit in.

Another way to do this would be to skip Lugano (or go there first from Milan) and go from Milan to Varenna on Lake Como. From Varenna you can ride the Italian train north to Tirano on the Swiss border, and pick up the train portion of the Bernina Express there. Ride it over the Alps to Pontresina or St. Moritz and proceed with the Glacier Express, etc. from there.

Edit: I agree with the above comments about the Glacier Express. It is a long day sitting on a train. Since you are going to the Berner Oberland, it doesn’t really add much to your Alps experience. But maybe you really want to see Zermatt, that does make a good stop in your itinerary due to the quick and easy access to Zurich.

Thank you all for your comments.

I am surprised to hear that the Glacier Express is boring.

Also, I noticed Lola said perhaps to skip Lugano. Lugano appears so beautiful. Why did you suggest skipping it?

I love all your ideas and I am so thankful for this help.

I know it is a lot but we want to see a lot. I did not really want to include Milan or Italy in the trip to make it more complicated but everyone says Lake Como is a must. Do you agree? Should we just keep the trip to Switzerland?
Flights to Milan are also cheaper than Zurich.

Additional questions, I apologize!

Should we book ONE hotel in Interlaken for 3 nights and take the 30-40 minute train rides for day trips to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen?
Or, book hotels in Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen?

I only suggested skipping Lugano if you wanted to take the alternate route to St. Moritz (for the Glacier Express) that I suggested. If you want to take the Bernina Express bus from Lugano to Tirano for the Bernina Express, then Lugano fits in perfectly.

Or if you decide to skip the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express suggestions, then Lugano is a nice addition to your itinerary. If you decide to do that, let us know and I can suggest a very nice scenic route to incorporate into your plans subsequent to Lugano.

About the Glacier Express—it is not the whole route that is boring; the main problem is the ride is so long it includes some so-so stretches, and one just gets saturated with the scenery. I have stood on the platform at Betten, one of the stations the GE passes without stopping, as the train went by. It is very slow at that point as it is climbing. I have seen the bored look on the faces of the passengers, who have been on the train for hours at that point. It is a famous train ride designed mainly for fairly sedentary people (many on tours) who want to see Switzerland by train. And it is promoted as a luxury experience if one rides in First Class.

Book a hotel in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, not in Interlaken. It is an old-fashioned resort city between the lakes, and a transport hub, but it is not IN the mountains. In Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald you can have beautiful views from your hotel and all around you. There is a fun journey between them by cogwheel train, cablecar and/or gondola, but it would be pricy if you do not have Swiss passes. Or you can take the train from one valley to the other; it is a short journey.

Have you thought about Swiss passes for your trip? How many are in your family and how old are the children?

Just echoing lola’s suggestion to stay in the mountains. I like Lauterbrunnen—it’s easy to get to—and Murren and Wengen take just an additional step or 2. My preference is Wengen. It’s just a quick 11 minute scenic train ride up from Lauterbrunnen.

My first trip to CH was to Lugano for four nights and I too suggest skipping it. I liked it but did not love it. The Berner Oberland is where you want to spend your time. I suggest five nights.

My first trip to CH was to Lugano for four nights and I too suggest skipping it. I liked it but did not love it. The Berner Oberland is where you want to spend your time. I suggest five nights. Furthermore, I would pick one place in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and stay there.

From Interlaken you would either go through Lucerne or Bern to get to Zurich. I don't understand the previous comment about going from Lucerne to Bern to Zurich, because there is no direct route on the train that I know of.

Thank you all for your most helpful comments.

I learned a lot from all the comments. Seems like the consensus is to stay longer in Bernese Oberland.
I thought Lugano looked so nice from pictures even better than Lake Como.

Still planning!

Thanks!