Quick Family trip in Lugano, Luzern, Grindelwald

OK, just the first point that comes to mind. The 4-yo travels with you for free, so by train you have to pay for 5 adults if you just buy full fare tickets (the 16-yo is an adult). Lets just look at Day 4, 5, 6, here you propose renting a van in Zug, then driving the family from Luzern to Grindelwald on day 4, and driving everybody to Zurich airport on day 6. The cost of this is $1200 US.

The cost of 5 full fare train tickets from Luzern to Grindelwald is 44.20 CHF times 5 equals 221 CHF. The cost of 5 full fare train tickets from Grindelwald to Zurich airport via Luzern is 67.20 CHF times 5 equals 336 CHF. So that comes to 557 CHF, or about $580 US. That is less than half the cost of your van, not counting the cost of train to Zug to rent the van, and the time wasted renting it, driving back to Luzern.

Sam gives good advice. Also, let me answer another question you asked. If you buy 2nd class train tickets (no need for 1st class) you can sit anywhere. I used to live in Switzerland, and never ran into a full train. Also, you buy "the destination", meaning you can take any train to that destination (in a direct route). Generally, another train comes in an hour to that same destination. You just have to buy a "Family Card" for the youngster, which is around 20CHF at any train station.

Sam has been kind enough to run the numbers for you and show that you are better off with the train. Let me make an additional suggestion. Levanto to Lugano is a journey of 4.5 to 5 hours, with a minimum of 3 changes on the way. If you are willing to spend a bit more time on the train (6.2 hours if you depart Levanto at 13:02) you could reach Luzern ( with only 2 changes on the way) and spend 2 nights there, then 2 nights in Grindelwald. This seems an easier trip to me, saving an extra hotel change in Lugano, which is ( in my opinion) more of an overpriced resort than the Switzerland most people come to see.

I would also suggest skipping the Jungfrau trip, which is over priced and overrated. There are much better ways to spend your time in Grindelwald than a long journey in a packed train, with 45 minutes In a dark tunnel carved in the rock of the Eiger.

Children up to the day before their 6th birthday travel free with and adult in Switzerland. No Family Card is needed.

I don't quite see Lola's timing, but the principle is sound. I see an IC train from Levanto at 12:47 to Milano Centrale arriving at 15:53, then a 17 minute connection to an EC train to Arth-Goldau arriving at 18:42, then a 7 minute connection to Luzern arriving at 19:21. That is 6 1/2 hours. At Trenitalia, you can buy the ticket as far as Arth-Goldau for a train a month from now for 64.90 EUR. The connector for Arth-Goldau to Luzern is 13 CHF.

Now, back to Grindelwald. A rented van will have to stay parked in Grindelwald if you want to go to First or the Jungfraujoch. The only access to First is by cable lift, and the cost is 35 CHF each way. The round trip to the Jungfraujoch from Grindelwald costs 222 CHF. If the weather is not good, there is no point spending that kind of money.

In sum, with Arth-Goldau to Luzern to Grindelwald, 2 round trips to First, and the trip to Zurich airport you are at 264.40 CHF for each of the 5 people. That is just over the threshold of 240 CHF to make Half Fare Cards pay off. They cost 120 CHF per person, then each ticket is 50% off. If you stick with the stopover in Lugano, even more so, and if you do the Jungfraujoch even more. Add in a lake excursion in Luzern and it makes sense to get Half Fare Cards.

Sam, maybe we looked at different dates? It is the same route, but the date I looked at (tomorrow) shows IC 670 departing Levanto at 13:02, arriving Milano Centrale at 15:53 (same time as the 12:47 train you saw). The rest is the same as you describe—-EC 308 departing at 16:10 to Arth-Goldau, arriving there at 18:42 with 7 minutes to connect to the regional train to Luzern.

All,
Thank you so much! Your feedback has been extremely helpful and I'm already revising our trip.