Hello! My children are studying in Florence so we are going to meet them there at the end of June for several days. Never been on a train and we want to do a lot of train travel so we will travel to varenna como for two days, head to tiarno and get in Bernina Express to Chur. Really just spending one night there as a stop over and then taking train to Interlaken where we will stay for three nights and rent a car to see Lauderbrunen, Grindelwald, maybe Brienz and Thun if we have time. Then train to Colmar France for one night and then to Paris for two nights. Is this too ambitious to do in such a short amount of time? We don’t have much time because of work. Also we want to see the most beautiful scenery in Switzerland so am i leaving anything out?
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2544 posts
I would highly recommend NOT staying in Interlaken and instead stay up in the mountains in Wengen. Interlaken is not a great destination, it is a transfer point on your way to great destinations. You can easily take the train to Brienz or Thun, but you really will love the view UP in the mountains. You definitely don’t need to rent a car. Trains and cable cars will take you everywhere, and cars are not even allowed in the most beautiful places (like Wengen!)
Two nights in Paris is very short. That’s really only one full day of sightseeing. I’m sure many will tell you this is an ambitious schedule. Your schedule doesn’t leave much wiggle room for flexibility (like changing plans due to rain). You really have no room to add more. The question is: what would you be willing to cut to allow more time for you to experience more in fewer places?
Posted by
OP
Pennsylvania
7 posts
Thank you for your insight! I really appreciate it. I have already been to Paris but my kids have not. I’m fact it’s not my favorite place. I think to goal here is to see as much beauty as we can in Switzerland so i would cut Colmar or Paris. Every trip i plan is like this since we are on such short time i try to fit as much in as possible. I’m going took into Wengen and if you have any other suggestions please let me know
Posted by
OP
Pennsylvania
7 posts
Also, where would you recommend staying as a home base for the area of interlaken for those three days? I was hoping to stay somewhere that is a cute town but close proximity to Thun, Grindelwald, Lauderbrunen and Brienz…Wengen? And thank you for the tip on not renting the car.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10598 posts
Wengen and Mürren would make good bases for the area. You might want to consider Lauterbrunnen as a base for easier transportation options to the other places you want to see.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5602 posts
Maybe cut out France entirely. Paris will be preparing for the Olympics so advance teams and athletes will probably already be there, and reports here indicate lodging prices already going up in Paris.
Spend as much times as you can in the Berner Oberland, Wengen or Murren. No one is ever ready to leave. And a car is pretty useless in car- free villages.
And I love your plan to start in Varenna and ride the Bernina Express. Actually, you can use the regional trains, instead of the panoramic trains, and have more schedule flexibility. The regional trains run on the exact same tracks and require no seat reservation.
So fly into Milan and out of Zurich? Spend the last day or so in Lucerne, as it's very easy to get directly to the Zurich airport from Lucerne.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5602 posts
PS
Perhaps add Swiss to your title ? We have multiple posts a day asking about itineraries, and it's easier if the title includes the area. Thanks so much!
Posted by
Indiana
923 posts
I recommend dropping France altogether. Book accommodations in Wengen ASAP; no need for a car. Research the Berner Oberland Pass coupled with a Half Fare Card and see if that makes sense for some of your train travel. The SBB site and app are very user friendly.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17418 posts
Interlaken is not an a particularly “cute town”, and it is not actually in the mountains. The lakeside town was established as a monastery in the 12 Century and later, by mid-1800’s, a spa resort attracting tourists. But it is not in the mountains. It is a fairly large and bustling city, with many of the hotels in the “Grande Dame” style of 200 years ago. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it might not be what you ae looking for.
The most charming towns in the area are the car-free villages of Wengen and Mürren. Yes, to travel from either village to others in the area involves an extra leg or two by train and/or cablecar, but it doesn’t take long, and in Switzerland, that is half the fun. And if you want to see the most beautiful scenery in Switzerland, it is more on offer from the upper villages than from Interlaken. Get a place with a balcony and mountain view and you won’t want to leave.
And you will not want to rent a car; all the places you mention are connected by train.