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Really need your help with this itinerary. Thanks

We have a last minute planning to do. We have two meetings in Switzerland so we decided to expand the trip and see some of the country. It's very shortly coming up and we need to finalise our plans. For context: we are not into hiking. We are interested in seeing European heritage cities, architecture but also mountain views and landscapes. Our meetings are 31 August daytime in Geneva. 5 September evening and night in Basel.
Places we want to see: Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and Chillon, Zermatt (and Gonergratt), the Lauterbrunnen valley (a few highlights and trains/vilages or as you suggest), Bern, Basel.
Flight to Geneva on 29 August and From Basel on 9 September at 10 a.m.
Current plan A:
29 August arrival and train to Montreux (or Lausanne) base for 4 nights
30 August daytrip to Lausanne and visit Lausanne
31 Aug daytrip to Geneva, visit Geneva and meeting there
1 Sep visit Montreux and Chateau Chillon
2 Sep early train to Zermatt stay there the night
3 Sep take Gonergratt and back; late train towards Lauterbrunnen
3 Sep - 5 Sep: visit Lauterbrunnen valley. Accommodations are EXTREMELY expensive for our budget. Tried Thun, Murren, Wengen, all crazy. Maybe worth staying in Bern?
5 Sep early train to Basel. Stay in Basel + meeting
6 Sep: visit museums in Basel, train to Bern in the evening
6-8 Sep: stay Bern. Visit Bern, Paul Klee Museum. rain back to Basel on 8th
8 Sep: Visit any of Basel not visited before stay Basel
9 Sep: frlight from Basel
This one has too many one-nighters. But allows us to see everything. If we could reduce the first four days to three, hen we'll have two nights in Zermatt... Doable? Otherwise here's our other option
Plan B:
29-2: Montreux (as above)
2-4 Sept: Zermatt
4 Sep: train to Basel.
4th and 5th September: Basel including meeting
6 Sep early train to Bern
6 to 8 Sep: Bern with daytrips to Lauterbrunnen (or alternatively somewhere in Lauterbrunnen with daytrips to Bern and the Paul Klee museum?)
8th either stay in Bern and early start on 9th for the flight or return to Basel stay overnight Basel so we can fly back unhurried.

Thanks a million for your advice and help

Posted by
300 posts

Bern and Basel are only one hour apart by train, so is there a way to combine what you want to do in these two cities without going back and forth between them and switching hotels each time?

Bern to Lauterbrunnen is 1.5hrs, definitely doable for day trips, especially since you can’t find affordable accommodation closer, not even in Thun (which surprises me). This will also allow you to pivot based on weather so that you are in the museums in poor weather and the mountains if/when it is nice.

Posted by
15 posts

Thankd. Thun doesn't seem to save much time. A tiny room with shared facilities, airbnb, no kitchen, no breakfast, 220 chf a night. I rented a villa for this price in July in Algarve with most extraordinary views.
I also just realised my plan doesn't work. Zermatt to Lauterbrunnen is really long journey with five changes ...much easier to Thun or Bern.
Should i instead stay two nights in Zermatt , then Basel + Basel meeting, then Bern with one daytrip to Jungfrau region?

Posted by
220 posts

You do Not have enough time to "do" all your must-sees. Narrow it dow severely. Otherwise, you will arrive back home, frustrated with spending loads of time in transit!

Posted by
15 posts

Thanks ... arriving at the same decision. I am leaving out Jungfrau region stay. Will try to do a daytrip from Bern if we feel up for it.