Sample April Itin For Review! (2 adults and 2 teens)

You might want to plot out how much time you’re going to be traveling from one point to the next plus putting in time for check in and check out to see if it leaves you sufficient time to see much.

Do less moving bases and you’ll have more time to enjoy. Every time you move hotels you lose a half day and with only 1 week, you're wasting too much time moving. Luzern is a 1 hour direct train from the Zurich airport, so end there to avoid an unnecessary move to an airport hotel. Do a day trip to Gruyeres from Montreux base (A little over an hour on Golden Pass scenic train ride). Also, ideally with this itinerary you'd fly into Geneva and out of Zurich. It's doable in and out of Zurich, but if Geneva is an option, that would save you a bit of time.

Zurich Airport > Montreux 3 nights > Zermatt 2 nights > Luzern 2 nights > 1 hour direct train to Zurich airport

Day 1 - Zurich Airport > Montreux
Day 2 - Montreux, Chateau de Chillon, Vevey
Day 3 - Gruyeres
Day 4 - Montreux > Zermatt - explore village
Day 5 - Gornergrat
Day 6 - Zermatt > Luzern - explore historic old town
Day 7 - Boat to Vitznau + Mt Rigi OR Pilatus
Day 8 - Luzern > Zurich Airport

The route and travel times you have chosen for yourself are not actually that bad.

• Zurich - Luzern is one hour
• Luzern to Gruyères is 2.5 hrs. I often take the Luzern - Bern route and like it a lot. It is usually not very busy and takes just one hour, change in Bern to Bulle - a reginal train and again often not very busy, then short ride to Gruyères. I like the views when coming up on Gruyères from this side - you see the castle on the hill and Moléson and the other pre-Alps in behind.
• Gruyères - Montreux is a scenic ride, especially when traveled in this direction and you come towards Lake Geneva, looking down on the towns and vineyards. The Golden Pass train does not go through Gruyères, you will change trains at Montbovon and then will be on the Golden Pass route. 1 hr 18 min travel time.
• Montreux - Zerrmatt 2 hr 40 min.
• Zermatt - Zürich Flughaftn 3 h 34 min is your longest train ride. You can easily do this at the end of the day, giving you basically another full day in Zermatt (luggage storage is available at the Zermatt train station).

Hiking: you can certainly do hiking at this time of year, if you want to. Places like Luzern, Gruyères and certainly Montreux will already have spring flowers, blossoms on the trees, etc. There is a tulip festival not far from Montreux that runs throughout April every year. 

The thing is, you know your travel style and your family best. What kind of travel do you enjoy? Friends of ours do not stay more than one night at any location…they like the change that a new location brings each day. There is no ‘right’ way to do it, it is just a matter of opinion.

Nothing is wrong with the route you have chosen, it works perfectly well and gives a great tour of various areas of the country.

thank you everyone!