I am planning VERY early (dreaming is half the fun) and need advise. We dont care much for big cities or art museums. My husband and I (both over 70) are taking a Viking trip from Amsterdam disembarking in Basel on Aug. 15, 2024, probably around 8:30-9 am. We want to go to primarily Berner Oberland and Lucerne for a total of about 4-5 nights, using the train in Switzerland and taking train into Italy all the way to Cinque Terre, perhaps with a quick stop in Milan to see The Last Supper (i know tickets must be bought months in advance and, even then, I wonder what the odds are of getting a ticket? Thats the only reason we would stop there.). My questions are in regard primarily to the trip in Switzerland as to both itinerary and which Swiss pass to buy, if any, vs individual tickets ? it is very confusing to me. Traveling 2nd class is good enough for us. Once we get to the point where we leave Cinque Terre, we will rent a car for Tuscany.
I’m thinking that the best train ticket for us to buy is the 4 or 6 day continuous Swiss travel pass (when would I want to also buy a half fare card?) for the below itinerary v. buying either the Berner Overland Regional Pass or individual tickets. There is a sale going on now for the STP pass (an extra day added to a 4 day pass) and since a 5 day pass is needed for the above itinerary and they dont normally sell these as 5 day passes, i’m hoping they have this sale every year about this time. Anybody know if this is the case? If not, then maybe buy a 6 day card and spend another day in Switzerland.
Here is the rough draft of a 5 day stay itinerary that I am thinking of for Switzerland:
1) train Basel-Murren thru Lucerne, not Bern. My thought is to get off train in Lucerne (can we?) and spend much of that first day sightseeing in Lucerne and we will be staying in Lucerne one more night after our stay in Murren. So sightsee today in Lucerne, then go to Murren via train (3 nights).
2) Spend our time the next two days taking the cable cars, etc in this area, go up to Schilthorn weather allowing, and hiking from Murren. Maybe visiting some neighboring towns via train.
Might need to do this to make the 5 day TSP worthwhile cause otherwise if we just hike mainly for these two days and cant get to Schilthorn due to weather, a 3 day TSP might suffice.
4) Take train to Lucerne and sightsee some more in this town where we will stay tonight.
5) Take scenic 2nd class train Treno Gottardo (not Gotthard Panorama Express) to Bollinzona and there buy a ticket to Milan? Or continue on the train to domodossola*, italy from Locarno on the same STP pass? Then buy a regional train ticket to Milan or Cinque Terre? OR if we want to go to Lake Como, maybe on the STP pass we can go to Lugano from Locarno and onto Chiasse maybe???? Can you go from Chiasse to either Milan or to Cinque Terre? we may skip Milan and go straight to Cinque Terre or must we go thru Milan anyway to get to Cinque Terre??
Thoughts appreciated.