Switzerland and Italy Trip

Posted by cfowler7395 on 02/21/25 02:56 PM

Hi all! I am visiting Switzerland and Italy for two weeks in September. I am flying into Zurich and out of Rome. My rough plan is:

2 nights in Lucerne
4 nights in Grindelwald
3 nights in Lake Como
4 nights in Tuscany
2 nights in Rome

Questions:

Would you recommend renting a car? Specifically for Switzerland to Italy?
Where would you base on Lake Como and how do you get around?
Where should I base in Tuscany and how do you get around?

Thanks for the help!

From,
a first time traveler to Europe!!

Posted by valadelphia

02/21/25 03:37 PM

5420 posts

You would not want to drive from Switzerland because when you do a cross border drop-off, there is typically a very large fee. Check train schedules on the sbb website. You won't need a car in Switzerland at all.
Transport in Tuscany will depend on where you stay, so I'd focus on on that with a Tuscany guide and then go to the Italy forum to discuss. Perusing some posts there might help.
I am not familiar with Lake Como except knowing that there are ferries for easy transport.

Posted by Suki

02/21/25 05:11 PM

11792 posts

Do not return a rental car to another country or you’ll pay a very high fee. I was quoted €1000.You have a Swiss rental car in Switzerland and an Italian rental car in Italy! You take a taxi across the border to the town where your next rental car pickup is located.
You need at least one more night in Rome.
In Tuscany, rent a car to get around. We always rent cars there except for when we are staying in Florence. And do stay in Florence for a couple of nights!
After Florence, stay in a central location such as Siena and or near there in small towns such as Radda, Castellina,San Gimignano, etc. Do not stay in far west , like Lucca, as it will be harder to see the majority of Tuscany.
Lake Como: base in Bellagio or Varenna. We have stayed in Bellagio for up to two weeks without a car and have stayed there four times. We use the ferry system to get around the lake.
Check if they still sell passes for the ferry boats.
Have a great trip!!

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

02/21/25 05:51 PM

21566 posts

Logistics would be a bit easier if you went to Grindelwald directly from Zurich airport, then Luzern, as it is easier to get to Como from there, where you could get to Bellagio by bus, If you want to take the ferry, you will need to take a bus or taxi from Como S. Giovanni station to the lakefront ferry dock. Grindelwald is 3 hours from Zurich airport vs 1 hour to Luzern.

if you go to Como from Grindelwald, you would need to go to Milan, then to Varenna by train, then a short ferry ride to Bellagio. Someone recently posted that the rail line to Varenna would be shut down until mid September for construction work, so if your timing is early September, you would need to take a train to Como city and proceed as above.