Switzerland and Northern Italy Travel Guidance

Skip Bern and Zurich . They are nice cities, but not in the mountains or too urban. I'd settle for a max of staying in three places during that short timeframe.

Fly into Zurich, go immediately to Lucerne, for 3 nites.
To the Berner Oberland ( Wengen or Murren,) at least four nights.
To Pontressina, 1 night,
Ride the Bernina Express regional trains to Tirano , Italy.
Tirano to Varenna, Lake Como, at least three nights,
To Milan, 1 night, and fly out.
The Swiss have a world- class rail system, so I'd strongly suggest travel by train. And add a few nights if at all possible .
Look into the various train passes on the SBB site.
You're in for a real treat in this beautiful country. Safe travels!

The places you mention, particularly the Jungfrau region (known best as the Berner Oberland), Lugano, and Como, are all going to be busy with tourists in summer. That is the reality of travel at that time. The best strategy is to book your lodging early, and focus on the mountain villages rather than cities like Interlaken or Bern.

Last September we took our son’s family, with twin boys age 11, to Switzerland and Italy for a hiking vacation. The September dates meant taking the boys out of school, but that was our daughter’s request, to avoid summer heat and crowds. It was nice and quiet in Mürren, where we shared an apartment, and in the Dolomites (Alpe di Siusi). But the trains were packed, especially in Italy. We experienced the same crowded trains this year in late September and early October, especially in Italy. In Switzerland I booked us into first class for a less crowded experience.

In spite of the crowded trains, I would not recommend renting a car, as you don’t want one in the car-free villages of the Berner Oberland, and taking a rental car from Switzerland into Italy to turn it in there will incur a huge drop fee.

Pat has given you a nice itinerary, but since you are interested in hiking and avoiding major crowds, I suggest you skip Luzern and add more time to Pontresina. Luzern is a busy city crowded with tourists, while Pontresina is a mountain village that is a bit off the main tourist path, at least compared to the Berner Oberland and Luzern. The area of the Engadine offers beautiful hikes, including in the Swiss National Park.

https://www.pontresina.ch/en/guide/aktivitaeten/hiking

https://nationalpark.ch/en/

The Bernina Express will take you to Tirano in Italy, and you can change trains there to one heading to Milan via Varenna on Lake Como. This is a lovely town but it is very popular and you may have trouble finding lodging in mid-summer. We have not found any nice long hikes there, but they may exist. We have hiked up to the old castle, but the trail is shared with mountain bikers, which makes it less than ideal.

http://www.castellodivezio.it/EN/home-en.html

You asked about favorite experiences. Ours, from a number of hiking trips in Switzerland (including the 2 most recent, in 2023 and 2024), is hiking in view of the Aletsch Glacier at Bettmeralp. Scroll down on this web page to see some photos:

https://www.aletscharena.ch/en/aletsch-arena/places/bettmeralp

In reviewing what I just wrote about packed trains in Italy and crowds at Lake Como, I am debating whether I should advise you to skip Italy and stay in Switzerland. Our recent trip included 2 weeks of hiking in Italy, around Lago Maggiore and Lago di Garda. None of it was anywhere near as beautiful as the hiking we do in Switzerland. At Lago Maggiore, where we spend a full week, it was hiking on mule tracks in nice forests, with no views. One day at Lago di Garda, hiking on Monte Baldo, could have been very scenic, but the views down to the lake were totally obscured by fog.

But if it is amazing food you are after, I will say that is easier to find in Italy. I still chuckle when I recall our grandsons’ (the twins) reaction to our first dinner in Italy, in the patio at our hotel in Desenzano del Garda, on the lake. We had a long difficult travel day, and did not arrive at the hotel until 8 pm, but they were expecting us with a nice table ready for 8. These kids are serious and discriminating eaters (I guess the current term is “foodies”) and they especially love all kinds of fish and curious crustaceans. When the food started coming, beginning with antipasti and on to primi and secondi, they were as happy as the proverbial clams. The staff was enchanted with their reaction, and started bring little bits for them to try. . . . And then there was breakfast, with pastries.

After that experience, and the Dolomites and then Venice, they didn’t want to leave Italy.

I cannot thank you enough for all of your personal insight! This is so incredibly helpful for our planning. It is interesting you mentioned Venice and the Dolomites because that was the other trip we were considering. However, we figured this would be a lot more driving and we were not sure if the food in the north would be heavier and more German influenced rather than the lighter and fresh classical Italian that we dream of (I am more familiar with Southern Italy and the amazingly delicious food there). How was your food experience in the Dolomites? How would you compare it to Como/Milan area? And what about food in Switzerland? We love chocolate but the idea of heavier cheese fondue, etc. is not appealing to us. Also, do you have any hotels that you loved in either Switzerland or Northern Italy? Thank you again!!!

sda, I'm with you--no cuisine can compare with the fresh and vegetable-heavy cuisine of southern Italy for me, but I was quite pleasantly surprised with the food in Switzerland, which I found of a high quality, particularly things like salads and soups (I was ill so that was often my choice anyway). We stayed in Murren (we dined in excellent hotel restaurants even though we rented a chalet) and in Lucerne (where there is plenty of international cuisine for someone craving something less "hearty"). Fondue is just not something we would enjoy, so we skipped it. We are pretty much vegetarian except the occasional meal for my spouse, so if we can eat well there, really anyone can! I would have no qualms about eating anywhere in Italy--the seasonality and emphasis on freshness is second to none.
Although the rentals cost more in the end, we found that accommodation type better suited for us as we like to eat breakfast and often pack a lunch for outings.

I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the food in Switzerland too, with less heavy options! Thank you!

It is a mistake to think that cheese and fondue are the highlights of Swiss cuisine. Fondue originated as a winter dish for farmers, when vegetables were not abundant. It was promoted by the cheese producers after WW2 and gained recognition as a “Swiss national dish” but remained a winter dish mainly enjoyed at ski resorts as a social experience. These days it may be offered to tourists in summer, especially in the mountain villages, but you do not have to eat it. I never have.

https://www.alpenwild.com/staticpage/fondue-history-and-tradition/

My usual diet wherever I go is mainly fish or chicken and vegetables, and I have no trouble finding that in Switzerland—-often at an Italian restaurant. My husband loves pasta, so he is happy with that choice. At a typical Swiss restaurant I would order Zander (a lake fish) or trout, or maybe a “Fitness Teller” (health plate); generally a grilled chicken breast with a nice mixed salad. But we mostly rent apartments in Switzerland and make our own dinner, as restaurant meals are so expensive. Besides, I like to cook. Even the little Coop grocery in Mürren has a good selection of fresh vegetables (broccoli, capsicums, carrots, etc.) but they may run out late in the day.

Favorite hotels in Switzerland: I can only name two, because we mostly stay in apartments. But in 2023, traveling with my son’s family and the twin boys, we really enjoyed Seehotel Gotthard in Weggis, a short boat ride from Luzern. I personally do not care to stay in Luzern itself; the city is very busy with tourists from all over the world, and hotels are very expensive. Instead, we enjoyed this lakefront hotel, where my husband could swim in the lake, and the twins used the pool (located next door but Seehotel Gotthard guest have free access). They also offer kayaks for guests (free) but we did not have time for that. We took advantage of the location at the base of Rigi and hiked up there, riding the cablecar back to Weggis at the end of the day.

https://www.gotthard-weggis.ch/en/

https://www.rigi.ch/en

The hotel had a very nice big family room for my son’s family of four, a corner room in the turret you see in the photo of the hotel front. This family-run hotel even sent us a Christmas card in the mail last year. I would happily return.

The other hotel is one my husband and I stayed in last month, in Locarno. Another lakefront hotel, named Geranio au Lac, and our room had a nice big balcony for enjoying the view. Locarno is in the Italian-speaking Ticino, and we discovered a very nice Osteria just up the street where we had two very good dinners.

With two or more nights here you can spend a day hiking in the nearby Valle Verzasca, accessed by Postbus 321 from a stop in front of the Locarno train station, a 5-minute walk from Hotel Geranio au Lac.

https://www.hotelgeranio.ch/en/

https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/explore/valle-verzasca

Thank you again! I will also be looking into home rentals; I just was not sure if we would benefit more from staying in a hotel for our first time in the country where we do not speak the language. But I guess it is easier to translate these days. And salads, pastas, chicken and fish sound perfect for us. Thanks for clarifying.

Holiday apartments are very popular in Switzerland, especially in the mountain villages. Some are in regular hotels, and that might be a good compromise. For example, Hotel Alpenblick in Mürren has a 2-bedroom holiday apartment you book with the hotel. I think you have to email them for availability rather than book directly online.

https://www.alpenblick-muerren.ch/#alpenblick

Chalet Fontana, a bed and breakfast right in the center of town, also has a ground floor apartment we have rented several time. No balcony or view, but the price is very good. Chalet Fontana is owned and managed by an Englishwoman, so you would have no language issues.

http://www.ferntree.ch/chalet/fontana_summer.htm

Or it is listed on AirBnB.

It is very popular and books up early, but the availability calendar on AirBnB shows some open dates in June, July, and a few in early September.

This is so helpful! Thank you!!