Switzerland from May 28-June 1 starting in Lugano in car 1st timers

Where do you pick up your car? Where to after Switzerland?

As First-Timers you'll quickly learn that Switzerland is the land of trains, gondolas, and funiculars. The most beautiful places in Switzerland can't be reached by car.

I am picking up car in Lugano. I I know you are so right but having just 5 days I studied all train options and what takes me 8 hrs in train I can do it in 2 1/2 by car so that why we decided the car and make the stops by choice instead of switching trains in places we don’t want to see. That’s why I am asking places to stop. We are leaving June 2nd from Zurich.

Drive to Interlaken to see the Rolex thing your husband would like to see. Then drive another 20 minutes south to Lauterbrunnen where you can stay the next 3 nights (or in one of the nearby mountain villages such as Wengen, Gimmelwald, or Murren). Have a look at this valley and the other towns on YouTube.

Then drive to Luzern for the next 2 nights. When it's time to fly home, you can take the train from Luzern directly to the Zurich airport. The trip takes 70 minutes and trains leave every half-hour or so.

Save Rhine Falls and Zurich for another trip. They are nice but aren't worth the time given you have just 5 days.

Go to Interlaken and do the Rolex thing and see the town. I have found it easiest to park in the lot at the Interlaken Ost train station and walk the town from there. If the urge for a great pastry break should hit, the CO-OP market near the train station has a great restaurant upstairs. From there head south to Lauterbrunnen and use it as a base for three days to see the Lauterbrunnen valley, Murren. the Schilthorn, Gimmelwald, the Ballenberg Open Air Museum and take a boat tour around either Lake Thun or Brienz. There is a well worn saying about the Lauterbrunnen valley that I have heard from many sources: "It's just a little piece of heaven."

Then go on to Lucerne with maybe a side trip to Altdorf home of the William Tell legend.

The Rhine Falls are interesting but not that great. Save them for next time and combine them with a stay in Stein-am-Rhein. Likewise save Zurich for next time

While the trains are great, your car gives you the flexibility to go where you want to go when you want to go and that will be a blessing since you are on a short schedule. Since you are picking the car up in Switzerland it should have an autobahn vignette on it, make sure it does.

Have a great time

Thanks so much to you both of you. You two agreed on just stoping but not staying in Interlaken and then going to Lauterbrunnen valley, right? So no Bern, no Zermatt and maybe just the last day in Zurich before coming back home? of course, You both also agreed on Lucerne. Any advice on place to stay in Lauterbrunnen?

There are many nice places to stay in Lauterbrunnen. You could see a list of places along with reviews on www.tripadvisor.com

Hotel Silberhorn, Hotel Oberland, Hotel Horner are listed as #1, 2, 3

which connection takes 8 hours by train and 2.5 by car to see the same thing?

have you counted in that on scenic trains the scenery is the thing, and that while driving only the passenger sees the scenery unless you park and then the drive gets longer? that on the scenic trains you can both see, in both directions, and at a speed where you can both focus on what you are seeing and smelling and hearing?

be sure that your hotels offer parking - by no means do all in Switzerland do so - and when they do expect to pay dearly for it.

Yes, it would be interesting to see how you calculated your driving times and train times. I do understand how first-timers might think a car is so much better...but the more experience you get traveling in Europe the more you learn how that’s not necessarily true.

which connection takes 8 hours by train and 2.5 by car to see the same
thing?

Yes, that is odd. Lugano-Geneva is only 5 hours by rail and that's among the longest routes.