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Switzerland in 3 weeks

Posted by on

Hello Fellow Travelers!

I am going on a retirement celebration trip across and around Switzerland the first three weeks of May. I like to concentrate on one city or country when I travel (Paris in 10 days, San Francisco in a month) but I do like to cover as much as possible, and I travel very light (medium backpack and shoulder bag). I am a Foodie, love history, art museums (impressionism vs. modern), boutique shopping, trains (thus the Grand Tour), and nice places to sleep. I am not a real "active" traveler - i.e. I can easily walk 10 miles a day,but am not interested in paragliding, mountain trekking, etc. I am close to finalizing iten as shown below, with obvious attractions, but would love thoughts and feedback as well as suggestions on iten, restaurants and sites. Since this is a celebration, I am planning on a healthy budget of $400/day, with air and Rail Pass extra, though I understand this does not go as far in Switzerland as it would in many other destinations... Thank you so much in advance for your help!!!

Day/ City/ To Do

1 Zurich: Fraumunster Chuch (stained glass by Chagall and Giacometti); Museum Kunsthaus; Markthalle (market)

2 Schaffhausen:
2 St. Gallen: Walk down Vorstadt street - frescos; Allerheiligen Münster museum, church and herb garden
UNESCO: Library and Abby of St. Gall

3 Appenzell: Enbroidery
3-4 Luzern: Bike Lake Constance; Chapel Bridge/Kapellbrucke at dusk
Spa? Mineralbad and Spa Rigi-Kaltbad (also hotel)
Museum: Sammlung Rosengart

5 Brienz: Wood carvings
5 Interlaken
5-6 Murren or Wengen

7 Bern: UNESCO: Old Town

8 Zweisimmen
8-10 Montreux (Base): Chateau de Chillon (walk the 3 mile Chemin Fleuri)
- Lausanne: Olympic Museum; Notre Dame Cathedral in Old Town; Place de la Rioppone for cheese shops; Farmers market Wednes and Sat mornings
- Gruyere?
- St. Saphorin: UNESCO: Lavaux Vineyard terraces in Lutry (train to St. Saphorin

11 Saint Maurice: Le Bains du Lavay SPA (Saint Maurice) - 3 hours
11 Martigny: Fondation Pierre Gianadda
11 Visp
11 Zermatt: Dufourspitz: Highest Alps peak in Switzerland - Matterhorn; Take Matterhorn Glacial Paradise to top of mountain/glacier; Ride to cogwheel rail - Gornergratbahn

12-13 Chur (Base)
- Mustair: UNESCO: St. John Abby in Mustair

14 St. Moritz: Laderach Chocolate Shop
14 Tirano
14-17 Lugano Base)
- Menaggio/Bellagio
- Locarno: Take the funicular (or do pilgram walk) up to the Santuario della Madonna del Sasso, a 15th century site with art

18 Andermatt
18 Zurich (Leave): ***Do NOT take Gotthard Tunnel! Cuts off all great scenery

Posted by
14 posts

You've listed out a ton of cool ideas! My first thought, though, is to plan one day of doing nothing per week if this is a true celebration. All that movement catches up to you when you're traveling and is exhausting. Adding a do-nothing day might help you absorb everything on the other days better too.

My second thought is to limit yourself to sightseeing one city per day at the most. For example, it looks like you want to go to Schaffhausen and St Gallen on day 2. This is not enough time for both. Last May, I took the train from my base in Zurich to St. Gallen and back (1 hour each way), and saw the UNESCO site and the church, walked around the town a little bit, but that was all I had time to do without feeling like I was rushing too much. Likewise, Appenzell would need a full day on its own to explore, as would Luzern, which is not that close by (plan 3 hours to get between the two places by train). You could easily spend 2 days in Luzern between the sights anyway. Plus, there's Mt. Pilatus nearby.

Anyway, I could keep going, but my third and final thought to relay is that you should go to sbb.ch and see how long it will take you to get from place to place. I suspect you will end up cutting out a number of cities to fit in 18 days, or you'll need to add another week to your itinerary! :D

Posted by
7209 posts

And be prepared with lots of money. Several years ago we spent 2 weeks (family 2 adults + 2 kids). Some of the Swiss people we talked with were quite surprised that we spent the entire 2 weeks in their super expensive country.

Posted by
437 posts

Overall a great itinerary! If you can add a few days it will be feasible.

Day 11 is way too packed with no time to actually be in Zermatt. It deserves two nights which gives a full day to take the Gornergrat, doing it and Paradise in one day would be difficult, and expensive! An extra day in case of weather will help ensure you actually see the Matterhorn.

Days 5 and 6 are also not enough time to go to the Top of Europe which is a great day. https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/

$400 per day for lodging and food and entry fees should be sufficient for Switzerland but you could spend that for just lodging in Zermatt or St. Moritz.

Enjoy the trip and retirement!

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