My boyfriend and I will have about 3 days to travel from Paris to Venice. We really want to travel through Switzerland. We would like to do a little bit of hiking and have some adventures in the alps as well as view the scenery via train.
1. How should we travel from Paris to Switzerland and then on to Venice?
2. Where should we visit with only 3 days and no car?
3. Any recommendations on hostels and activities are always mighty helpful!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32752 posts
You ask about hostels - are you young?
What time of year?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
1) By train. Faster and more comfortable than by car, and one-way international car hire is either not possible or very expensive.
2) This is only 2 nights. The usual two suggestions are Luzern or the Berner Oberland. Luzern is probably slightly quicker train access. Berner Oberland you can hike direct from your hotel. Luzern is a town which requires transport (train, boat) to get to hiking.
Look up train times on: https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
But you cannot buy tickets there, you need to go to the national rail company sites. For more train info see this website: https://www.seat61.com/
Posted by
Green Bay
20090 posts
Best bet, as always, is the Berner Oberland, 6-7 hours from Paris. If you want a hostel type experience, you might try RS favorite of Gimmelwald. Hiking, assuming good weather. Stay 2 nights and get a 7 am start and it is a 7 1/2 hours to Venice S. Lucia
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
You can get from Interlaken Ost to Venezia S. Lucia station in as little as 6.5 hours with two connections. If departing Muerren, travel times to Venice vary from 7.5 to 10 hours; the faster timings may require more connections. Lauterbrunnen is another good home base, in the valley, half-way between the transport hub at Interlaken and the mountain-side town of Muerren. Get a feel for the region at https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/switzerland/berner-oberland.