Hi all, my mom and I have 2 days/2 nights to spend getting from Venice to Zurich to then take a fast train to Paris. (We're spending 8 days in Italy first, this is our first trip to the region as well). We'd love to take a scenic train through the alps but not sure of the best route. I have read a lot about the Gotthard Panoramic Express to mixed reviews. Seems the Bernina Express is much more scenic but it would be much more difficult to do in the time we have. I'm thinking we go Venice - Milan - Lugano, spend the afternoon/night in Lugano. Then we can take the Gotthard Panoramic Express the following day and spend the late afternoon/evening in Lucerne. Then we can do Lucerne - Zurich - Paris the following day.
My question is, is this the best use of our time? Is there a better way to think about this route or other options? It feels like a lot of traveling to not do much. Our hope is to enjoy a scenic train ride and to get a taste of Switzerland during our stay. Otherwise, we would just take a plane and fly from Venice to Paris and add on more time in Paris. Please let me know of any ideas, that would be so helpful! Thank you in advance!