Zermatt vs Lugano

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/switzerland-in-late-may-332f6289-d12e-4988-8049-d07b724787a2

I see you really have been thinking about your decision, after the above thread. I'm not sure you have any bad decisions here, since it's Switzerland. Personally, I didn't think Lugano felt as Swiss, as the graffiti and litter (cigarette butts) typical of Italy was evident in Lugano when I was there.

Why do you spend an extra night in each Lucerne and Murren? No one is ever ready to leave Murren. And since your first day is a jet lagged day, just wander that day in Lucerne.

Have a great trip, and enjoy all things Swiss! Safe travels!

I was in Zermatt for 3 nights and the Matterhorn was in the clouds the entire time. But, I still enjoyed my time there because Zermatt is in a gorgeous setting with or without the Matterhorn. If you’ll be disappointed if you go for 2 nights and not see the Matterhorn, I wouldn’t go.

My experience in Lugano was different from Pat’s. I found it very clean. So, not a bad place to spend 2 nights. I was there in March 2023.

I like Pat’s suggestion to add more time to Lucerne and/or Wengen. And like she said, there’s really no bad choice here.

Good luck!!

Switch around to having Luzern at the end so that you don’t have to do an unnecessary night in Zurich. This gains you back a night in order to do
4 nights Wengen > 2-3 nights Zermatt > 3-4 nights Luzern

You are correct that Lugano is very Italian feeling. We went there for a bit in September because most of Switzerland was having a stretch of horrible weather and it was the only place we could find sun. Other than it being sunny, I probably won't go back, as it was a pretty bustling city vibe. We did really enjoy time in Morcote though.

You also have the option of doing the Gotthard Express as a day trip from Luzern where you take the scenic boat to Fluelen and then the super fast tunnel train to Lugano and on to Morcote if you want. You can easily do this as a day from Luzern if you want to experience Italian Switzerland. From Luzern you can also do day trips to places like Bern if you have a bad weather day.

I think you'd be fine with 2 nights in Zermatt personally. There is always a chance that the weather doesn't cooperate with you, but that can happen anywhere.

Have you considered spending those two nights in Montreux on Lake Geneva? Beautiful lakeside promenade, Chillon Castle, Belle Époque paddleboat steamers on the lake. You can day trip to Gruyeres for cheese and chocolates or the Lavaux wine region if that’s your thing. You will enjoy mountains in Lucerne and Wengen why not experience this beautiful Swiss lakeside area.

Thank you all for your responses!

Carrie, it sounds like the conditions didn't really ruin your experience in Zermatt. I guess I was worried that the views in general might be a wash. Was planning to do the Train to Gornergrat. In your opinion, even if I can't see the Matterhorn itself there will there still be enough to see on an excursion like that to feel like I'm experiencing the area?

Sboh-- Your mention of Montreux/Gruyere has me thinking...because I originally wanted to visit that area and scrapped the idea due to time. If I opted to do that, I could instead fly out of Geneva and spend 3 nights there (or tack a night onto one of my other locations) and skip the final night in Zurich.

I've never been to Zurich and have heard such great things that it felt silly to not spend any time there if I were flying all the way to Switzerland. But maybe it's not worth it and I'll have the opportunity to do that on another trip as I'm sure lll be utilizing the airport there again at some point.

Would you say the weather in Montreux/Gruyere is warmer in late may? Or comparable to the Lucerene/Lauterbrunnen area?

I wouldn't put Zurich up there as a must do. It's an international banking city. It's fine, but not a highlight. Montreux is nicer, if you like cities.

Lauterbrunnen & the Jungfrau Region don't have the same weather in May as Luzern does. That area is 1,000-5,000 ft higher in elevation, depending on where you are. In May the Jungfrau Region will average in the 40s to low 60s, whereas Luzern & Montreux will be more like 50s-low 70s.

Here's some pictures from cloudy Zermatt. You can see if it looks appealing or not:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MBpksWchRXqUbCwM7

I would not prioritize Zurich over Zermatt, Montreux, or Lugano.

If you’d like to see more pictures, click on my name for the links to my trip reports.

My Lugano pictures are in my March 2023 Italy report.

Montreux and Zermatt in my Switzerland June 2024 trip report.

Thank you all so much for the feedback! I have decided to cut Zermatt and Zurich from this trip and will instead be spending 3 nights in Montreux, flying out of Geneva.

With that said-- i have two follow up questions! Do you think its worth it to spend one of those nights in Gruyere? Or just do a day trip and spend a few hours there from Montreux? I really love little storybook towns like that, so wasnt sure if I would regret not spending a night.

Im also planning to visit the Glacier 3000 and was just wondering if anyone had any opinions or tips on that as a day trip!

Appreciate all the insights!

I was not a fan of Gruyere at all. I felt like it was built for tourists. All souvenir shops and restaurants. The train ride was nice though.

I suggest taking a look at Saint Saphorin.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/saint-saphorin/

Quick train ride from Montreux. Gorgeous scenery. The two times that I have been there I seemed to be the only one out walking around.

I’m also a fan of rochers de naye.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/rochers-de-naye/

And leave yourself time for a walk around the lake to chillon castle. I suggest walking one way and taking the boat one way.

Also, it’s the French part of Switzerland. So, make sure you know your bonjour and merci. I always seem to run into language issues in this part of the country. Nothing to worry about, but be mindful of it.

Gruyère - I agree with Carrie, too commercial and just not that cute. I was disappointed.
You already have some great destinations. Enjoy my favorite country!

If you like little storybook towns, Montreux isn't it. It's a lovely city, but it's not quaint. If you want that, I recommend staying in one of the smaller villages along the water instead (St-Prex, St-Saphorin, Cully, Yvoire, etc.) And Wengen is definitely a cuter village than Lauterbrunnen.

Im so glad I asked! Think im happy with keeping Montreux as my home base, but going to look into these options as a day trip instead of Gruyere. Thank you!!

I prefer Montreux as a base. It has more options for hotels and restaurants. And it’s super convenient for day trips by train and boat. So, not a bad decision to stay there.

You might find this video helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPvpB1RD-EI