3 extra days in Switzerland

For excellent day hikes, look no further than the Berner Oberland region: Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen, Gimmelwald, Grindlewald, Interlaken. For a more complete description of the region buy a copy of Rick's Switzerland guidebook. Here is a list of hikes in the region:

http://tinyurl.com/l7p34o

The most challenging is the all day First - Schynige Platte hike. You should check-in at least two hour before your flight departs. Most train stations have a luggage hold desk where you can keep bags for several days. Lockers are also available, but they get emptied out after a couple of days. You can check train/bus/boat/cable car schedules at the Swiss Rail site: www.rail.ch

There are some wonderful 3-day treks you can do in the Grindelwald area. For example, starting with the hike Michael Schneider suggested, but reversing it, you could start at Schynige Platte and hike to the Faulhorn mountain inn:

http://www.berghotel-faulhorn.ch/

Or to one of the Berghotels near the First gondola, either the Berghaus First or Berghaus Bort (partway down the hill).

From any of these, walk on Day 2 to Chalet Schwartzwaldalp, over the Grosse Scheidegg hill:

http://www.schwarzwaldalp.ch/index2.html

From there, on Day 3 you can catch a private bus (scheduled service) down to Meringen and a train back to Zürich.

If you want something closer to Zürich, you could train, boat and cablecar to Rigi, by Luzern, and spend 2 nights up there with dayhikes.

www.rigi.ch

There are lockers in most train stations but they usually have a time limit like 24 hours. Best to leave your luggage with the "left luggage" office in the main Zürich train station.