most panoramic ride from Italy to Switzerland?

Where are you intending to go to after Switzerland? And, where are you traveling to Italy from? The main train routing into Switzerland is via Milan/Brig/Bern and NE to Zurich and Basel. A second major routing enters Switzerland from the SE via Lugano or Tirano Italy. This is closer to the Lake Como area. On this second routing, you have either the William Tell Express scenic train or the Bernina Express scenic train. Knowing where you are coming from in Italy and where intend to go after Switzerland could narrow down some routing choices.

The best "all-around" area to explore would be the Berner Oblerand, which includes: Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Grindlewald, Gimmelwald, Murren, and Wengen, and the Jungfrau/Schiltorn peaks. There are lots of hiking and breathtaking scenery can be had in a fairly compact area. For a complete description pick up a copy of Rick's Switzerland Guidebook.

i will be coming from the Lake Como area. With just a few days to spend, which town shall I concentrate in??Thanks

i will be coming from the Lake Como area. With just a few days to spend, which town shall I concentrate in??Thanks

Marge,

I have to agree with a previous post that the Berner Oberland would be a good area to consider for a "real flavor of the country" (keeping in mind that the country consists of a number of linguistic and somewhat culturally diverse areas). You'll need to pass through Interlaken to get there, and you might want to take a short time to look around there as well.

Depending on your preferences, you could stay in Lauterbrunnen, Murren or Gimmelwald (which is a big favourite of mine). Murrren is a bit more "developed" so offers a greater selection of Hotels and other tourist facilities, although it's still a small town. Lauterbrunnen is in the valley, and is also the location of the rail station.

You might want to have a look at the Switzerland Guidebook to get some idea of the sights that are available in each location. That way you can focus on those that interest you the most.

One route you could consider (if you have the time) when you leave Milano would be train to Stresa, boat to Locarno, the scenic CentoValli railway to Domodossola and then "regular" train into Switzerland. The newer panoramic cars on the CentoValli allow for a great view of the scenery!

Happy travels!

My husband and I took the train from Zurich to Locarno, Italy (on lake Locarno) once and it was absolutely the most beautiful train ride I've ever been on. We even passed under a huge waterfall. It was magnificent. The town of Locarno is also stunning.
I personally like Neufchatel on the French border. It's on lake Neufchatel and the vineyards grown down the hillsides to the lake. It's also close to a very Swiss town called Murten. I forget how to spell it. The most authentic Swiss town I've been to is Chur in the east. Thun is a must see for the cog train trip up the Jungfrau to see the Matterhorn and other peaks. It's a cool kind of touristy but Swiss town close to Interlaken.