Need help on Itinerary (Switzerland/Paris/London)

7 days for Switzerland or for the entire junket?

We plan on 3 days in London, 3 days in Paris and 7 days in Swizterland.

Take the train straight to Lucerne from the Zurich airport. Spend 2 nights there. Then train to Interlaken and transfer to Lauterbrunnen. You could stop one the way in Brienz on the lake, and spend a night there, if you want, with a boat trip onnthe lake. At Lauterbrunnen, head up to either Wengen or Murren and spend two nights. Wengen has more choices for hotels and a bit of shopping too. Then continue onnthe Golden Pass route to Montreux onnLake Geneva and spend 2 or 3 nights. visit the castle, Chocotate Train, vineyards, etc. Fast TGV trains to Paris leave from Geneva, Lausanne and maybe from Bern too. September should be a nice time to visit.

Sasha, thank you so much for your advice.

I agree with Sasha's post. I stayed in Zug (which is on the train line from Zurich to Lucerne) & did the "Europe Top of the World" tour thru Viator (which is a day trip via bus & train leaving out of Lucern or Zurich) and it was AWESOME! You go thru Interlaaken, Gimmelwald and a few other great spots. Definitely worth the money and time...here's a link for the tour description: http://www.viator.com/tours/Lucerne/Jungfraujoch-Top-of-Europe-Day-Trip-from-Lucerne/d576-2460JUNG_L I found Geneva to be a bit of a let down (as warned by Rick Steves in the guidebook) but Lausanne, Chillon and Montreux were fabulous! We took the train from Geneva to those cities and just did our own sight-seeing. Have a wonderful trip!

Did I read your post wrong? Aren't you flying into London and out of Zurich? Are you taking the train from Paris to Zurich or flying from Paris to Zurich?

Nichole, Thank you for your additional recommendations! I can't wait to research these cities. Good to know about Geneva. I previously was leaning toward including this city in our line up, but I have read a few sources and it sounds like there are other must-see locations. I really appreciate your insight. Denise, Yes, actually you are correct. Nice catch. :o) We are flying into London (perhaps spending 4 days there?), then heading to Paris (4 more days?) and ultimately completing our journey in Zurich, Switzerland (7 days). I thought I would still be able to pull from the previous travelers' advice, except to reverse the recommended itinerary. So the only plan set in stone is a flight into London to start off our trip, and a flight out of Zurich at the very end. I figured the best form of transportation would be to take the train from London to Paris? And then what do you recommend between Paris and any city (perhaps Zurich) in Switzerland - to go by train or to fly? Also, we are interested in enjoying Switzerland by rail once we're there. Do you think the Bernina Express or the Glacier Express would be worthwhile doing? This is the first time I'm hearing of the Zug from Nichole's post. It sounds like she had a fantastic experience.

Julie coming in your question about travel from Paris to Switzerland, why not take the train and go via Basel then on to Lucerne and from Lucerne take the Brunig pass line via Meiringen to Brienz and the steamer from there to Interlaken Ost. You can book the large luggage from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen or wherever you decide to stay in the Berner Oberland. I think you will find that the train from Paris will be as quick or quicker than the time taken checking in and flying. The website to check for the Swiss trains is www.sbb.ch/en I understand the default for fares is half price. So you may want to investigate Swiss Rail passes as well.

Many thanks for the tips, Kent.

We have stayed in Zermatt, Wengen,and Gridelwald. If you want a great deal and like hiking., Stay in Wengen in the Lauterbrunen Valley. We stayed at the Hotel Alpenrose and it is a wonderful family owned hotel that provides great 5 course meals. If you stay for 7 days you get a 6 day Jungfraubahn pass that covers all the trains and gondolas in the area plus the Jungfrabahn is half price. You can take a train to INterlaken, about 30 minutesor a gondola or train to Grindelwald about 30-40 minutes.Zermantt is wonderful. We stayed at the Hotel Julen a great health spa. Ifyou are leaving from Zurich, we have stayed in Dielsdorf or Regensburg. These are small cities close to the airport which are nice for a quiet last night. We had a car but I think there is good train services. You do not have to be in good shape to enjoy hiking in Wengen. You can arrange many walks that are flat or slightly down hill. The Lauterbrunnen valley is the best place to go in Switzerland. We have also been in Pontresina, Sass Fee, Murten, and Zurich. Ifyou really like mountains, spend your time there. The Lauterbrennen valley is the most beautiful place in Switzerland and perhaps all of Europe. This is where Rick Steves says go to Gimmelwald. I say stay in Wengen at the Hotel Alpenrose and enjoy the view from your balcony of the mountains and waterfalls. Eating in Switzerland is very expensive. We like the meals at this hotel because otherwise it is too expensive for us to eat out in Switzerland. Good luck

I just reread your thread. Given the things you like to, that this is your first time to any of the three locations, and my experience in all three, I would suggest a radical redistribution of time. Of the cities of Europe and the US that I have seen, London is my #1. Paris is, if not #2, very close. And the Lauterbrunnen area is tops for scenery. While there are many nice Swiss cities, Lucerne is my favorite. I would spend arrival day plus at least 3 in London, arrival plus at least 3 in Paris, arrival plus 1 in Lucerne, and 2 in the Lauterburnnen area - Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, or Murren. Trains transfers are pretty quick - about 4 3/4 Paris to Lucerne, about 2 1/2 Lucerne to Lauterburnner, and about 2 3/4 Lauterburnnen to Zurich. I don't know arrival and departure times for flights, nor dates. If you have additional time, I would add first to London, second to Paris, and third to Lauterbrunnen.