I am taking my 16 yr old daughter to Switzerland on May 30 arriving in Zurich. We will come back to USA on June 6. Any advice on how I should plan our itinerary? Is it possible to fit in Luzern, Lausanne, Interlaken within that time frame? What kind of rail pass? Thanks for any help.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17344 posts
It's certainly possible. From Zürich to Luzern is only 45 minutes; trains leav hourly and some leave directly from the Zürich airport (for others you would change in the main station). Luzern to Interlaken is 1 hour 50 minutes. And Interlaken Ost to Lausanne is a little over 2 hours, unless you wish to take the scenic Golden Pass route, which takes between 3 and 4 hours.
You can view the train schedules in English at www.rail.ch
How long you spend in each place depends on what you wish to do there: Museums? Hike? High mountain visit by train or cablecar?
Posted by
Roswell, GA, USA
14 posts
Only one comment...don't waste time in Interlaken; stay in Lauterbrunnen, take Rick Steves' Switzerland book with you and enjoy the glorious hiking! Hotel Staubbach is simple but nice, but probably booked at this late date. Good luck.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17344 posts
Yes, Lauterbrunnen is a better choice than Interlaken. It only adds 20 minutes or so to your journey.
Posted by
Redding, CA, USA
1568 posts
I always recommend Lauterbrunnen. We spent 6 days there and loved the area. Wengen, Murren and Gimmelwald are minutes away. We stayed at the Valley Hostel (immaculate & with a full kitchen) and had a few of the Eiger, Monch and the Jung Frau from our 2nd story balcony.