switzerland

Dot, you haven't provided a lot of information. What day to you arrive in Zurich and what date do you fly out? Assuming that your flight is booked, you might consider planning a flight from Zurich to Rome-FCO so that you go directly onto Rome from Zurich. Then, you work your way back to Zurich. There's a bit of train travel time involved here. For example, it's an 8-9hr train ride from Rome-Termini to the Zurich airport. More info please.

Sorry for the lack of info but I'm just starting to plan the trip for next year in June. I have not book air as yet but from Boston it looks best to fly in and out of Zurich because of availability of non stop. (or Rome). Trying to understand the train web sites because of Switzerland and Italy is difficult. The 2 most important stops for me are Gimmelwald and Rome. so, trying to figure the best order based on train travel is difficult. I am new to train travel and new to Europe with only one trip to Italy last year. So, I'm looking for any info and must see places along the route. My plan as of now is 2-3 weeks duration with at least 3 nights per place therefore was thinking 4 destinations would be best. Thanks for your help.

If you want to see Gimmelwald, Lake Como, and Rome, I'd fly into Zurich and out of Rome, or the reverse (open jaw). Even if this is more expensive than flying round trip to Zurich (and it may not be), you save time and money by not backtracking. To find these flights, don't look for two one-ways (potentially very expensive). Instead, use the "multi city" feature of http://www.kayak.com, Expedia, Alitalia, Swiss, etc. For finding train schedules, the easiest site to use is German rail, with Rick's tutorial: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/db_tips.htm. This will not show prices for trains outside Germany. I don't know if Gimmelwald shows on that site (it might only show trains as far as Interlaken). Swiss Rail is http://tinyurl.com/mc7g322. Be aware that the default prices shown are with a half-fare card. For Switzerland, a half fare card or Swiss pass is often a good deal, particularly if you are taking the high mountain lifts. For Italian rail, use these directions from Ron In Rome: http://tinyurl.com/c4t693b. You'll need to pick a specific town on Lake Como to find train schedules and routes (I really liked Varenna and really didn't like Bellagio, but most people love both).

Thank you for the suggestions. They really help. I'm thinking of adding Lucerne to the trip. I know Switzerland can be a lot of money but don't want to miss any "must see places". Or should I add more Italy stops such as the Cinque Terra?

Cinque Terre is no comparison to the natural beauty of Switzerland. Lucerne has a beautiful little medieval city center and easy access to the boats to travel around Lake Lucerne. Rome -> Venice -> Interlaken area (Gimmelwald) -> Lucerne -> Zurich is a fine itinerary. You really want to stay in Gimmelwald? It's a nice place to see for about an hour or two, but not much of anything else going on there. Mürren sits just above Gimmelwald and is a bit larger with more hotels and restaurants and a grocery store with ATM next door. That grocery store will come in very handy when you see the price of Swiss Restaurant food.

Any suggestions for time of year best for the alps? I was thinking June but am questioning rain and snow preventing seeing much at high elevations. Will look into Murren. Thanks for the suggestion. I am thinking 3 night stay is that about right?

The best month to visit the Alps if you're not skiing is September. All of the snow at hiking elevations is long gone, you have the lowest chances of rain (still a possibility, though), the air is usually a little drier than in the summer (less obscuring of the mountain views by haze), and temperatures are pleasent. June is a decent month, but not ideal. Depending on the winter and spring that procedes it, some snow may remain on the higher hiking trails. June also has more rainy days than September. Count me among those who is baffled why Rick Steves devotes an entire chapter to Gimmelwald.

I agree with others that Mürren is a better place to stay. Same amazing views, no cars, but a little more life to it. You can easily walk down to Gimmelwald and back in a couple of hours or take a lift back to Mürren if you choose.
Check out the Eiger Guesthouse in Mürren if you decide to stay there. We spent 2 weeks in Switzerland last September and that was by far our favorite lodging. Simple, clean, affordable, but the staff is simply amazing. PS. September is a great time to visit!

We were in Murren last month and stayed at the Chalet Fontana; highly recommended. Although, we did walk down to the Eiger Guesthouse a couple of times for dinner and/or drinks (nice bar)