train vs car in switzerland and italy

I would say train right off the bat due to where you are going. No cars are allowed in Zermatt or the Cinque Terre, and it is pretty much a nightmare to try and get a car up to Murren (though possible, there is no need to have a car for that at all).

Zermatt is accessible by a train - cars must be left behind. In the Cinque Terre, you will need to find parking for your car - either in a lot above town, or in a large parking area in either Levanto or La Spezia.

Switzerland is very well serviced by rail lines so a car is no benefit there. Although sometimes I felt like a car might be a good way to get to the Cinque Terre, there are multiple trains that are inexpensive.

For which rail pass/tickets to go with, price out your options but I would bet that a Swiss rail pass combined with point-to-point tickets for the rest would work out best.

thanks Steven, I shoulod have asked about whether to get a pass or indiv. train tickets. Would we need reservations in either event for train travel? My only experirnce w/euro train travel was eurostar from lon to paris which I did reserve. thanks!

Go with a pass while in Switzerland because the Swiss Pass gives you a bunch of extras that you would not get with a multi-country pass or point-to-point tickets.

First off, you can get a saver pass which means that all three of you travel under the same ticket, but at a discount.

The Swiss Pass will include your train travel from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen (which is on a private railway and you would have to pay with a multi-country pass), the bus from Lauterbrunnen train station to the Stechelberg gondola station, and the gondola from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald, and then Gimmelwald to Murren. So that is a fair cost savings right there.

I am not sure what deals it gives you for Zermatt but I am sure it is pretty good.

No reservations would be required on any of the train routes unless you plan on some specialty train like the glacier express.

The only thing is... where do you go after the Cinque Terre? I am only asking because if you need to take a Eurostar Italia train at any point, then a reservation is required, but you can easily reserve at the train station before the train departs.

need to get back to Zurich , so no Eurostar- I need to do my homework! Initially we were to be gone four or five days longer and I was going to spend several days along southern france before heading back to Zurich= any suggestions....more Swiss or more Italy?

A tough call as both are great, but you are seeing most of the main sights in Switzerland. Why not consider Florence and/or Venice?

By the way, check out the train times and schedules at the Deutsche Bahn website as they have a great route search for pretty much all of Europe.

Joanne -Sounds as though you are flying in and out of Zurich. To make things easier have you considered flying into Zurich and out of -lets say Venice, or Florence, or Nice if France is where you want to go. My vote it Italy.