Day 1) Zurich, Boat tour of lake, lunch, Zurich major sites etc. Stein am Rhine . Day 2) Lucerne.
Day 3) Interlaken (could use suggestions about where and what to do here) Day 3) Alps? Day4)Innsbruk, go to castle tour etc. Day 5) Salzburg major sites, Day 6) Salzburg Sound of Music tour Day 6) Vienna, Day 7) Vienna. Day 8) Prague, Day 9) Prague, Day 10) return to Austria and train to Venice for two days, train to Austria then Zurich and home. We have Eurail passes and will be travelling as a family of two adults two older teens. Suggestions for rooming, meals, hikes, boat rides etc. most welcome! Cindy
Cindy, you don't say if this is your 1st trip to europe so I will assume it is. Unless you really prefer cities - shopping etc. I think you will regret spending time in Zurich vs. the alps. My family took a 5 week trip last year and our favorite destination was the lauterbrunnen valley where we stayed for 4 nights. It was the only place we felt really sad about leaving.
You plan on covering a lot of ground for 10 days. I would consider cutting out a stop or 2. The other thing I would look at is the cost of 4 eurail passes vs. renting a car. I think you'll find that it would be much more economical to rent a car, however if this is your 1st experience in Europe the train might be a better option.
The last thing you should consider is doing an open jaw (flying into one city and out of another) as the cost is often the same as doing a round trip.
Wow, I suggest that you are covering too much on this trip. You will be spending a lot of time on the train. I doubt that you will be able to see as much as you are planning with the above schedule. I agree with the previous poster who suggested flying into one city such as Zurich and Flying out of another such as Venice. It's an 8-10 hour train ride from Vienna to Venice and an 8-hour train ride from Venice to Zurich. As above, I would suggest more time in the Lauterbrunnen valley. There's not much in Interlaken but staying a couple of nights in Murren or Wengen is unforgetable. 4 countries in 10 days is really a lot.
Our trip is 16 days . I agree that it is a lot of time on the train. My Husband wants to see Prague and Venice. Thanks for the info on Laurebratten area.