Following modified Rick Steves 3 week plan

Tammy, We have done a trip similar to the 3 week plan. The Lauterbrunnen Valley was the highlight of the trip for me. We've included it on every trip since! I would highly encourage you to include it even with the train transfers. Transferring trains is really very easy (unless you have large unweildy luggage:) It sounds much worse than it will be. Not at all like if you had to change planes 5 times. It's usually just a matter of getting off of train walking over to a nearby platform and waiting a few minutes, then boarding a different train. Last thing is there are other options in the valley other than Gimmelwald that most of us on this helpline prefer. Gimmelwald is the smallest of all of the villages in that area.

Thanks, Jill! I would like to see that area of Switzerland, but am concerned about missing one connection and then being stuck with no options. Is there an easier place to get to in Switzerland en route to Paris that you have done?

OK...made some progress based on another post. There are direct trains running from 5T La Spezia Centrale to Milan (2.5-3 hours). But from Milan I don't know where a good stop off in Switzerland would be. Any ideas???

Found it. For anyone interested am copying a set of posts on how to Get from La Spezia Centrale outside of Cinque Terre to Switzerland (and the smaller towns like Gimmelwald). La Spezia Centrale has a direct 3hr train to Milan! From Milan can to go Interlaken (3 hours) changing trains through Spiez. Several trains per day leaving Milan for Switzerland. Most will be EuroCity (EC) trains that go between countries. It could be a Cisalpino train dependng on the time you leave. They all do the same thing. You will positively change trains at Spiez but you could change trains in Brig as well. Strongly recommend that you stay in Murren or Wengen in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, where Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen, Gimmelwald and Grindlewald are located. It's stunning and spectacular. Murren and Wengen are over 5,000 above the valley with unbelievable views down and up to the top of the alps. You won't get these views in Interlaken. Trenitalia will only book you to Interlaken Ost. You need to pay Swiss Francs to get from Interlaken Ost to Murren or Wengen. Train leaves for the Lauterbrunnen Valley every 30 minutes from Interlaken Ost. It's a 20-minute ride. No seat reservations - it's a local. www.sbb.ch will show you the entire journey. www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html will only show the journey to Interlaken Ost. You will need seat reservations on the either the Eurocity or Cisalpino trains. If you get an E-ticket, just get on the train and take your seat. The conductor has a PDA. He/she plugs in your information to validate your ticket. When you get to Interlaken Ost, walk into the train station and buy the remaining tickets to your destination. You'll pay in Swiss Francs.
For Interlaken : West is more central for the town, shopping and hotels it has a bus station and the lake boat terminus for lake Thun is clearly visible. Ost station is the terminus and junction for three railway lines

Tammy, Travel from the Cinque Terre to Gimmelwald is actually not a very complicated or difficult trip. I'll be travelling that route again in September, and unless there's a Sciopero at the time, I don't anticipate any problems. Which of the C.T. towns will you be staying in and what day will you be travelling? A more direct route would likely be via Genova rather than La Spezia. Using Monterosso as the departure point, this is the route that I'll likely use: > Depart Monterosso - 06:55 > Arrive Milano Centrale - 09:55 (1H:30M layover, not terribly enjoyable but I'll head downstairs and get a hot meal - Note: the washrooms at Milano CE are "pay per use", so keep some Euro's at hand) > Depart Milano CE - 11:25 > Arrive Spiez - 13:53 > Depart Spiez - 14:05 > Arrive Interlaken Ost - 14:28 Are you using P-P tickets? Note that two legs of this trip require compulsory reservations. I don't think it's possible to travel that route with less than two changes, so this is probably the best choice. When you arrive at Interlaken Ost, you'll have to transfer to the local Berner Oberland train for the trip to Lauterbrunnen (~20 minutes). You can buy tickets at the station there ("take a number"). From Lauterbrunnen, you have two routes to reach Gimmelwald. If you need further details on the route I'd recommend, post another note. The departure time from the C.T. is a bit early for my liking, but I'd prefer to arrive in the Berner Oberland in mid-afternoon, so it's necessary. Happy travels!

Thanks for such detailed directions, Ken! I checked into the times for the Spezia route, and to leave La Spezia (almost same exact time....6:40am) and transferring through Milan would get me to Interlaken at almost the exact same time as your route, so it seems OK. Is it easier to get to Monterosso than back to La Spezia? I was worried about the local train in CT running that early. Looking at staying in Vernazza, but the hotels/B&Bs are looking hard to come by. Slim pickings where I've looked so far. Maybe it would be easier/just as nice to stay in Monterosso and just catch the train there through Genoa? I am doing point to point, but am going to try to book as much as possible online before leaving so I know we have a ride. :) I've altered the destination in Switzerland to Wengen instead of Gimmelwald. Seems easier to get to and lots of restaurants, etc.