Train from Paris to Venice and stopping in the Swiss Alps?

It's a wonderful idea but you are facing some train time as Gimmelwald and the B.O. are a bit out of the way of the main north/south train routes. The quickest run takes 5.5hrs to go from Paris to Interlaken Ost. You change trains once in Basel. There are other runs that go via Geneva and Bern but they take longer and require more train changes. Once at Interlaken Ost, it's almost another hour to get to either Gimmelwald or Murren.

Coming back out, it's an hour to get back to Interlaken Ost and then, the best time from Interlaken Ost to Venice is 6hrs-45min with a minimum of 2 train changes. You can see these runs on www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm

Dear Larry,

Thank you so much for your help and insight. I understand we have more train time but we were hoping it is scenic. Would Interlaken Ost. be a good spot to spend part of the day and night? Have you been there?

Thanks again, Giovanna

Giovanna, we have been through Interlaken but we stayed in Lauterbrunnen inside the nearby valley. With limited time, Interlaken can be just fine. It's a larger city with more to do in the evening. More restaurants and shops as well.

But, if the reason you are there is to see the alps, here's the difference. From Interlaken, you have a sweeping view of the Alps. From inside the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the alpine villages there, its seeing the alps on steroids.

If you do stay in Interlaken, go to track 2A at the Interlaken Ost train station (Ost=East) and take the 20-minute ride into Lauterbrunnen. For a suggested 1.5hr-2.5-hr visit, walk across the street from the Lauterbrunnen train station and take the gondola/cog train to Murren (you'll change from the Gondola to the cog train at Grutschalp). Walk through Murren. Then, about mid-way in Murren, there is a road that goes down to Gimmelwald. It's a 30-minute walk downhill. Or, you can take the gondola at the far end of Murren to get there quicker. Visit Gimmelwald. You'll be stunned at how small it is. Then, take the gondola down to Stechelberg and take the bus back to Lauterbrunnen. Then, take the train back to Interlaken.

If you take the train from Paris Est that goes via Bern you could get off at Brig and go to Zermatt.

You could visit Lucerne instead. I travelled from Paris to Venice via Switzerland last year, and I found that going via Lucerne was a more direct route. The other places you mention mean having to detour, which is not good if your time is limited. Lucerne is surrounded by mountains so you will still see the Alps, and can still visit the nearby mountains such as Pilatus.