Train schedule too much for overnight stay

Yes, I agree. I have been stressing about this for weeks. I will look into the French Alps. Thank you!

When are you going? That makes a difference in the suggestions. Assuming this is summer:

Lauterbrunnen is a bit off the direct route between Paris and Milan (gateway to Italy) by train.

You could shorten the train time a bit, and have more time in Switzerland, by going to Kandersteg instead of Lauterbrunnen. This is a lovely village right on the main line between Bern and Milan. The lake above there is a national trreasure. Take a look around at the photos:

www.oeschinensee.ch

We like to stay up at the lake, but for your short time that probably isn't practical. The Hotel Adler is a short walk from the train station; you could check in and drop your bags, then head up to the lake for a hike, spending the rest of the afternoon there. The next day, your trip to Milan is an hour shorter than it would be from Lauterbrunnen.

Another suggestion, with much chorter train times but not exactly "in" the Alps, would be to stop overnight in Luzern. The trip from Paris to Luzern is 4h40min and from there to Milan only 3.5 hours. You would arrive in Luzern with a full afternoon to enjoy a boat trip on the lake and a trip up Rigi for a hike:

www.rigi.ch

The views over the lake into the higher mountains beyond are lovely.

Don't worry about short connection times in Switzerland. The trains are timed so 5 to 7 minutes is plenty. Just move to the exit before the train stops and just get off and board the next train.

Zermatt is a possibility, but would have you on the train a bit longer than going to Lauterbrunnen. The same applies to Chamonix---plus it is more like a city than a charming alpine village where you can relax with the views.

Yes, we are going June 18th. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me. I appreciate it!

It might help to look at the train system map so you can see what is on the way and what is out of the way:

http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/download_sts/uebersichtskarte_en.pdf

Milan isn't on the map, but it is just below Domodossola, below Lago Maggiore. You go through domodossola to get there.

I'm not sure where the major train routes pass through the Alps in SE France into Italy, but looking on a map, your most time-efficient Alpine experience would probably be somewhere around Grenoble or Chambery (or a smaller town off a spur line from one of the two).

The Berner Oberland is too far out of your line of travel to justify going there for only one night, especially given the expense of the area and the abundant Alpine options on the French/Italian border. What happens if you spend all that time and money getting there and the valley is socked over with fog? This happens quite often.

If you look at timetables on Bahn.de, you'll see that the most direct routes between Paris and Milan go through Switzerland, either via Basel, Geneve, or Zürich. These all take a little over 8 hours for that journey, so it makes sense to break it up with a stop in Switzerland (especially since the actual destination is beyond Milan in Florence).

There is a route through the French and Italian Alps that is comparable in time (also about 8 hours) via Chambery, but that one involves a bus from Chambery to Torino.

Time-wise, the most practical stop might be along Lac Leman after taking the TGV to Geneve, someplace like Vevey perhaps. But that would be a lake experience, not an alpine one.

Thanks Lola. I have been reading up tonight on various cities in Switzerland along the most sensible route. Looks like Lausanne or Luzern may be good choices. I have been to Luzern (almost 20 years ago), but we have teenagers now who might like to see it. Chamonix looks fantastic, but the train journey is too long.