My 18 year old daughter and I are flying into Zurich from Vienna on our way to Lugano. The train schedule isn't perfect in terms of timing and we're considering renting a car and driving. Mapquest says about 2 1/2 hours...any advice regarding driving in Switzerland regarding toll roads, general conditions. It will be early Sept so weather shouldn't be an issue....just wanted to know if you thought driving was a good alternative. Thanks!
Driving is fine. The Swiss roads are great and the Swiss are a hundred times more orderly and polite on the road than the Italians.
"The train schedule isn't perfect in terms of timing" Where are you getting your schedules? I checked with the German Rail (Bahn) website and it showed 12 express train connections between 8 AM and 4 PM (more than one per hour), only one taking more than 3h02m.
If you are renting a car in Zurich it will most likely have the required decal to utilize the Swiss Autobahns which are all toll roads. If it doesn't have the decal you will have to purchase one to be affixed to the windscreen and cost is approximately $40 U.S. dollars. The roads are excellent in Switzerland - wish U.S. roads were half as good.