17-day train trip Switzerland and Italy in May
A traveler is planning a 17-day trip to Switzerland and Northern Italy in early May with their mother. They're considering the Glacier Express and Bernina Express but want to make sure they have time for sightseeing without spending too much time on trains. They seek help in organizing their itinerary, especially for day trips from Interlaken and managing their time in Italy.
- Consider spending more time in each destination to fully enjoy the scenery and outdoor activities.
- If you want to ride the Glacier Express or Bernina Express, make sure your trip doesn't become too train-heavy; prioritize places like the Jungfrau region.
- Check out day trips from Interlaken that include Lauterbrunnen and Mürren, and maybe a mountain coaster nearby.
- Use the Swiss Travel Pass for convenient travel on the extensive rail network, which allows for flexible planning among regular trains.
AI-generated summary-
Help!! My Mother and I are planning a trip in early May to visit Switzerland and Northern Italy. We’d really like to take either the Glacier Express or the Bernian Express, perhaps both if it fits our 17 day Itinerary (minus two days of air travel). I’d hate to feel like we’re always on a train rather than on foot sight seeing and exploring, unless these train rides are worth the 9 + 4 hour trips.
We’re starting in Zurich and end in Rome. I’m having a great deal of difficulty figuring out the best Itinerary to get the most out of our trip and would greatly appreciate recommendations on my below rough draft itinerary. As you can see, it’s a bit of a mess. I could also really use help figuring out the best day trips from Interlaken (Bernese Oberland area: Lauterbrunnen & Murren). We’d love to try and visit a mountain coaster. Is there one conveniently around this region anyone recommends?
Lastly, I’m worried we’re trying to squeeze too much in, but any tips to best navigate Northern Italy is also greatly appreciated. Our idea stops in Italy are: Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Florence (few days in Tuscany) Milan, end in Rome a day to fly out of. Is squeezing in Venice Possible? Thanks in advance!
DAY 1: Zurich
DAY 2: Zurich – Lucerne
DAY 3: Lucerne
DAY 4: Lucerne – Interlaken (Day trips Bernese Oberland area: Lauterbrunnen & Murren)
DAY 5: Lucerne to Zermatt
DAY 6: Zermatt (Glacier Express & Bernina Express) **Alternatively sleep in Chur a night and depart for the Bernina Express the next day, day 7 ??
DAY 7: Tirano – Milan
Day 8: Milan – Lake Como
Day 9: Lake Como to Cinque Terre
Day 10: Cinque Terre to Florence
Day 11: Florence to Venice day trip if possible?
Day 12: Florence
Day 13: Tuscany
Day 14: Tuscany
Day 15: Tuscany to Rome
Day 16: Rome
Day 17 Fly home
Again any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much,
A
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Hi A,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
Thanks for sharing your itinerary. I think your plan is reasonably doable. Here are my personal suggestions:
- For sightseeing options in Zurich: http://www.myswissalps.com/zurich/activities
- For sightseeing options in Lucerne: http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/activities. There’s a summer toboggan on Mt Pilatus which might interest you. You can find details on how to get to Mt Pilatus here: http://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus/gettingthere
- Day trip to Interlaken – here’s a sample day trip, Jungfrau region in one day to give you some ideas. Alternatively you can plan your own day trip based on various options here: http://www.myswissalps.com/interlaken/activities. By the way, there’s also a summer toboggan run on Pfingstegg in Grindelwald so you might want to include that as part of your excursion.
- Glacier Express from Zermatt to Chur – This is a long train journey but I personally think it’s worth doing if you have the time. The scenic route is described in detail here: http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/gettingthere
- Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano – Also worth doing if you have the time. The route is described in detail here: http://www.myswissalps.com/berninaexpress/gettingthere
- For information on travel and tickets to Italy: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
DAY 1: Zurich DAY 2: Zurich – Lucerne DAY 3: Lucerne DAY 4: Lucerne – Interlaken (Day trips Bernese Oberland area: Lauterbrunnen & Murren) DAY 5: Lucerne to Zermatt DAY 6: Zermatt (Glacier Express & Bernina Express) **Alternatively sleep in Chur a night and depart for the Bernina Express the next day, day 7 ?? DAY 7: Tirano – Milan; I’d hate to feel like we’re always on a train rather than on foot sight seeing and exploring, unless these train rides are worth the 9 + 4 hour trips.
Based on your itinerary and comments, in my opinion, the Swiss section of your trip is a bit too ‘whistle stop’. I too prefer to enjoy the mountain air so avoid long trips on one ‘specialist’ train. Travelling the Glacier Express for the whole day gives you some views, but you will largely be insulated from the actual mountain air and atmosphere that is the reason to be in the Swiss Alps! – see my mythbuster below
One day in each place you list in Switzerland is rather short, and if this is to give time to ‘squeeze in’ the Glacier and Bernina Expresses that is not very time efficient in my view. Also Luzern – Interlaken – Luzern – Zermatt is unnecessary backtracking (although I appreciate this is to make one easier base)
To better appreciate the scenery and have more time ‘outside’ I recommend reducing the number of places you visit and spending longer in each one. I think you need to choose what to ‘drop’
Here are some fairly efficient routes that come to mind that will give you lots of high mountains to look at and nice places to spend time outdoors
1) Zurich – Luzern (2 days) – Andermatt – Chur – St Moritz (1 day) – Bernina – Tirano
2) Zurich – Luzern – Interlaken (Jungfrau area) – Zermatt (2 days) – Brig – Milano
3) Zurich – Interlaken (2 days) – Zermatt (2 days) – Brig – Milano
and variations on same
Glacier Express mythbuster
Take care with the Glacier Express concept.
The modern day Glacier Express brand (aka concept) is extremely well (some might say hyperbolically) marketed, but masks some facts, the most important one being that it doesn’t go past any glaciers!
Geographically it runs East – West across the southern extremity of Switzerland, so does not fit in to all Swiss holiday itineraries.
If you already have lots of mountains and mountain peaks in your planned itinerary there is little point in adding the Glacier Express trip
Your currently planned itinerary falls into that category.
The Glacier Express trains are special trains on the Rhaetische Bahn (RhB) and Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) railway company lines which run in addition to normal ordinary service trains. The ‘panoramic’ coaches on these trains require a reservation or supplementary fare to be paid in addition to the normal fare. In all cases ordinary trains can be travelled on on the RhB/MGB network without paying any additional fare.
In all cases if you choose (or find yourself on) an ordinary train you won’t miss the scenery as all Swiss train carriages on these lines have large windows giving good views.
Neither Luzern nor Interlaken /Jungfrau area are a good base from which to go and travel on the Glacier Express. The Glacier Express runs East – West across the southern edge of Switzerland, and Luzern is to the north.
The Glacier Express started as a single train once a day each way many years ago, running slightly (but not much) faster than the regular trains and conveying a restaurant car for the wealthy to travel between the two ‘elite’ resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz.
The Glacier Express trains now are such a money spinner that they operate as ‘exclusive’ trains on otherwise ‘normal’ railway; ie the Rhaetische Bahn (RhB) and Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) railway company lines which run in addition to normal ordinary service trains. The ‘panoramic’ coaches on these trains require a reservation or supplementary fare to be paid in addition to the normal fare. In all cases ordinary trains can be travelled on on the RhB/MGB network without paying any additional fare.
The Glacier Express suits organised tours that rush you to Zermatt, then put you on the Glacier Express all day, then rush you off from St Moritz to somewhere else. But for independent tourists, there are a plenty of regular trains on these and all the other Swiss railways, so there are a zillion other sights to see in Switzerland which are ‘not’ on the Glacier Express!
Bernina Express mythbuster
It is important to understand the difference between Bernina Express and the actual railway infrastructure that the Bernina Express trains travel on. The Bernina Railway is the railway linking St Moritz, Pontresina and Tirano, the only railway to cross the high Alps without a summit tunnel. Elsewhere the Bernina Express train travels over other routes of the Rhaetische Bahn (RhB), ie the Albula Railway.
In recent years the RhB railway company decided to make it easier for tourists by making the ‘Bernina Express’ a through train all the way from Chur to Tirano, but only half the journey is on the actual Bernina Railway, the other half of the journey is on the Albula Railway en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albula_Railway
The Bernina Railway is the (independent until 1947) railway built separately from the rest of the Rhaetische Bahn railway. There are ordinary trains on this line and short distance Bernina Express services. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernina_Railway
Once you reach Pontresina you will have completed the journey on the Bernina Railway. As such you can then get any regular train from Pontresina to Chur, either via Samedan or via St Moritz. From St Moritz to Chur via Samedan is the UNESCO World Heritage Albula railway. It has express trains once per hour St Moritz – Chur, which have large windows and special photographer’s coaches so that when you get to the famous Landwasser viaduct at Filisur you get a good view
Hello 1960man,
Thanks so much for your reply!! This is extremely informative and beyond appreciated.
As much as we’d hate to miss out on the Glacier Express and especially, the Bernina Express, I feel like I cant go to Switzerland and miss the Jungfrau region. So we may have to go with your second itinerary recommendation and unfortunately make these scenic train journeys on hopefully our next trip to Switzerland (whenever that may be 🙁 )
2) Zurich – Luzern – Interlaken (Jungfrau area) – Zermatt (2 days) – Brig – Milano
Quick follow up question, is the train route from Zermatt – Brig – Milano scenic in itself and help fill the void we may feel by missing the Glacier Express / Bernina Express ?
Thanks so much!
-A
Hello Anna,
Wow! Thank you so much for your reply and your super helpful recommendations and links. This will really help us fill in the gaps and make the most out of trip.
Quick follow up question, do you think 1 day in Lucerne and 2 days in Interlaken at the very max is enough?
Thanks so much, 🙂
-A
Hi A,
That depends on your plans. Lucerne in one day is certainly possible for example: a half day city tour + one mountain excursion.
Similarly, 2 days in Interlaken should be sufficient if you plan your itinerary accordingly. Perhaps stick to 1 to 2 mountain excursion each day + a boat cruise on Lake Brienz (http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakebrienz) or Lake Thun (http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakethun) + short hikes.
I hope this gives you some ideas to plan your trip.
Regards,
Anna
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