[Sophie]

29 July 2025 at 18:46:19 #2777986

Hello!

We just returned from a joyful and action-packed trip that included five days in Switzerland. Because we spent most of our trip in Austria, we used Eurail 7-day flex passes, which allowed for spontaneity. Our Swiss route was (flight into Milan/Malpensa)–>Lugano–>Lucerne (day trips to Stoos Ridge and Bern/Murren)–>Zurich, and on to Innsbruck. It was easy to navigate trains and buses with Google maps and the Eurail app, and I am grateful to this forum for helping me plan the Gotthard Pass route from Lugano to Lucerne without the Panorama surcharge.

Because my travel companion, my son, has the energy of a caffeinated mountain goat, we packed a lot into our days and the weather obliged. Our one full day in Lugano included a stroll through the open air market, a cable car to Monte Bre, a visit to Bellinzona (saw one castle and spent a half hour cheering on Euro women’s soccer on the big screen in a park with locals), dinner by the lake, and a long stroll along the lakeshore. I deliberately chose a hotel close to the Lugano Centrale train station, thank goodness.

Our second day we trained to Lucerne to meet cousins who happened to be visiting. The historic center was crowded, but we stayed at a guesthouse a 10-minute bus ride from the hauptbahnhof, which was quiet and peaceful. I am glad I bought hiking sticks at a local store that day, as our second day we did the Stoos Ridge hike (direction Klingenstock to Fronalpstock) Getting there involved a train, a bus, and a double ski lift, but it is quite possibly the most stunning hike I have done, and I highly recommend it. The hike took us about three hours with a lot of stopping to enjoy the view and the cows, one of which had parked herself on the trail. We also met a hiker from Murren who, when I shared my hesitation to brave the crowds in the Jungfrau, suggested we visit her village late the following day…so that’s what we did!

On our second full day (based in Lucerne) we took the train to Bern, zigzagged through the old parts of the city, saw the bears, made some purchases at Loeb department store, and then around 2pm took the train to Interlaken–>Lauterbrunnen–>Murren. By the time we reached Murren most of the tourists had gone and we were able to enjoy the village and views. It was a long day but so worth it.

On our final day in Switzerland, the plan was to take the train to Zurich, store our luggage, spend a few hours in the city, and then travel to Innsbruck. All train station lockers were full and the luggage concierge had a long line, so we walked across the river to the next nearest luggage storage–not a dealbreaker, just a hassle. Zurich was hosting one of the women’s soccer games that evening, and the crowds and excitement were high.

The only time I paid for a seat reservation was on our Zurich-Innsbruck evening Railjet, but it was not a crowded train. I *should* have reserved seats from Salzburg to Vienna as we almost couldn’t find seats…but we know for next time!

Experiences I loved and things I found helpful:

• The glassy lakes
• Gelateria Veneta in Bellinzona
• The quiet side streets and alleyways in Lugano, Bellinzona, and Lucerne
• Prepared foods at Migros and Coop (convenient to grab and go)
• The city passes provided by our lodgings in Lugano and Lucerne
• The vegetarian buffet restaurants in Bern (Tibits) and Zurich (Hiltl)–delicious and a welcome counterpoint to all the cheese/meat/bread
• The Swiss National Museum, both the building itself and the exhibit on Swiss history
• Max Chocolatier in Zurich
• The slightly cranky train conductors
• The dairy products, all of them
• …and of course, the mountains

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[Roger Sexton]

Reply 1 of 5 • 29 July 2025 at 19:31:08 #2777997

Thank you Sophie for an extremely comprehensive and very interesting report.

Just one small query.  Did you use the S50 train which runs direct from from Malpensa to Lugano (and then on to Bellinzona and Biasca)?  If yes, what did you think of that service?

Thanks again and very kind regards!

Roger

[Sophie]

Reply 2 of 5 • 29 July 2025 at 20:10:31 #2778007

Hi Roger,

I *believe* we took the S50. It took just under 2 hours, I think. We did not use a Eurail travel day for that, and I did not save the receipt. Once we figured out where the train station was at Malpensa (we had to walk through a parking garage from the terminal), it was easy. Keep in mind this was after two flights, little sleep, and my first train experience in that part of the world. It was not crowded (it was a Monday around 1pm.) There was some construction outside the Lugano Centrale train station but otherwise no issues. Overall a great way to get to the lake area without having to go through Milan.

[Roger Sexton]

Reply 3 of 5 • 29 July 2025 at 21:33:25 #2778008

Many thanks Sophie.  Your last sentence is the crucial point!

Roger

[Sophie]

Reply 4 of 5 • 29 July 2025 at 22:32:36 #2778011

I believe this was also the same train that we took to/from Bellinzona, an easy 15-minute hop.

[User]

Reply 5 of 5 • 31 July 2025 at 21:36:41 #2780820

Hi Sophie,

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a trip report.  It was a fun read for me, lots of nice activities in the 5 days.  Good tips – I am sure it will help fellow travelers 🙂  I love your description of your son 😉

I think the Women’s Euros was a huge hit here – so well-organised and I agree the atmosphere in all the host cities have been amazing over the month it was here.

Kind regards,
Yolanda