9 nights in Zurich, Zermatt and Lugano

Hi all,

In coming to switzerland june 20 for 9 nights, currently planned 3 nights in Zurich, 3 nights zermatt and 3 lugano. I am purchasing the swiss travel pass for 15 days to cover all my transfers to each destination and any travel within each city.

1. I am planning a day trip from Zurich to lucerne and want to do mt titlis, is this a lot to do in 1 day? will it be better to have more than 1 day in lucerne to do this and other mountains?
2. I am reconsidering to change accommodation to 3 nights lucerne and day trip to Zurich instead. at this late stage less accommodation available.
3. I was worried the 3 nights in Zermatt was to long but just the travelling checking in and out take up a lot of time when you cut it to 2 night stays.

Do you have any suggestions, thanks

Hi nipper1108, and welcome to MySwissAlps!

1. A day trip to Mount Titlis is certainly doable from Zurich. It will take two hours more than doing it from Lucerne though. Lucerne is closer to the mountains and probably closer to the places you want to see.
2. If your current booking can be cancelled you can have a look at the hotels suggested here: myswissalps.com/ lucerne/hotels.
3. 3 nights is not too long if you want to see Zermatt properly. As you said, it takes time to get there. Also the weather is a factor, so more time is good. It increases your chances of seeing/visiting the mountains.

Thanks, Zurich can be cancelled, I'm looking into Lucerne accomodation.

is the travel pass for 15 days the best for me? I have 2 children travelling so I will get the family card to cover them too.

the train from Zermatt to Lugano changes about 5 times , and it take most of the day does all the trains line up , I don't want to miss one . Does any section need to be prebooked

Any advise appreciated

Hi nipper1108,

The 15-day Swiss Travel Pass is likely the best option. It depends on what day trips you've planned to do from the various base towns. If you want to compare this pass to other passes you can do the math as explained here. Indeed children up to 15 years old travel along for free. Further details about the Swiss Travel Pass are here.

There are multiple routes from Zermatt to Lugano, requiring 2 to 6 changes. Unless you travel via Milan, pre-booking is not required and all trains are included in the Swiss Travel Pass. The train from Domodossola to Locarno may require a small surcharge, to be paid on board. This is a very scenic route. Normally, changes are perfectly doable even if you only have a few minutes. But of course even in Switzerland trains can be late. The vast majority is on time though.

Thanks for the info.

as in now considering staying in Lucerne, is the train station at the airport. I will be coming off a flight from Aust via Singapore. Or how far is it will I need to get a bus or taxi to the train station.

day trips I am considering to use my pass: boat rides on all lakes. A day trip to Zurich , a museum there - what is your suggestion on this?. Mt Titlis and maybe a 2nd Mt. Travel to Zermatt . Travel to Matterhorn . Travel to Lugano (not via Milan ). Boat tours in Lugano.

Yes, the train station is at the airport: myswissalps.com/ airports/zurich. You should pick activities that interest you. You'll find plenty of suggestions in the main menu under "What to do". The main thing to keep in mind is that the weather is the deciding factor in whether or not to visit a mountain or do a hike. So have a wish list, be flexible, and decide each day after checking the forecast.