Itinery suggestions Switzerland from Dec 12 - 18th

Hi Arno

My son and I are travelling in your beautiful country from these dates. I would really appreciate any revisions or suggestions you may have. We may be trying to fit too much in??

Our proposed itinery so far: ( using Swiss travel Pass - think this is best value for us??)

• Arrive in Zurich in morning. Catch train (which?) to Lucerne then catch Golden Pass train down to Montreaux for 12/14th During this time we thought we would travel to Interlaken and go up to Jungfrau? Depending on weather. Also visit the Xmas market in Montreaux.
• From Montreaux to Zermatt and stay 1 night. Things to do?Matterhorn?
• Leave Zermatt on 15th Dec on Glacier Express for St Moritz (cant seem to find winter ticket selling for this train?)
• Stay 2 nights in St moritz 15 - 17th. On the 17th get back to Lucerne . Can we get back on the Gothenburg train??going through Fluelen and on the boat in Winter?)
• Stay 17th in Lucerne. Fly out Zurich 18th

Does this Intinery seem OK ? Are there other things or places that would be best to visit? Have you any suggestions.

A little unsure of how to get back to Lucerne from St Moritz at this stage??

Also Booking winter trains eg Glacier Express reservations is proving complicated. Are they doing bookings for December yet online? For travel on 15th December

Many thanks for all your wonderful knowledge. In anticipation.

Hi Lisac,

The basic outlines of your plan look fine to me (you've included some wonderful places), but it does need some improvements in my opinion. A few tips:

• Staying anywhere for just one night does not leave much time for sightseeing, nor do you have much flexibility to change plans based on the weather. If it snows you can't visit a peak, for example. Well, you can, but won't see much.
• There will only be daylight from 8:15 AM to 4:45 PM, so plan your outdoor activities and scenic trips during that time frame;
• Please check traveling times in the timetable (visiting Jungfraujoch from Montreux takes too long, for example).
• For things to do, please see our town pages.
• An 8-day Swiss Travel Pass is a good idea. You don't need Glacier Express tickets with that pass, nor do you need tickets for any other trains. All you need is a seat reservation for the Glacier Express (because it's a popular tourist train). In order to save time on arrival, you can print the pass at home through www.swissrailways.com/ en. Once you have filled out your address, they will show the delivery options. Pick "Online Ticket" from the bottom of the list. They will e-mail the pass (no delivery fees) within 3 business days.
• I'm not sure what you mean by the Gothenburg train. The route you mentioned is part of the Gotthard Panorama Express route. The official Express train does not operate until April, but there are regular trains too: myswissalps.com/ gotthardpanoramaexpres s.
• More planning tips are here.