[Removed user]

8 April 2013 at 8:23:25 #805894

I will be travelling from Malaysia with my husband for 2 weeks holiday in Europe from 3rd Oct to 15 Oct 2013. I plan to visit three countries, i.e. Paris, Switzerland and London. I will reach Paris on 3rd Oct and plan to stay there for 4 nights and depart from there to visit Switzerland on 7th Oct. I plan to stay in Switzerland for 5 nights and departs to London on 12th Oct. I am seeking opinion where should i start my Swiss journey, either from Geneva or Zurich? As i will have all my luggage with me all the way from Malaysia, what is the best plan for me to visit this country? This is my first trip to Switzerland, and I would love to see more to nature and scenery. I have not book anything yet except from my flight to / from Europe. Any suggestion will be most welcome.

Thanks.

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[Annika]

10 April 2013 at 14:16:55 #838335

Welcome to the forum! Obvious entrance points when arriving from Paris are Basel and Geneva. You can plan your trips using the timetable. If you don’t want to carry your luggage during the entire stay, I suggest you choose one base town, store your luggage in the hotel, and then make day trips. In all, Interlaken might be the best choice if you want to be close to natural beauty and be able to travel to other recommended regions (e.g. the surroundings of Lucerne and Zermatt) within one day. Hotels close to the railway stations are listed here. Day trip suggestions are mentioned here.

I don’t know how much luggage you’ll be carrying along. If it’s too much to travel in a relaxed way, you could consider the SBB Fast Baggage Service for your inbound and outbound trips. This would be especially convenient if you decide to enter via Geneva and travel to the Interlaken region via the scenic Golden Pass line.

Have you considered buying a rail pass? Depending on your plans, a Eurail pass might be convenient. For intensive traveling in Switzerland, one of the Swiss rail passes generally works out better. The Swiss Card for example would provide a free inbound and outbound trip, plus a 50% discount on further traveling. If the idea of free traveling, without having to buy tickets, appeals to you, take a look at the Swiss Saver Pass or Swiss Saver Flexi Pass. These guidelines may help you decide what’s best.

[Removed user]

11 April 2013 at 9:37:19 #838336

I have this preliminary itinerary in my mind. Can you please help me to check whether it is workable? But with this plan, i have to give up the Zermatt area.

Day 1 (7 Oct) – Either by train or flight from Paris to Geneva, explore Geneva, travel to BO area, overnight in Wengen
Day 2 (8 Oct) – Visit Jungfraujoch (up from Wengen, down to Grindelwald), visit Lauterbrunnen, overnight in Wengen
Day 3 (9 Oct) – Visit Schiltorn, visit Interlaken, overnight in Wengen
Day 4 (10 Oct) – Travel to Lucerne, visit Mount Rigi, Pilatus, lake cruise, etc. overnight at Lucerne
Day 5 (11 Oct) – Visit Titlis, overnight Lucerne
Day 6 (12 Oct) – Travel to Zurich, explore Zurich, take flight from Zurich to London

Thanks a lot!!!

[Annika]

12 April 2013 at 4:02:51 #838337

Yes, that’s definitely workable. You’ve managed to limit traveling times quite well, and to be honest I think that’s wise. You just can’t cover it all during a short stay, so focusing on one or two regions is the best you can do. And don’t worry, the trips you’ve selected are all stunning. Mind that your schedule for day 4 is quite full, but you can choose between Rigi and Pilatus if you like.

One further piece of advice: your itinerary mainly consists of trips to viewing points. If weather is fine that’s great, but try to make some back-up plans as well. It’s a waste of your money to get up and see nothing but clouds. Trips for the Interlaken area are mentioned here. Consider a boat trip, the Glacier Garden and the Traffic Museum as alternatives for Lucerne.