Jacob

I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want to see
the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Venice,
Florence and Rome in 8 days.

I am planning to buy the 3 country selct pass. Is that a good idea or
just buy the swiss pass (first class) for two adults and take the
family card and then buy point to point tickets in Italy.

If I am able to visit Paris in this short time It would be great. Even
if it is just for one day from morning to evening.

How are the Artesia trains, Am I better off with travelling in the
comfort T4 cabins with a stranger ( since my younger boy will not get
a sleeper) or is it better to use the T3 Sleeper in second class. Does
these cabin have doors that you can lock?

I know these are a lot of questions but I really appreciate all your
inputs.

Iceman

    >I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
    >travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want to see
    >the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Venice,
    >Florence and Rome in 8 days.

In 8 days, there's no way. You'd spend the entire time on trains and
going to and from train stations and hotels, and wouldn't get to
experience anything. I'd recommend that you pick one or two of those
places and really see them rather than spend eight days rushing around
and only get a few pictures of yourself in front of monuments.

    >If I am able to visit Paris in this short time It would be great. Even
    >if it is just for one day from morning to evening.

One day isn't enough to see anything. If you want to visit Paris,
spend a minimum of 4-5 days there to make the trip worthwhile.

Steven Burns

I think 7 cities in 8 days is unreallistic.
Im not saying you have to pick only 2 cities, but still, 7 cities is too
much.
Lets take Paris as an example: if all you want to do in Paris is see the
Eiffel Tower and 2 or 3 monuments you might be able to do it in one day and
night (as long as you know what you are doing and you don't lose priceless
hours trying to figure out where in the world you are). But If you expect to
see the louvre, montmartre, take a boat trip on the seine river, musee
d'orsay, etc, you will need 3 to 4 days. Me? I can do with 2 days but Im not
a museum/art guy at all.
I would pick only 2 out of the 3 italian cities you mention (Rome, Venice
and Florence), and would pick between paris or switzerland. Keep in mind you
always end up losing time in things you didnt expect, and some walks can be
time consuming.

Steven

"Jacob" <> wrote in message
news:...
    > I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
    > travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want to see
    > the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Venice,
    > Florence and Rome in 8 days.
    > I am planning to buy the 3 country selct pass. Is that a good idea or
    > just buy the swiss pass (first class) for two adults and take the
    > family card and then buy point to point tickets in Italy.
    > If I am able to visit Paris in this short time It would be great. Even
    > if it is just for one day from morning to evening.
    > How are the Artesia trains, Am I better off with travelling in the
    > comfort T4 cabins with a stranger ( since my younger boy will not get
    > a sleeper) or is it better to use the T3 Sleeper in second class. Does
    > these cabin have doors that you can lock?
    > I know these are a lot of questions but I really appreciate all your
    > inputs.

Ken Blake

In news:,
Jacob <> typed:

    > I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
    > travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want
to see
    > the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken,
Venice,
    > Florence and Rome in 8 days.


With that schedule, you're going to visit little but the insides
of trains and hotels. You're planning *much* too much for eight
days. What little time you'll have in each location won't even be
enough for the highlights.

I recommend reducing your plans to visit no more than two of
these places. Less is more.

Thomas Stalder

Jacob wrote:

    > I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
    > travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want to see
    > the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Venice,
    > Florence and Rome in 8 days.

Uiui, sorry, but this will become a nightmare for you but even more for
your kids. Imagine the "boring" hours in the trains (even with some
spectacular views from time to time). Or you must be a real master in
entertaining your children.

Only advice I can give is about Switzerland:
From Lucerne you can do day trips to Zurich and Interlaken. It is
located between these places. Lucerne - Zurich = 1 hour.
Lucerne - Interlaken is more than 2 hours. But to experience the
Interlaken region you'll have to add another hour at least (to Wengen,
Grindelwald or Murren). So start early.
Or you settle in Interlaken and visit Lucerne in a day trip (and maybe
skip Zurich (where I live)).

Skip Paris at all, it's too far. Even it's beautiful.

Jacob

Thomas Stalder <> wrote in message news:<40ae00cd$1_4@127.0.0.1>...
    > Jacob wrote:
    >
    > > I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
    > > travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want to see
    > > the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Venice,
    > > Florence and Rome in 8 days.
    >
    > Uiui, sorry, but this will become a nightmare for you but even more for
    > your kids. Imagine the "boring" hours in the trains (even with some
    > spectacular views from time to time). Or you must be a real master in
    > entertaining your children.
    >
    > Only advice I can give is about Switzerland:
    > From Lucerne you can do day trips to Zurich and Interlaken. It is
    > located between these places. Lucerne - Zurich = 1 hour.
    > Lucerne - Interlaken is more than 2 hours. But to experience the
    > Interlaken region you'll have to add another hour at least (to Wengen,
    > Grindelwald or Murren). So start early.
    > Or you settle in Interlaken and visit Lucerne in a day trip (and maybe
    > skip Zurich (where I live)).
    >
    > Skip Paris at all, it's too far. Even it's beautiful.


Thank you all for the input looks like I was being too daring on my
plans.

So Change in plans - Looks like I will settle with Switzerland and
Italy.
Which city would be the ideal city to select as the base from which to
see the most of Swiss in four days

JohnT

"Jacob" <> wrote in message
news:...

    > Thank you all for the input looks like I was being too daring on my
    > plans.
    > So Change in plans - Looks like I will settle with Switzerland and
    > Italy.
    > Which city would be the ideal city to select as the base from which to
    > see the most of Swiss in four days

I have been visiting Switzerland in the Summer from the UK for many years and
really my best advice would be to settle on one location and do local trips from
there. Don't necessarily choose a "City" - some of the car-free villages are
superb.

For a first-time visitor, I would suggest -

... if you like Lakes and water, stay in Lucerne or in one of the villages on
the lake. Lots of excursion opportunities in the area.

.... if you like mountains, go and stay in the mountains. Wengen is my all-time
favourite place and Murren is spectacular too. There are loads of excursion
opportunities, including the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn, and there are many
walks too, from the impossibly difficult to the very easy.

If you don't like the sound of either Lucerne or Wengen/Murren, consider Lake
Geneva (Lac Leman). Montreux is nice. Also a possibility is Davos or Klosters in
Graubunden, to the east of Switzerland.

JohnT

J.E.R.

(Jacob) wrote in message news:<>...
    > Thomas Stalder <> wrote in message news:<40ae00cd$1_4@127.0.0.1>...
    > > Jacob wrote:
    > >
    > > > I am planning to visit milan at the end of next week and I am
    > > > travelling with my wife and 2 sons (7 & 3 years old). we want to see
    > > > the following cities Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Venice,
    > > > Florence and Rome in 8 days.
    > >
.
(several lines deleted)
.
    > Thank you all for the input looks like I was being too daring on my
    > plans.
    >
    > So Change in plans - Looks like I will settle with Switzerland and
    > Italy.
    > Which city would be the ideal city to select as the base from which to
    > see the most of Swiss in four days

In terms of railway-connections, Zurich probably would be
one of the best (with Berne), but as a base for a four day
vacation in Switzerland, I would consider Lucerne (or at
least as a start assuming you will arrive from Milano).

In Lucerne, the "Verkehrshaus" Swiss Transporatation Museum
http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en/home.htm
is worth a visit (especially by poor weather conditions)
and the town is a starting point for tours by one of the
lake steamers
( http://www.lakelucerne.ch/index.cfm?page=351&lang=E )
for example to Brunnen (and back by train)
More details at http://www.lakeluzern.ch/

Zurich is not far away: 46 or 50 minutes train ride:
http://www.rail.ch/index_e.htm
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en?
If you dont have time for really discovering Zurich, then
simply get an impression by walking from the main railway
station to the lake via "Bahnhofstrasse", cross the
bridge there and return to the railway station on the
other side of the Limmat, with a stop a "Sprüngli"
(Paradeplatz) or "Honold" (at Rennweg) for enjoying
some of the best chocolate-truffels (or other products
if you should not like chocolate .........).
With a 3 and 7 year old, Zurich Zoo might be worth a visit
( http://www.zoo.ch/ ), especially "Zoolino", the section
for children ( http://www.zoo.ch/Zoolino.524.0.html )

Interlaken could be a day-trip from Lucerne (2 hours
via Brünig-Pass and then along lake Brienz, not the
detour via Berne or Olten), but imho the place is more
interesting for side-trips or as a stop to more scenic
places (see other postings).

So imho interesting combination could be Lucerne for
1-2 days, and then Bernese Oberland via Interlaken
or Zermatt (also via Interlaken, but 6 hours).
For the scenic part, I prefer Zermatt area, with a
mountain trip to Gornergrat rather than Jungfraujoch
(but I have doubts that Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch or
Gornergrat are itineraries 3 and 7 year old will really
enjoy (?))

Have a great trip!

J.E.(Hans)Rotzetter jer(at)iprolink.ch

Giovanni Drogo

On Fri, 21 May 2004, Thomas Stalder wrote:

    > From Lucerne you can do day trips to Zurich and Interlaken. It is

You can do trips to everywhere in Switzerland. We once bought a swiss
rail pass, left Milan in the morning, settled in an hotel in Lucerne,
and at 2 pm we were already on the Burgenstock. From Lucerne we did day
trips (long days !) as far as Geneva, the Jungfrau, the Rhone glacier
and Brig, Schaffhausen and the Rhine falls and Constance, the upper
Rhine valley and Chur, S.Gallen. And in a full day we returned to Milan
via Chur-S.Moritz-Bernina.

Jacob

Giovanni Drogo <> wrote in message news:<Pine.OSF.4.30.0405241134460.3809->...
    > On Fri, 21 May 2004, Thomas Stalder wrote:
    >
    > > From Lucerne you can do day trips to Zurich and Interlaken. It is
    >
    > You can do trips to everywhere in Switzerland. We once bought a swiss
    > rail pass, left Milan in the morning, settled in an hotel in Lucerne,
    > and at 2 pm we were already on the Burgenstock. From Lucerne we did day
    > trips (long days !) as far as Geneva, the Jungfrau, the Rhone glacier
    > and Brig, Schaffhausen and the Rhine falls and Constance, the upper
    > Rhine valley and Chur, S.Gallen. And in a full day we returned to Milan
    > via Chur-S.Moritz-Bernina.

Thanks for all your info's..

I have made reservation in zurich next to the station and plan to do
my trips based from there. Reading all the above looks like lucerne is
the right place to be and start most of the trips. I am very excited
to visit switzerland. It has always been my dream. Looking forward to
any tips that you people can suggest to make our trip more memorable.