metoo

Would like to rent a car and visit Swiss for 10 to 12 days. Would fly into Geneva and leave from Zurich. In the process, would like to burn my Club Carlson points so any itinerary that would include Zurich, Lucerne, St Gallen and Lully would be great.

We would like to see Zermatt.

Presently thinking about:

2 nights Geneva
2 nights Zermatt
4 nights Lucerne
2 Nights Zurich

Goldiemom

OK, while I know you want to burn Club Carlson points, you are missing the real beauty of Switzerland. What is it you want to experience in Switzerland? Both Geneva and Zurich are big cities. I have visited them but never stayed in them. I would also reconsider the rental car. A train pass can get your just about anywhere in Switzerland (allows use on post buses and some of the cog wheel trains plus local buses). You can set your watch with the on time train service. Zermatt is car free, so you have to leave a car in Tasch.

As for your itinerary, you are leaving out the stunning beauty of the Oberland Bernese area of Switzerland. This area includes vistas of the Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau Mountains, villages of Grindelwald, Wengen, Murren and Lauterbrunnen and beautiful waterfalls along the cliffs of the glacier formed Lauterbrunnen Valley. You want a "Heidi" experience, you will find it here.

Geneva is a big city, I usually stay in Montreux about an hour south along the lake.

Switzerland is a beautiful and expensive country. However, it keeps calling me back. I have visited 5 times and am planning my sixth visit. Nothing beats sitting on a hotel balcony looking at the Matterhorn sipping a glass of Swiss wine!

metoo

Would very much like to stay in Geneva, Zurich and Lucerne ( 2 nights each) flying into Geneva and out of Zurich.

Other than that, if we use the train pass, what route would you suggest and where to stay overnight?

We can stay 10 -12 days.

If you don't mind sharing your itinerary i would appreciate it.

greg5

I'd never heard of Lully before. What's to see there?

Which museum in Zürich? There are many.

As said above, it's easy to get around with the train here. Of course having a car would give you some freedom to see some things that aren't so easy to see with the train. Especially, if you want to see some stuff in St. Gall and Appenzell. However, if you've not been here before, you'll see plenty of stuff traveling on the train.

On your journey from Zermatt to Luzern you could route yourself either back via Montreux, taking the Golden Pass route through the Berner Oberland, or go through via the Lötschberg tunnel to Interlaken and then over the Brünig to Luzern. The Lötschberg is a bit quicker, the Golden Pass line takes a day. Both go over the Brünig. Or you could go Interlaken-Thun-Bern-Zürich, but it's not so interesting.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/goldenpass-line.html

Goldiemom

Lully is about 40 mins. outside of Geneva towards Lausanne. Personally, I would base myself there (if using Club Carlson points). You could cover Geneva (do not need a car there), Lausanne, Montreux, Gruyere area. The boats that travel up and down Lake Leman are included in the Swiss Rail Pass. If you like wine, get off at Lutry, walk through the vineyards and then take the train onward. Broc is the place for a chocolate tour. Gruyere is a cute walled town. It has a HR Gieger museum. He designed the aliens in "Aliens". Dark, but interesting.

I will suggest more when I have a few minutes.

Goldiemom

Looking at your requirements, you can split the nights as follows:

2 nights Geneva
2 nights Zermatt
3 nights Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Murren (so much to see in this area)
1 night Luzern
2 nights Zurich

If you have one more night, add it to Luzern.


If this were MY trip, I would break it up as follows:

3 nights Lully (more central for day trips to Geneva, Gruyere/Broc and Montreux and it is very close to Geneva)

2 nights Zermatt (day trips to Gornegrat and Klein Matterhorn)

3 nights Lauterbrunnen (again more central for day trips to Jungfrajoch, Schilthorn and other places)

3 nights Luzern (less moving as Luzern is so close to Zurich)

As for my planned trip, it is part of a longer trip...10 or so days in Switzerland and at least 10 days in Italy. I will be taking friends who have never been to Switzerland and want to show them the best that it has to offer (at least IMHO). I will probably arrive in Zurich. So, 2 nights Luzern, 3-4 nights in Lauterbrunnen, 2 nights in Montreux, 2 nights in Zermatt and then shoot down to Italy on the train. I have favorite hotels in Zermatt and Lauterbrunnen (3 star). Same room each time as I love the views from each.

Please remember these are my opinions and cater to my tastes. Everyone travels differently. If you choose to travel by train, don't feel you need to book the "Glacier Express" or the "Golden Pass". I have been on them both and on the regular trains that transverse the same tracks. The scenery is the same...absolutely stunning!

metoo

Thanks so much for your help everyone.

We decided to purchase the 15 day Swiss Travel Pass.

We have 4 more days to add.

Using the Club Carlson Hotels for Lully, Zurich and Lake Lucerne, what would you suggest the best route would be?

Does the Swiss travel pass cover Bernice, golden pass and Glacier express?

Does it cover Pilatas and mt Titus?

We prefer to stay in Lucerne for 4 nights for day trips such as Pilatus and Mt . Titus. Then the last 2 nights in Zurich for museums and any cultural activities before the flight home.

So I have the beginning and end but still would like help for the middle part of the trip.


Day 1- fly into Geneva and go to Lully ( 3 nights with day trips to Geneva and Lausanne)
Day 4- 9 ????
Day 9 - 13- Lucerne 4 nights
Day 13-15 - Zurich

Thanks so much.

PaulRO

Mapwise, yes, Lully is within 50km of many places. Yes, the lakes bordered by Neuchatel, Biel/Bienne and Murten are truly charming (and pricey).

But what a hole (the hotel you're looking it)! I have seldom felt as noise-battered, vagabond-threateded, tourist-boxed-in and overall unsettled as there. In 122 countries.

The hotel is literally alongside one of the nation's and Europe's busiest autoroutes, from which it is accessed. It is part of the complex near the gas station, with restaurant and hotel.
It attracts all the wide range of transients one finds in such establishments, and I find few of such dirty, noisy and probably thieving tribes have any appeal.
Even if rooms are sound-proofed, there is a prevailing sense of the frenetic wasted energy of people and their machines and their impatience on the move, 24/7.

Mind you, the breakfast room at the back had a nice view out over the 'plateau'. Better than looking at the scruffy tables,unSwiss presentation of tepid food and awful beverages.

I learned a lot from staying there, having deluded myself to burn points and bridge an evening-dawn trip between Bern and Geneva. Lesson:

Never, never again. Never try such negative synergies again. I have travelled with my film crew in a ~dozen countries in six continents, from no-star and village shacks to five-star -- and where have I seen the crew so unrested, unhappy, so happy to heave the equipment in the boot early the next morning? Lully, the Carlson property.

nrr

You don't say when you will be traveling. Summer has longer days--more time to travel per day--and see great scenery.
Using Swiss Railpass you can see lots of phenomenal sights.
Luzern is a nice city to use as a base (more central than Zurich or Geneva)--less hectic than Zurich and not as touristy Interlaken.
A few suggested trips: Luzern-Meiringen-Spiez-Zweisimmen-Montreux [Golden Pass Route] (super scenery). Montreux-Visp-Bern-Luzern (in the summer you can do this in a day--lots of train riding though--and still see great scenery)
Luzern (boat) to Vitznau)-(cog railway)to Rigi Kulm-Arth Goldau-Goschenen-Andermat-Visp-Luzern
Using Interlaken as a base, a trip to Jungfrau (expensive--the last stretch is NOT covered by any standard rallpass); or Interlaken to Lauterbrunen to Murren (shorter but FREE with a rail pass).
There are lots more, but these are my favorites.

metoo

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions.
Finished burning my Club Carlson Points.

Decided on :

4 nights in London Radisson Blu Mercer ( tough call with hampshire hotel)
Fly to Zurich instead of Geneva, purchase Swiss Travel Pass 15 days
Zurich to Lucerne
4 nights at Radisson Lucerne (Days 1 to 5)
Days 5 to 12 -Need to complete the rest of hotel stays
Day 12 to 14 - Radisson Blu Zurich then fly home

PaulRO

Luzern has superb open air concert season. In fact, many Swiss towns/villages to, Luzern is the one people measure by.
Bern counts amongst its charms the Gurten festival, probly the best place to watch the wacky Swiss drop their never-really-staid facade.
Bern: if you can get a local to accompany you, swimming down the Aare river from south of town, to the one and only exit point, no so well-equipped, is a real Swiss experience. Only for the hale and hearty -- and, repeat, the locally-accompanied.

Depends on your travel dates, bien sur

Amuses toi

and do enjoy at least one freshly-cooked meal in the restaurant car on a normal Intercity train, none of your tourist trains, just the one used by locals. A true delight.

Sit on the left of the train from (Zurich, Bern, Fribourg) to Geneva. About 23m after Fribourg, a long tunnel, and Lo and Behold!, below you, the Lac Leman (L Geneva) backdropped by the Alps around Mont Blanc.