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10 days in Swizterland/ Italy

Posted on 5/13/16 at 3:30 pm
Posted by volgolf
Member since Sep 2005
75 posts
Posted on 5/13/16 at 3:30 pm
The wife and I are leaving next week for 10 days in Switzerland and Italy and would welcome any suggestions. Here are the basics:

*Flying into Zurich
*First 2 day/ nights in Lucerne
*Next 3 day/ nights in Interlaken
*Then onto Cinque Terre for 4 day/ nights
*Last night in Milan
Posted by CRAZY 4 LSU
Member since Apr 2006
16903 posts
Posted on 5/13/16 at 5:03 pm to
I don't have any suggestions as I haven't spent time in those cities, but damn that looks like a great trip. Solid planning.
This post was edited on 5/13/16 at 5:04 pm
Posted by Warheel
Member since Aug 2011
2058 posts
Posted on 5/13/16 at 6:31 pm to
Nice trip. There was a Cinque Terre thread not long ago, but we spent 5 nights there and loved it. Stayed in a B&B in Monterosso, which was crowded (as all the towns are) during the day but once the horde of tourists left was nice. It had a decent nightlife, probably the most lively of the five towns.. I suggest traveling between towns by boat at least one day.

We did a sunset cruise (Angelo's Boat Tours) and it was a good way to meet other people and share tips. If you like seafood the anchovies and mussels are outstanding. If you have any more questions about CT ask away.

Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
12263 posts
Posted on 5/14/16 at 12:11 pm to
You will love the Cinque Terre. The thing to do there is hike from town to town and enjoy the incredible Mediterranean scenery from the trails. Our favorite restaurant was Gambero Rosso in Vernaza. It is by the harbor across from the church. Lucerne is a small city. There is not a whole lot to do there other than enjoy the Alpine scenery which is reason enough to go. You can take a boat ride on Lake Lucerne, walk the wooden bridges and shop at Bucherer. Go in the two beautiful churches, the cathedral and the Baroque style Jesuits church. Our favorite restaurant was the Old Swiss House by the Lion Monument. You will have a great time.
Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
12263 posts
Posted on 5/14/16 at 12:28 pm to
Also, if you run out of things to do in Lucerne you can take a cogwheel train to the top of one of the mountains outside the city.
Posted by Switzerland
Member since Jun 2008
1671 posts
Posted on 5/14/16 at 2:14 pm to
skip milan unless you're flying out of there and have no choice.
Posted by leveedogs
Levee
Member since Jan 2016
276 posts
Posted on 5/14/16 at 3:04 pm to
In Lucerne: Walk around the old town and play a game of finding the most expensive watch on widow display (you will sh*t your pants when you see the prices). From the old covered bridges follow the lake south and enjoy a scenic stroll / people watching, then try to find the famous Lion. Ride the lake ferry for a circuit of stops to enjoy the views from the lake. On ferry would stop at Meggenhorn to see the small castle and its chapel that's a reproduction of a gothic cathedral (happens to be where my wife and I got hitched.) And ONLY if you have a very clear day - go to the top of Pilatus.

In Interlaken: on the day with the best weather you must visit Lauterbrunnen. This valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth IMO. Street view Walk past town along the river to tour Tremmelbach falls, then walk a little further to the gondala station taking you to Murren and from Murren to the top of Schilthorn (great views of Jungfrau, Eiger, Monch from there). Once back in Murren either hike back to Lauterbrunnen station or take the bus. The best day hike I can think of from Interlaken is this: pack lunch, water, hiking map and take the train to Grindelwald in the morning. Theres a great trail west from there taking you below massive north face of Eiger and Monch finishing at the train station in Wengen.

Cinque Terre is nice but 4 days is excessive. Unless you plan some serious relaxation then you could get your fill of Cinque Terre in 2-3 days. Would much rather spend more time in the Alps personally. But the thing to do is the hike that takes you along the coast and visits the other towns. Stop at your leisure to eat, swim (warning: water will be cold in May) and explore the little towns on foot. Then take the train back to your town.
Posted by leveedogs
Levee
Member since Jan 2016
276 posts
Posted on 5/14/16 at 3:12 pm to
Seriously, if it's not too late I would trade one Cinque Terre day for either Zermatt (small hikes with great view of the Matterhorn) or for a tour of Lake Como in Italy. A ride on the lake will show you where the ridiculously rich spend their summers and the villas where George Clooney and the president of Italy enjoy their masked orgies.
Posted by Lima Whiskey
Member since Apr 2013
19105 posts
Posted on 5/14/16 at 8:02 pm to
quote:

skip milan unless you're flying out of there and have no choice.



Si.

Milan is a dump.
Posted by volgolf
Member since Sep 2005
75 posts
Posted on 5/15/16 at 3:01 pm to
We are just flying out of Milan on our last day, so don't plan to do much there. Will likely just grab dinner there on our last night and fly out the next morning.

My one concern for Switzerland right now, especially for our Interlaken 3 days is the weather. I'm hoping for enough clearing on a few mornings or afternoon to get up in the higher elevations and have views and time to hike.

Sat 5/21/2016 64° 52° 0.6 in Rain
Sun 5/22/2016 61° 49° 0.28 in A couple of afternoon showers
Mon 5/23/2016 62° 41° 0.43 in Rain tapering off
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
20396 posts
Posted on 5/15/16 at 4:32 pm to
I highly highly recommend Canyoning if you and your wife are in decent shape. My wife sprained her ankle slightly about 100 yards from the end luckily, but she is not in shape at all. Its something you'd never do in the United States, you wear wet suits so I don't think it would be too cold.
LINK

I did it in Lake Garda, Italy. We had to traverse down a 130 ft cliff, it was by far the scariest thing I've ever done as that was literally my only time I've rock climbed. But the guide was amazing and the scenery, waterfalls, slides, etc. were absolutely amazing.
Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
12263 posts
Posted on 5/15/16 at 6:55 pm to
quote:

she is not in shape at all
I hope your wife does not read Tigerdroppings.
Posted by jordan21210
Member since Apr 2009
13379 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 12:30 am to
For Milan...if you have time...go on Viator.com and book the Valtellina Valley Wine & Cheese tour. My gf and I just did it and it was the highlight of our trip so far. Cannot say enough good about it.

The guides name is Luca, he will book your train tickets from Milan to Varenna on Lake Como and will pick you up at the train station. He does a quick walking tour of Varenna then brings you on a cheese tour at a local agriturismo in the Valtellina Valley, you have lunch at the agriturismo and then go off to a terraced vineyard & winery called Nera where he gives a tour and does tastings. For the price, it's an unbelievable deal and Luca, the guide, is very personable and speaks excellent English. He also makes sure to give you some alone time during the tour. It was an amazing experience for us.

ETA, saw you are just flying out of Milan...oh well, anyone else going to Milan needs to read my post
This post was edited on 5/16/16 at 12:32 am
Posted by Skooter
Member since Jun 2008
2253 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 11:56 am to
quote:

I highly highly recommend Canyoning if you and your wife are in decent shape


Second.

Canyoning is probably the most fun thing I've ever done. Interlaken is called the adult playground of the world. It's incredible. Definitely go hiking as mentioned above. My buddy and I did an 8 hour hike from Muren back to the gondola to take us down the mountain. Also went skydiving. If that's your thing, the views are incredible. The actual free-fall time is very short, but the pictures you get from it make it worth every penny. Also did white water rafting, and Canyon Jumping. Rafting was OK, and if I had to skip one thing, that would be it. Canyon Jumping was awesome. You jump off a cliff and swing through a canyon. Don't know of anything similar in the US.

If all that adventure stuff isn't your style, you can have more than your fill of fun just being there. Like the guy above said, it's one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Posted by Shepherd88
Member since Dec 2013
4579 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 2:54 pm to
Just went to Zermatt In February. I'm jealous, you'll have a blast.
Posted by drockw1
Member since Jun 2006
9101 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 5:09 pm to
3 days in Interlaken is a good number...it gives you 3 chances for clear skies.

We stayed in Mürren back in 2014. It's a great spot if you want to explore the Schilthorn, just a ten minute walk through town to the lift station that can take you through Birg and then to the summitt. The best views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau may be from across the valley on the Schilthorn.

One must...one night go to the Chinese restaurant (Tham) on the main drag. 2 staffers: Tham & his wife. Maybe the best Chinese I've ever had.

For Cinque Terre, I'm reading crowds are now pretty awful during the day (weren't bad when we went in 2012), but take the time to enjoy the area early and late. Four nights may be one too many, but it's one of the most memorable spots you'll ever visit so being able to take your time is nice. Ristorante Belforte near the harbor in Vernazza was awesome for us. And don't miss the Blue Marlin Bar for a nightcap.

This post was edited on 5/16/16 at 5:10 pm
Posted by Switzerland
Member since Jun 2008
1671 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:00 pm to
quote:

My one concern for Switzerland right now, especially for our Interlaken 3 days is the weather. I'm hoping for enough clearing on a few mornings or afternoon to get up in the higher elevations and have views and time to hike.

if the weather isn't cooperative, there's plenty to do in interlaken. a day trip to bern is also nice.
Posted by volgolf
Member since Sep 2005
75 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 7:10 pm to
I think you both have talked us into canyoning. We have been considering some outdoor adventure activity to add on during our time in Interlaken. We are leaning towards Canyoning Grimsel. My wife and I are both active runners and workout regularly. That being said anyone done the Canyoning Chli Schliere?

We could be talked into that one, even with it being more advanced. I'm a little more adventurous than my wife and have been skydiving multiple times and not afraid of heights.

Thoughts on the Canyoning options...
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
20396 posts
Posted on 5/16/16 at 10:24 pm to
The main differences in the 'levels' of canyoning is how far you have to traverse down by rope I believe. All of the jumps we did you could pass on. As in, you could take a rope down if you weren't comfortable jumping. There were multiple jumps where my guide said 'if you are not confident please don't jump'. There were 8 of us in my trip and only myself and one other guy did them all.

The canyoning I did was one of the most unique and amazing things I've ever done. It also pushed my limits in being scared of heights in a way I was ready for a drink afterward. When I say you'll never do it in the USA is because of two reasons. Mostly because of liability, the insurance in the USA would be insane. But secondly because we simply don't really have that type of terrain.

The guides were great and the people you do it with are usually a ton of fun too. I really couldn't recommend it more as one of the top 2-3 things I've done in Europe.
Posted by TigerTaco
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2011
373 posts
Posted on 5/17/16 at 8:21 pm to
Only thing I can add in Interlaken is renting a mountain bike for the day. My wife and I did that for a day and covered a lot of ground on the roads and the trails around the town. We hung out at the park near the golf course and watched the paragliders land and rode out to a restaurant on the lake that specialized in the local fish from the lake.
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