Then take the high-speed TGV to Switzerland and spend one day/night in one of the cities (Zermatt is nice but it is a bit out-of-the-way, so I’d forget that on this trip and concentrate on the other Swiss destinations) and travel by train to another — you’ll see quite a bit of lovely Switzerland from the train. This pretty lakeside city is surrounded by vineyards set against the breathtaking backdrop of snow-covered Alps and nearby Chillon Castle, immortalized by Lord Byron, is the most visited attraction in the entire country. Do you recommend this? I do it all the time myself. The Upper Engadin provides spectacular mountain views, a seemingly endless expanse of lake plateau and, to some, a magical quality in the light. Switzerland as a country is not very big. Its old town, dominated by a cathedral that’s the country’s most impressive piece of early Gothic architecture, with cafes and peppering the medieval city center. There you can make contact with your local Swiss tourist office. And you can take a train from the terminal and connect to anywhere in the country or throughout Europe, for that matter, since Zürich’s main railway station is regarded as a central European railroad hub. I had heard that Lucerne is a must see. See Zurich for a day and then head south into the countryside and mountains to Lucerne and Interlaken. Any suggestions from you would be most appreciated !! Have a good trip! When she gets back to me I’ll share her recommendations with you. Not as touristic as Interlaken and nicer , Hi Jim, my wife and I are planning a winter vacation for 1 week in Switzerland dec29 till jan6 2017. It’s an efficient airport. Pls advice. Pat, you sound like someone who would be fun to travel with (you, evidently, have a passion for travel!). Really want to play with the snow..Thanks for your kind advise.. Hi Suzie, They can provide you a lot of good info. Hello Jim, We absolutely LOVE every aspect of traveling and since we will be hitting many major cities throughout our journey (London, Paris, Munich) my hope was to experience authentic, beautiful areas of Switzerland. You are so right — it would be a shame to travel all that way, and spend so much money, and not see more of Europe. We are flying to Zurich 12/5/16 and planing to catch the train to Lucerne stay two nights then travel to zermatt stay two nights then to Basel stay one night then fly to Venice stay for three nights. Thank you for your useful tips. Hi Galina, With this amazing article we just want to book a trip and go there !! and experience the essence of Switzerland? Tell me what type of experiences are you looking for? First, neither of us is fluent in […], Your email address will not be published. You can also subscribe without commenting. In France I have only Paris in mind. I would like to keep Zurich as my base. What city would you recommend for a 2 night stay? Although Switzerland is good any time of year, a lot depends on the time of year you be going. We are planning to be in lucerne for 3 days and go for day tours FRM there for three days…can u suggest wat all places should we go as we have only three days in hand. The city is divided into 2 major areas known … Hi Jim, Also, I imagine that you’re flying into Vienna, but where are you departing from? Thank you jim Located in the Ticino region that borders Italy in the south, Lugano is a city with an unmistakable Italian influence.