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Just 4 nights, which town and ride to choose in Eastern Switzerland.

Just 4 nights, which town and ride to choose in Eastern Switzerland.

Old May 29th, 2022, 11:45 AM
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Just 4 nights, which town and ride to choose in Eastern Switzerland.

We are a couple 59 and 55 (wife). Will be visiting from UK to spend 4 night in Switzerland, around the end of June22. Wife is interested in Interlaken and bernina exp. Need suggestions. If we stick to 2 nights each in Lucerne and Interlaken then instead of bernina we can do a bit of golden line trip and won't have run all over the region. Second option is Zurich to Lugano by train. Stay 1st night in Lugano. Next day bernina bus to tirano, then BExp train to chur and stay that 2nd night in chur. (chur to Lugano route is booked and gone for these dates) Then go to Lucerne for 2 nights and relax and enjoy boat cruise etc there. I know it's personal preference but second one is hectic first 2 days. So is BExp so much better and worth not missing at all and is Lugano also not worth missing? Need to make this decision by tomorrow. Please advise. Thanks

Last edited by kamirza; May 29th, 2022 at 11:50 AM.
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Old May 30th, 2022, 02:56 AM
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The Lugano area is a gem: Lake Lugano boat cruises, cog wheel railway, funiculars and cableways to many splendid viewpoints (3 to 5 lakes, Alps from Mont Blanc/Gran Paradiso via Matterhorn up to Piz Bernina and Ortles), Post bus lines to mountain villages, Unesco heritage sites (Bellinzona, Monte San Giorgio), copy of the Last Supper paint by a disciple of Leonardo, old churches, Swissminiatur open air museum, adventure parks, some 100 kms of well signmarked panoramic hiking trails, etc. etc.

There is not only the Bernina Express bus running from Lugano to Tirano or vice versa. There are train connections via Monza (every 2 hrs) and - more scenic - a bus connection from Lugano to Menaggio (bus change) - Colico, where you can board the train to Tirano, or the Lake Como boat solution (train from Lugano to Como - boat to Varenna, Bellano or Colico - train to Tirano.

Pontresina or St. Moritz are much more scenic places for stopovers along the Bernina Express line (gondolas to viewpoints and glaciers, mountain lakes) than Chur..
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Old May 30th, 2022, 09:46 AM
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Thank you very much indeed for this reply in which you have summed up quite well. You didnt mention any comparison with Lucerne, Interlaken and Golden pass ride but I presume in your opinion this Lugano & Bernina is a better route. So thats what i'll do. We'll do this and then on the last day or more will have a choice of either staying one or 2 nights at Lucerne or Interlaken. Can you please guide us on that . We will not be involved in hiking etc but mainly chilling, boat cruise, gentle walks on lakeside and nice waterside restaurant meal in the evening. And would also prefer to stay at a lakeside nice hotel. So Lucerne or Interlaken? Thanks again.
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Old May 30th, 2022, 11:33 AM
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We once made the mistake of staying in Interlaken. Never again. It's rather charmless.

The best of the BO is above Interlaken - think Wengen, Murren or Lauterbrunnen instead. But it sounds as if you're looking for lakes rather than Alps? Maybe take a look at Thun instead. Much more charming.

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Old Jun 1st, 2022, 09:30 AM
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"We will not be involved in hiking etc but mainly chilling, boat cruise, gentle walks on lakeside and nice waterside restaurant meal in the evening."
For that, Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore or Lake Como would be much better than the rather small Lake Thun in a definitely colder area.
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Old Jun 1st, 2022, 11:51 AM
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So we have changed plan. Now coming to Geneva and will take golden pass from where it starts and go to Gstaad and stay 2 nights there. Then on the way to Lucerne we will see some area around interlaken and then Lucerne for 2 days.
Hope this works out well.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2022, 01:15 AM
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Montreux, the place where Golden Pass Express starts is the perfect place for "mainly chilling, boat cruise, gentle walks on lakeside and nice waterside restaurant meal in the evening."
Montreux can be reached by train (every 30 min) AND BOAT (twice daily) from Geneva and Montreux.
Chillon castle, one of the most famous castles of Switzerland is very close to Montreux and can be reached from there by city bus, commuter train or boat or in a 1 hr foot walk on the boardwalk along the Lake shore.

Gstaad is the starting point for Glacier 3000. Don't miss this underrated panoramic restaurant with views from Mont Blanc up to Jungfrau
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Old Jun 2nd, 2022, 01:28 AM
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GLACIER 3000
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Old Jun 2nd, 2022, 01:37 AM
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Boardwalk from Montreux to Chillon
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Old Jun 2nd, 2022, 01:44 AM
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Montreux


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