Itinerary: 1-Week Road Trip through Switzerland

You may notice this itinerary has a few days in Mallorca tacked onto the end. I had the BEST time in Mallorca and I’m dying to return – Paired with the fact that this Switzerland itinerary is at the top of my list for my next trip – and you have the mish-mosh (but totally do-able!) itinerary below.  By adjusting the days, you could absolutely focus this itinerary just on the Switzerland portion and even tack on more days in any of the locations to extend your experience in Switzerland.

DAY 1  / ARRIVE ZURICH

• Pick up your rental car and drive straight to Lucerne (35 minute drive)
• Overnight in an AirBnB in Lucerne 

DAY 2 / EXPLORE LUCERNE

• Morning: Explore the city
• Afternoon: Visit a beer garden like Rathaus Brauerei
• Evening: Dinner @ Bolero
• Overnight: AirBnB in Lucerne

DAY 3 / DRIVE TO WENGEN IN THE JUNGFRAU REGION (1 hour, 10 min drive)

• Morning: Drive to Lauterbrunnen, and leave your car in a parking garage there (Cars are not allowed in the higher villages). Take 11 minute train up to Wengen, Check into Hotel Schonegg (Plenty of AirBnB’s are available too)
• Late Morning: Use the train to visit the adjoining mountain towns: Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Murren. Take the Funicular to Allmendhubel.
• Afternoon: Lunch at Bergrestaurant Winteregg in Murren
• Late Afternoon:  Explore Interlaken. Take a hop on/off boat cruise along the lake.
• Overnight: Hotel Schonegg

DAY 4 / DRIVE TO LOCARNO (3 hour drive) 

• Morning: Enjoy Wengen or Interlaken
• Mid-Afternoon: 3pm-ish, drive 3 hours to Locarno/Ascona area – Check into hotel or AirBnB.
• Evening: Walk the promenade along the lake, find a place for dinner.
• Overnight: Your hotel or AirBnB in Ascona or Locarno

DAY 5 / VALLE VERZASCA / VALLE MAGGIA

• Morning: Get on the road early and explore the mountain villages in the Valle Versazca and Valle Maggia
• Mid-Morning: Visit Lavartezzo (Take time to relax at the Ponte de Salti bridge)
• Afternoon: Visit a Grotto Restaurant for lunch (like Al Grott Cafe or Grotto Pozzasc)
• Overnight: Locarno/Ascona

DAY 6 / RETURN TO ZURICH (2.5 hour drive)

• Morning: Drive 2.5 Hours back to Zurich
• Noon: Stop for lunch at Biergarten Am See Lussi Tavola on the way back – It’s a lakeside biergarten.
  –Optional Add-On–
• Afternoon: Drop off your car at the Zurich airport (where you picked it up originally, thereby avoiding those pesky additional fees for dropping at a different location) and grab an evening flight to Palma, Mallorca.
• Evening: Arrive in Mallorca, pick up your rental car, and make the 45 minute drive to Hotel Costa D’Or in Deia, Mallorca.

DAY 7-9 / MALLORCA

DAY 10 – FLY HOME