Switzerland and Italy itinerary: 13 days from India
A 13-day Switzerland and Italy itinerary from India: Interlaken, Zurich, Milan, Florence, Naples and Rome by train, with the visa, budget and best months.
AVR Travels · · 6 min read
This 13-day Switzerland and Italy itinerary suits couples, honeymooners and families who want the Alps and Italy in one trip without packing up every night. Five days in Switzerland on two bases, then the train crosses the Alps and runs down Italy: Interlaken, Zurich, Milan, Florence, Naples and Rome.
It is the plan behind our Switzerland and Italy trip. Every intercity leg is by train, and you fly into Zurich and home from Rome.
Best time to visit: May to June is our pick, with the Alps open and Italy warm but not yet crowded. September to October is equally good. July and August are hot in the south and busy everywhere, so book early. From November to April the Amalfi Coast largely shuts down and some Swiss excursions close for weather.
Day by day
Day 01
Zurich to Interlaken and Lake Brienz
Land at Zurich and take the train straight to Interlaken. Check in, then an evening cruise on Lake Brienz. The rest of the evening is free. Overnight in Interlaken.
Day 02
Jungfraujoch or Grindelwald First, then Lauterbrunnen
A full mountain day. Choose Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m, the highest railway station in Europe, or Grindelwald First with its cliff walk and ridge. In the evening, Lauterbrunnen, a valley with seventy-two waterfalls. Overnight in Interlaken.
Day 03
Harder Kulm, then Zurich
Harder Kulm in the morning for the view over Interlaken and both its lakes, then the train to Zurich. The evening is free to walk the old town and shop on Bahnhofstrasse. Overnight in Zurich.
Day 04
Lucerne and Mount Titlis
A full day out to Lucerne for the Lion Monument and the Kapellbrücke, then up Mount Titlis on the rotating cable car for the glacier and the snow. Overnight in Zurich.
Day 05
Rhine Falls and Lindt Home of Chocolate
Rhine Falls in the morning, with the boat out to the rock in the middle of the falls. Lindt Home of Chocolate in the evening. Overnight in Zurich.
Day 06
Zurich to Milan
Check out and take the train through the Alps to Milan. Evening at the Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Overnight in Milan.
Day 07
Venice day trip
A full day in Venice: the Grand Canal, St Mark's, and the quieter lanes behind it. Back to Milan for the night.
Day 08
Lake Como
A full day at Lake Como, with the boat between Bellagio and Varenna, the two towns worth the day. Overnight in Milan.
Day 09
Milan to Florence, Pisa in the evening
Train to Florence and check in. In the evening, out to Pisa, about an hour away, for the leaning tower, then back to Florence. Overnight in Florence.
Day 10
Florence, then Naples
The morning is for Florence itself before check-out: the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio and the Renaissance city on foot. Afternoon train to Naples, and a free evening for pizza in the city that invented it. Overnight in Naples.
Day 11
Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi
A full day down the Amalfi Coast: Sorrento, then Positano stacked up its cliff, then Amalfi. It is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Italy. Overnight in Naples.
Day 12
Naples to Rome
Check out and take the train to Rome. Afternoon at the Colosseum, then the Trevi Fountain. Overnight in Rome.
Day 13
Vatican City and departure
Vatican City in the morning, for St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel, then free time to shop. Evening train to the airport for the flight home.
Where to stay
The plan books central hotels by class rather than by name, so they can be matched to your dates and budget. Comfort is 3 to 4-star; Premium is a 5-star in a specific part of each city.
- Interlaken, 2 nights: 3 to 4-star in Interlaken, or a lake-view 5-star
- Zurich, 3 nights: central 3 to 4-star, or a 5-star on Lake Zurich
- Milan, 3 nights: central 3 to 4-star, or a 5-star near the Duomo
- Florence, 1 night: central 3 to 4-star, or a 5-star by the Arno
- Naples, 2 nights: central 3 to 4-star, or a seafront 5-star
- Rome, 1 night: central 3 to 4-star, or a 5-star by the Spanish Steps
Getting there and the visa
From India you fly into Zurich and home from Rome. Return international flights are included in the trip price, along with every intercity train, coach and ferry on the route, and airport and station transfers.
You need a Schengen visa. One Schengen visa covers both Switzerland and Italy, and you apply to the consulate of the country where you spend the longest time. On this plan that is Italy, with seven nights against five in Switzerland. Apply no earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before travel. Visa application support and fees are included in the trip, and our Schengen visa guide lists the documents, fees and processing times.
Budget
AVR's Europe catalogue prices this trip from ₹6,50,000 per couple, all-inclusive. That covers return flights, visa support and fees, central hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, every train, coach and ferry, the sightseeing and entry tickets listed day by day, and transfers. The figure is indicative and moves with the exchange rate on the day of booking.
Not included: lunches, the city tourist tax paid at the hotel, personal expenses, tips and laundry, travel insurance, and optional experiences that are not in the day-by-day.
Tips for travelling with kids and parents
- Jungfraujoch is at 3,454 m. If anyone has heart or breathing conditions, check with a doctor before you go. Grindelwald First is the other choice for Day 2.
- Carry warm layers on the mountain days, even in summer. Jungfraujoch and Titlis both have snow and glacier.
- Pack light. You move hotels with your own bags on Days 1, 3, 6, 9, 10 and 12, and one medium suitcase each is easier on trains than two.
- Days 9 and 10 are the busiest: a Florence check-in, an evening in Pisa, then Florence in the morning and a train to Naples. With young children or grandparents, this is the leg to slow down.
- The Amalfi day is a long day on a winding coast road. Anyone who gets car sick should sit at the front.
How to change it
- Sleep on the Amalfi Coast: a night in Sorrento or Positano instead of day-tripping from Naples changes that whole leg.
- Shorter: below eleven days something real has to go, usually Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
- Skip-the-line Vatican with a guide, so you reach the Sistine Chapel before the general queue.
- First-class rail on every intercity leg, for more luggage space and a quieter carriage.
- Private guides and a vehicle instead of the small-group day tours, at your own pace.
Longer works too. A family of four we planned for in May 2026, two parents and two children, took nineteen days from Paris to Rome, entirely by train after landing. Switzerland had the most mountain days, with Jungfraujoch, Glacier 3000, Gornergrat and Titlis, and Italy had day trips to Lake Como, Venice and Tuscany. The full log is on the Paris, Switzerland and Italy past trip.
If Paris and the Riviera appeal more than Rome, look at France and Switzerland. Otherwise, send us your dates and who is travelling from the Switzerland and Italy trip page and we will reply on WhatsApp.
Questions families ask
Is 13 days enough for Switzerland and Italy?
It is, because the Swiss leg sits on two bases and the Italian leg uses fast trains. Below eleven days something real has to go, usually Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
Do we need two visas for Switzerland and Italy?
No. Both are in the Schengen area, so one Schengen short-stay visa covers them. You apply to the consulate of the country where you spend the longest time, which is Italy on this plan.
Which Swiss mountain excursion should we choose?
Jungfraujoch if you want the glacier and the altitude, Grindelwald First if you would rather be outdoors on a ridge. We book whichever you pick, and swap if the forecast turns.
What is the best month for Switzerland and Italy?
May to June, when the Alps are open and Italy is warm but not yet crowded. September to October works just as well. July and August are hot and busy, and from November to April the Amalfi Coast largely shuts down.
Can we sleep on the Amalfi Coast instead of day-tripping?
Yes, and we recommend it if the budget allows. A night in Sorrento or Positano changes that leg completely.
Does the price include flights?
Yes. The ₹6,50,000 per couple figure is all-inclusive: return flights, visa support and fees, hotels with breakfast and dinner, trains, transfers and the listed sightseeing. Lunches and the city tourist tax are extra.
