3 of the Best Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary Ideas You’ll Love

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Northern Italy and Switzerland are two of the most fantastic European regions. These are areas marked by high-end civilizations, exciting activities, breathtaking architecture, and phenomenal art. To explore them on your vacation, you must embark on a diverse multi-city itinerary. If you need help planning one, here are three excellent Northern Italy and Switzerland ideas to assist you:

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1. 10-Day Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary: Florence – Turin – Lausanne

This classic 10-day in Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary begins in the Italian city of Florence, a destination famous for the richness of its culture. Florence was one of the major Italian hubs of the Renaissance and therefore possesses many great artifacts and monuments belonging to the era. The Renaissance themes are evident in its famous architectural sites, like the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, and in art as displayed in galleries like the Uffizi Gallery. Additionally, thanks to a buzzing gastronomical culture, Florence is ripe with opportunities for all food enthusiasts. With several food tours, cooking classes, and dining experiences awaiting your attention, the city guarantees you an incomparable food affair.

Following the three days spent in Florence, hop onto a train to continue your Northern Italy and Switzerland by train itinerary and reach Turin, your second stop. Turin is an Italian destination popular for its Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-classical, and Art Nouveau architecture. This means that being in this city is equivalent to being in an architectural haven, with remarkable marvels right at your dispense. Plan visits to iconic destinations like Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, and La Venaria to get a full-blown experience of the city. Turin’s historic cafes are also worth a visit. The city boasts the highest density of cafes in the country, many of which hold great historical significance. Therefore, a chance to dine in them is highly precious and should not be let go of.

Your ten days in Northern Italy and Switzerland end in the Swiss city of Lausanne. The town may be small, but it is jam-packed with attractions waiting to be explored. First and foremost, Lausanne flaunts a gorgeous setting, sitting on top hills north of Lake Geneva. The beauty is so commendable that you will find yourself wowing very often. Secondly, the city has a long, long history, one that dates to the Roman Empire. Therefore, it is no surprise that you find architectural wonders and museums littered across the city. A few notable ones are the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Collection de I’Art Brut, and Place de la Palud.

Travel Guide & Resources for this 10-Day Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary:

Enjoy this 10 days in Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary? With this guide, now you can find the best flightstrain ticketsbuses, or rent a car for your trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland you can do all that with the links provided.

Also, here you can browse our list of the best hotels in Florence, Turin, and Lausanne to stay in.

Need more ideas to add to your 2-week or 14-day Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary? Find top attractions & things to do in Florence, Turin, and Lausanne in addition to what is already mentioned here.

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2. 12-Day Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary: Zurich – Geneva – Bologna – Florence

This northern Italy and Switzerland by train itinerary begins in Zurich and promises a fun-filled twelve days. Thanks to the small size of Zurich and easily accessible attractions, you can explore the city thoroughly in two days. Zurich is the financial capital of Switzerland; therefore, it comes as no surprise that it is the hub for luxurious and extravagant shopping and living experiences. The city also features several remarkable museums, like the Swiss National Museum, and several Michelin-star dining options. So, wave your average life goodbye for a couple of days and indulge in high-end luxury!

The next step in your northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary is Geneva. The city may give off professional and bureaucratic vibes, for it is the center of many global organizations, but this does not mean that it has nothing to interest its visitors. The city is ripe with buzzing opportunities whose experiences will stay with you for a lifetime. For example, you should take the chance to explore the city by boat, which provides an unforgettable experience. Exploring museums and art galleries like Musee d’Art et d’Histoire and Musee Ariana are excellent and meaningful activities that you would love.

Bologna is a destination loved by many for its stunning architecture, distinctive gastronomical culture, and lovely seaside. Plus, the opportunities here are so many that you will inevitably fall in love with this Italian town. While you are here, indulge in the Bolognese cuisine as much as you can. You will leave the city having wholeheartedly accepted its culinary supremacy. Furthermore, the nightlife of the city is electrifying, thanks to its sizeable student population. So, if you are looking to dance and party through your travel, now is your chance!

Your Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary ends in Florence, the romantic and artistic capital of the Tuscan region of Italy. Ensure you take good advantage of the opportunities available here, for they are endless and extremely enjoyable. Some of the most popular sites that you cannot afford to miss include the Uffizi Gallery, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Travel Guide & Resources for this 12-Day Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary:

Enjoy this 12 Days in Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary? With this guide, now you can find the best flightstrain tickets, and buses, or rent a car for your trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland you can do all that with the links provided.

Also, here you can browse our list of the best hotels in Zurich, Geneva, Bologna, and Florence to stay in.

Need more ideas to add to your 2-week or 14-day Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary? Find top attractions & things to do in Zurich, Geneva, Bologna, and Florence in addition to what is already mentioned here.

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3. 14-Day Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary: Bern – Interlaken – Milan – Venice

This fourteen-day Northern Italy and Switzerland by train itinerary provides you with a thorough insight into the two countries’ cultures and traditions. Start your trip from Bern, the city of fountains. You can find tens of fountains, both modern and historical, littered across the city. Plan a fountain-hopping trip, which would also allow you to explore the attractions that lie in between. Other destinations you must visit include the Old Town, marked by medieval buildings, Bern Munster, a glorious representation of Gothic architectural designs, and the Historical Museum.

From Bern, you should travel to Interlaken, which is recognized as one of the oldest and best-known summer resorts globally. And it makes perfect sense, for the city is surrounded by the Alps and sits on a valley floor between two lakes. A destination cannot have a more attractive location than this! There are several exciting and relaxing activities you can participate in, including hiking, kayaking, and cruising.

Following your time in Interlaken, you should head to the Italian city of Milan. Milan is regarded as the most fashion-forward city in Italy and is, therefore, home to several high-end shopping brands and plazas. There cannot exist a better opportunity to indulge in a shopping experience more extravagant and more luxurious than this! When you are tired of shopping, you should embark on a quest to explore the city’s various landmarks. Sites like Duomo di Milano and Teatro Alla Scala will blow your mind away.

To conclude your trip in style, head to Venice, the floating city. Spend a day relaxing your muscles and then gear up with the most comfortable pair of shoes you have, for it is time to flex your leg muscles. This is because Venice is a city best explored on foot or by boat. The city is ready to be photographed at all times, so while you are aimlessly roaming through its streets, keep your camera ready. Make sure that you visit destinations like St. Mark’s Basilica, Ponte di Rialto, and Gallerie dell’Accademia.

Travel Guide & Resources for this Northern Italy and Switzerland Itinerary:

Enjoy this 2-week in Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary? With this guide, now you can find the best flightstrain tickets, buses, or rent a car for your trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland you can do all that with the links provided.

Also, here you can browse our list of the best hotels in Bern, Interlaken, Milan, and Venice to stay in.

Need more ideas to add to your 2-week or 14-day Northern Italy and Switzerland itinerary? Find top attractions & things to do in Bern, Interlaken, Milan, and Venice in addition to what is already mentioned here.

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Video Guide: Northern Italy & Switzerland Itinerary Ideas

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Additional travel resources for planning a trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland

To make planning a trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland easier, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in each destination during your trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland, and other European cities.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

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Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Transportations: 

Airport TransfersKiwiTaxiViator

TrainEuRailTrainline or RailEurope 

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

Car RentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking (Bikes & scooter rentals) 

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

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Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportation and transfer options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Need help planning a Northern Italy and Switzerland trip?

Want to plan your trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland but don’t know where to begin? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a multi-city trip to Northern Italy and Switzerland are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city vacations at the best price.

Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations.

To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in  5 Easy Steps”  here.

Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today.

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Travel Resources for Planning Your Own Trip

To make planning your European trip on your own easier, in addition to what already mentioned in our travel guide, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in any destination using these travel resources:

European River Cruises:

Uniworld River Cruises: The world’s best and most awarded luxury river cruise line—offers itineraries in spectacular destinations throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia, and Peru. The company’s European fleet features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 120 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry, enticing shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, impeccable hospitality, and numerous other all-inclusive benefits.

Pre- and Post-cruise/Tour Extensions: Uniworld curated pre-and post-cruise/tour extensions make it easy to add a few days to the front or back end of your trip while leaving the planning to them

The packages include a variety of hotel options, transfers, and a dedicated destination expert to escort you along the way.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Airport Transfers & Transportations: 

Airport Transfers: GetTransfer offers both airport transfers & car rentals with a personal driver. Other airport transfer options are KiwiTaxi and Viator.

TrainEuroRailTrainline, or RailEurope are all great sites for train tickets as well as Rail Passes if you would like to add more flexibility to your trip. They are good for most trains throughout Europe. For trains in Italy, we like and recommend ItaliaRail. As for Portugal, you will need to go to the official website for Comboios de Portugal (the Portuguese train company) to book your train tickets when traveling in Portugal.

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

CarRentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking is a great site for bikes & scooter rentals

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Travel Insurance:

Travel Guard:  Their comprehensive travel insurance programs, starting at $30, include per-trip & annual plans, coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss & more! Travel Guard provides 24/7-customer service with a personal touch through its World Service Center.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links, MultiCityTrips may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Trip by Travel Experts

Need help planning a trip and find the best vacation package for your multi-city trip to Europe? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-city, multi-country European vacations, and complicated itineraries are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize an amazing multi-city trip to your dream destinations in Europe.

Ready for a trip? Check out our planning options and get in touch with us today!

Featured Pre-Designed Packages

These air-inclusive, pre-designed multi-city European vacation packages can be personalized to suit your needs!

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Not sure or can’t decide which planning option is right for you? Schedule a free 30-minute call with one of our travel experts to discuss your travel needs today!