All those destinations are well connected by train, which I also think is the most comfortable way to travel.

You should check the indvidual prices, but my guess is that a rail pass would not be to your advantage, as you will have only three long trips in two weeks. Depending on what you do in Switzerland, you may need some train trips, but probably not in Paris and London.

You could save some time, and possibly some money, by flying into Milan, but flying home from London, with a multi-destination airline ticket.

A 3 country select rail pass may save some money, but Cleveland is right that just buying point to point tickets could be as cheap. If you do much traveling I Switzerland a Swiss pass or a Swiss card will probably be a good deal. What does the trip planner recommend?

Do you have a specific reason for 3 days in Milan?

Thanks for the suggestion.

Yes, I do have an open jaw ticket flying into Milan and back to home from London.
I am still not sure about how many days to stay in each country.
Probably you can suggest me on the number of days on each country and the “must visit” area.
Appreciated very much for the comment and suggestions.

Well in my opinion rail pass would the best money saver for you also, as it would be less time consuming. Milan is a great place but not worthy of spending 3 days there. But I would like to tell you that Paris can be bit more expensive than your other destination, so plan your budget accordingly. If you want to travel in city and explore more then you can rent a car or can opt for public transport but public transport can be lot expensive late night also difficult to find at some places. [Spam Link Removed by Moderator] is one of the best car rental companies that will provide you with good cars at cheaper rates so if you intend to hire a car you may have a look here.

Dear Oldlady,

Any idea on my trip? What’s the “must visit” area which I should not miss.
For Milan, my purpose probably is to go for some shopping. Probably a 2 days is alright.
But I am thinking of spending more days in Paris. Any suggestions?

Appreciated very much for your comment.

Favorite places might be a better forum for must see sights.

What time of year will your trip be? Some places are better in Winter; some in Summer.

What are your interests? Fashion and shopping (good in Milan, but not in Cinque Terre) or scenery? etc. Zurich is good for shopping, but not for seeing mountains, unless you daytrip.

I’m not much of a shopper, so Milan has almost no appeal for me. It’s a major transportation hub, and I’d take advantage of that and move on quickly. There’s about a day’s worth of interesting stuff there — the cathedral, Da Vinci’s Last Supper (if you can figure out how to actually see it) and the La Scala museum if you have any interest in Opera. There are some interesting day trips possible from Milan, although many of them require more time in transit than I like for a day trip. I recommend Venice if there’s no way you can spare an extra day to get there any other way. Bologna, Genoa, Lake Lugano Switzerland (actually a shorter train ride than the others) are other possibilities.

I also don’t care much for Zurich. I don’t think you go to Switzerland to see cities and Zurich is, IMO, a kind of edgy city. Maybe you could spend a few days around Lake Lugano area instead.

Hi Clevelandbrown,

I will be going during End May to mid of June.
In Milan most probably for shopping of branded bags.
In Cinque Terre for scenery.
I am not sure about Switzerland. I am thinking of Interlaken.
But Oldlady suggest me Lake Lugano. Which is better?
I don’t like Museum and Opera. Probably I will only stayed Milan for 2 days at most.
Maybe I would like to spend more time in Paris. Any suggestion for Paris?
I am thinking of Nice. I will also bring my kid to Disney. Anymore other place to suggest?
Last place to stop will be London. Any ideas on this? I might stay for 2 to 3 days in London.
Please advice. Appreciated.

What’s “better” is where you want to go in Switzerland. I recommended Lake Lugano as a possible day trip to get out of Milan. We’re mostly budget travelers here and most of us are North American so most things are cheaper at home. The concept of buying a branded bag in Milan is so far above the budget that it’s hard to even imagine. Aren’t they cheaper in Singapore? Lake Lugano is just over an hour from Milan by train. It’s an attractive place and you can visit a variety of scenic places from there, so you could put the Switzerland notch on your belt and then hop back to Milan and fly to Paris.

Huh? Nice is 5 1/2 hours from Paris on the fastest train and needs at least a couple of days, preferably 3 or 4. EuroDisney will be a good choice for kids, although it’s not as big as the US Disney parks (particularly Disney World in Florida), if your kid has seen those.

If you aren’t interested in Museums, what are you interested in? How old is your kid and what is he/she interested in?

I like Lugano and the area around Interlaken (but not Interlaken itself). Most people thinking about Switzerland would be thinking about the Bernese Oberland, the area in the mountains above Interlaken. I think Interlaken does have some carnical type rides, which a child might enjoy, but my preference would be to pass through Interlaken and go to the Lauterbrunnen valley; stay either in the town of Lauterbrunnen in the valley, or one of the mountain villages above the valley. The scenery in that area makes it worth the visit.

I am a fan of opera, so Milan has something for me, but for most people it is a business city, albeit with a lot of high fashion to see and buy. You might consider staying in Florence instead, an easy train ride from Milan with a lot of good shopping, including superb leather works. There is also a lot of history and great art (David, for one), and you could easily visit Pisa in a half day trip. Kids enjoy the leaning tower (don’t we all).

Zurich has a lot of high-end shopping, and some of the best art in Switzerland, but I think the BO might be a better choice for you. Either is a nice scenic train ride from Florence to Milan then over the alps. Take a picnic lunch and eat on the train.

Paris has a lot to see, no matter what your interests are. Many recommend a day at Versailles, but I found it too opulent for my tastes, and it is often crowded. We preferred a visit to Monet’s garden at Giverny, still very much as he left it and an exceptionally beautiful place. A boat ride in Paris is a pleasant experience, and their museums are wonderful. Its hard to make recommendations about Paris because there is so much there. I suggest you go to the web sites of some of the guidebooks (like Fodors or Fromers) and read what they say about Paris, or find some quidebooks or tapes (our library has a lot) then pick out what interests you.

I’ve not been in London recently enough to give meaningful advice on that area, but I would think if has many things to see, just like Paris.