Our Trip to Switzerland & Italy 🇨🇭🇮🇹

9 Days of Mountains, Trains, Family & Unforgettable Memories

Our Switzerland and Italy trip was one of those experiences where almost every day brought something completely different. From breathtaking Swiss mountains and scenic train rides to exploring Milan, shopping, reconnecting with family, and simply enjoying time together, the trip gave us memories I know we will carry for a long time.

Here is how our adventure unfolded, day by day.

Day 1 — Arrival in Switzerland & Rigi Mountain 🇨🇭

Our European adventure officially began when we left New York at 8:40 PM. After an overnight flight, we landed in Switzerland around 9:30 AM the following morning. After arriving at the airport, we headed to Brunnen, where we had booked our Airbnb. Getting there required two trains, but honestly, the journey itself was already part of the experience.

The scenery was beautiful. Everywhere we looked, there were mountains, greenery, lakes, and charming Swiss towns. The trains were also incredibly clean and comfortable. One thing I immediately noticed was that even the trains had garbage bins, which I thought was such a nice detail.

When we arrived in Brunnen, we were lucky enough to check into our Airbnb earlier than expected. We settled in, unpacked, and got everything we needed organized. One of the biggest advantages of our Airbnb was the location. A Lidl supermarket was literally across the street, which made everything so convenient. We could grab eggs, milk, snacks, and a few other essentials without traveling far. After getting settled, we headed out for our first excursion: Mount Rigi.

We took the train from Brunnen and connected to transportation that took us toward Rigi. Once we reached the mountain, the views were absolutely incredible. Standing up there and looking down at the surrounding towns and landscape was something I will never forget. We saw animals, beautiful mountain scenery, and breathtaking views in every direction. Of course, I took tons of pictures and videos because I knew I would want to relive those moments later. After spending a few hours exploring, we headed back to Brunnen and arrived around 6:30 PM. We were tired, but the day wasn't necessarily over. We were already thinking about where we could go next.

Another interesting thing I noticed was the language. This part of Switzerland is predominantly German-speaking, so we heard much more German than French or English. And just like that, our first day in Switzerland came to an end.

Day 2 — More Mountains, Vitznau & Lake Lucerne 🚢

We woke up much later than planned—around 11 AM! After the long travel day before, we were exhausted. We didn't even really think about breakfast. Instead, we decided to get ready and head out for another mountain adventure. We took a bus toward the mountain and, once we reached the bottom, we took the mountain railway/cable transportation toward the top.

Once we arrived, quite a few people were hiking and enjoying the mountain. I have to admit, I wasn't really prepared for hiking that day! We walked around, explored the area, and eventually stopped at a restaurant in the small mountain village. We ate and grabbed a few drinks while enjoying the atmosphere. Afterward, we made our way toward Vitznau.

From Brunnen, one of the beautiful things about traveling around this region is being able to use the boats on Lake Lucerne. We took a boat from Brunnen toward Vitznau. When we arrived in Vitznau, we walked around the little town while waiting for our next train. The combination of trains, boats, mountains, and small Swiss towns made the day feel like we were constantly moving through a postcard.

Day 3 — Zurich, Uetliberg & Stanserhorn

Day three started much earlier.

We woke up around 8 AM, finished our morning routine, and headed to Lidl for a quick breakfast. We ate our breakfast on the train while making our way toward Zurich HB, Zurich's main railway station. Getting there required a transfer, and we got a bit confused with the trains. We expected a train to arrive shortly, but it didn't, so we had to wait longer. Once we finally reached Zurich, we began exploring.

From Zurich HB, we took a tram toward Selnau, then connected to the Uetliberg railway. The train was interesting because it wasn't like a traditional subway. It traveled above ground along tracks. We took it all the way to Uetliberg, the mountain overlooking Zurich. From the station, we started walking uphill.

The trail was steeper than we expected, and we were already tired when we reached the staircase! But after a few minutes, we saw a sign pointing toward the top of Zurich. We followed it and, a few minutes later, reached the viewpoint. The view from Uetliberg was beautiful. We could see Zurich and the surrounding landscape from above. After enjoying the view, we made our way back down and returned toward Selnau. We then headed toward a museum, but unfortunately, we decided not to stay because of the admission price. Instead, we went for brunch.

After brunch, we returned to Zurich HB and continued our journey toward Lucerne, where we had another mountain adventure planned. From Lucerne, we traveled toward Stanserhorn. The journey to the top was another experience in itself. We eventually reached the mountain and took the CabriO cable car, the world's first open-top double-decker cable car. And WOW. The top of Stanserhorn was incredible.

The panoramic views were spectacular. We could see mountains stretching into the distance, and the scenery seemed almost unreal. We stopped at the CabriO restaurant/bistro and had a couple of drinks while enjoying the view. We weren't hungry enough for a full meal, so we simply sat back and took in the scenery. Afterward, we took the funicular and continued down. We returned to Lucerne and spent about an hour walking around near the station before deciding that we were exhausted and it was time to head back to our Airbnb in Brunnen. It had been a very long but beautiful day.

Day 4 — Lake Lucerne, Mount Pilatus & Summer Tobogganing

Day four started early.

We got ready and boarded the IR 26 train from Brunnen to Lucerne. The journey took approximately 45 minutes. When we arrived in Lucerne, we took a boat across Lake Lucerne toward Alpnachstad. This was another one of those moments where the transportation itself became part of the adventure. Traveling by boat surrounded by the Swiss Alps was absolutely beautiful. Once we reached Alpnachstad, we headed to the Pilatus Railway, the famous cogwheel railway that climbs toward Mount Pilatus. We took the cogwheel train all the way up the mountain. At the top, we explored the area, walked around, enjoyed the views, and had lunch. The mountain scenery was incredible, and there was so much to see. After spending about two hours at Mount Pilatus, we decided it was time for another activity. We headed toward Fräkmüntegg, where we experienced the summer toboggan run. After spending so much time visiting mountains and sightseeing, it was fun to do something a little more adventurous. This day was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Switzerland.

Day 5 — An Unexpected Day in Zug 🇨🇭

On day five, a friend from Germany joined us. We planned to start the day in Zurich to visit the Lindt Home of Chocolate. Unfortunately, things didn't go exactly as planned. We missed our intended connection and ended up in Zug instead. At that point, we decided to make the best of the situation. We spent several hours walking around the city, exploring the streets, taking in the architecture, and soaking up the atmosphere. We came across a beautiful church and a bell tower, and we spent some time walking around the area. There wasn't as much to do as we had expected, so in some ways, we felt like we lost most of the day.

Still, travel doesn't always go according to plan, and sometimes you simply have to make the best of whatever happens. We eventually took the train back to Brunnen. Once we got back, we went out for dinner and relaxed.

Day 6 — Goodbye Switzerland, Hello Milan 🇨🇭➡️🇮🇹

Day six was our last day in Switzerland.

We checked out of our Airbnb around 10 AM and headed back toward Zurich HB. Before leaving Switzerland, we wanted to do a little shopping. My son especially wanted a Swiss Army knife, so we made sure to get one before leaving. Then it was time to say goodbye to Switzerland. We boarded our train from Zurich toward Milan. The train ride was beautiful. We passed through incredible scenery, made a couple of stops, and arrived in Milan in less than three hours. We were officially in Italy!

Once we arrived in Milan, we wanted to store our suitcases at the train station so we could go directly to the Duomo di Milano. Unfortunately, we realized that the luggage-storage facility was scheduled to close around 8:30 PM, and we knew we wouldn't have enough time to enjoy the Duomo and make it back before closing. So we decided to head directly to our Airbnb instead. Our Airbnb was located on Via Pastrengo, in a beautiful neighborhood. After arriving, we relaxed for a little while. But everyone was starving! We decided to follow one of our Airbnb host's restaurant recommendations and went out for dinner. By the time we finished, it was late, so we went back to the Airbnb to rest. We knew we had three full days to explore Milan before returning to New York.

Day 7 — Exploring the Milan Duomo, The Last Supper & Shopping in Milan 🇮🇹

Our first full day in Milan started early.

We knew we had a long day ahead, so we got ready and headed toward the city center. One of the main places we wanted to visit was the Duomo di Milano, one of Milan's most iconic landmarks. We took the train toward the Duomo area, and after roughly 30 minutes, we arrived. The first time I saw the Duomo, I was honestly amazed. The cathedral is magnificent. The architecture, the details, the size of the building everything was beautiful. We purchased tickets in advance, but unfortunately we ran into an issue and couldn't use all of them as planned.

There was also confusion regarding my son's admission. We had understood that children could enter for free with our booking, but when we arrived, we were told that we needed to pay for his admission for part of the experience. Because of that, we couldn't do the rooftop experience together as a family. I ended up going to the rooftop by myself. And honestly, it was still an incredible experience. Standing on top of the Duomo and looking across Milan was something I will always remember.

The Last Supper — Something We Missed

Another major attraction we wanted to visit in Milan was Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. Unfortunately, we couldn't do this. And this is something I really wish we had known weeks or even months before our trip. Unlike simply visiting a major landmark such as the Duomo, seeing The Last Supper requires planning. The number of visitors allowed to see the artwork at a time is limited, and tickets can sell out well in advance. By the time we were planning our Milan itinerary, we couldn't get the reservations we needed.

So if you're planning a trip to Milan and The Last Supper is on your list, please don't wait until you arrive in the city to try to get tickets. Make this one of the first things you research after booking your trip. Check the official ticket availability and reserve your time as early as possible. It is one of those attractions where your entire itinerary may need to be planned around your reservation. This was definitely one of the things I wish someone had told us before our trip.

A Little Shopping Time for Me 🛍️

After visiting the Duomo, my partner and my son wanted to do something different, while I wanted to go shopping. So we decided to split up for a while. And honestly, I enjoyed it! I love shopping, and sometimes I prefer to take my time without someone asking me, "Are you done yet?" or "When are we leaving?" I explored several stores around the Duomo and Galleria area and found a few things I wanted to bring back to New York. After spending several hours shopping, I returned to the Airbnb around 3 or 4 PM to meet back up with my family. We later went out for dinner and enjoyed the rest of the evening together. It was a full day, but a great one.

A Very Important Milan Tip: Book The Last Supper Early

If you're planning your own Milan trip, learn from our experience. Don't wait until you get to Milan to book The Last Supper. The official Cenacolo Vinciano website says reservations are required, and tickets are released in specific booking periods. Availability can therefore be limited, particularly during busy travel periods. For us, this became one of the attractions we simply couldn't experience because we hadn't planned far enough ahead. So, when creating your Milan itinerary, I would recommend checking The Last Supper availability before finalizing your other activities. If you get a reservation, build the rest of your day around it. And if you don't see availability, don't assume you can simply walk in and purchase a ticket when you arrive.

This is one of those lessons we learned the hard way—and one I definitely want to pass along to anyone planning a trip to Milan.

Attractions to Reserve Before Your Milan Trip

Based on our experience, I would research and reserve the following as early as possible: The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo Vinciano), Duomo rooftop/terraces, popular museums and special exhibitions, any guided tours you specifically want, and restaurants that require reservations. The key lesson is simple: don't leave the most limited experiences until the last minute. We had an amazing time in Milan regardless, but seeing The Last Supper would have made the trip even more complete.

Day 8 — Reuniting With Family in Milan ❤️

Day eight was a little different because we didn't have a strict itinerary. When I told my cousin that I was going to Europe, he decided to come to Milan to see us. We hadn't seen each other in approximately 13 years, so this reunion was very special. My cousin lives in France and traveled to Milan specifically to spend some time with us. Before meeting him, my partner wanted to find some jewelry for our son, so we went to a few stores around our neighborhood. We looked around, but unfortunately, we didn't find exactly what we were looking for. Then it was time to meet my cousin. When we finally saw each other after all those years, it was such a beautiful moment. We spent several hours together—talking, catching up, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. It felt incredible to reconnect after 13 years.

Unfortunately, around 4:00–5:00 PM, he had to leave to catch his train back to France. Saying goodbye wasn't easy, especially after finally seeing each other again after so many years. After my cousin left, we headed back toward the Duomo area. We took more pictures, walked around, had dinner, and enjoyed our final evening in Milan. Then it was time to head back to the Airbnb and prepare for our flight home.

Day 9 — Milan to New York ✈️

And just like that, our European adventure was coming to an end. Our flight was scheduled for around 2:30 PM, so we left the Airbnb around 9 or 10 AM. We considered taking an Uber to the airport, but the price was much higher than we wanted to pay. Instead, we took the train. Luckily, the train station was only about three minutes from our Airbnb, and we could take the train to the airport. It was convenient, affordable, and much easier than dealing with an expensive car ride.

Eventually, we arrived at the airport, checked in, and prepared for our flight back to New York. And just like that, our Switzerland and Italy adventure was over. We made it back to New York safely, with our luggage, hundreds of pictures and videos, and so many memories.

Final Thoughts — Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely. This trip was filled with beautiful scenery, unexpected changes, long train rides, mountains, boats, shopping, family time, and plenty of moments that I know I will remember for years. Switzerland completely impressed me. The mountains were breathtaking, the transportation system made it easy to explore different places, and even the train rides became part of the experience.

Milan was completely different from Switzerland, but I loved experiencing both destinations during the same trip. If there is one thing I regret, it is that we didn't make it to the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Switzerland. That was one of the places we originally wanted to visit, but unfortunately, our plans didn't work out. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this trip.

Travel doesn't always go exactly as planned. Sometimes you miss a train, end up in a different city, change your itinerary, split up from your family for a few hours, or discover something you never expected. And that's part of the beauty of traveling. You don't need everything perfectly planned to create unforgettable memories. For me, this trip was about experiencing something new, spending quality time with my family, exploring beautiful places, reconnecting with someone I hadn't seen in 13 years, and simply enjoying the journey.

Switzerland 🇨🇭 → Milan 🇮🇹 → New York 🗽

Until the next adventure. ✈️🌍