The Unexpected Side of Switzerland

I spent my time traveling across Switzerland by train, boat, and public transportation, with stops that included Lucerne, Lugano, Lausanne, Bern, and Geneva. That ended up being one of my biggest takeaways from the entire trip. In many destinations, transportation is simply how you get from one experience to another. In Switzerland, the transportation is one of the experiences.

Magical Lucerne

Lucerne: Where Switzerland started winning me over

We started in Lucerne, and this is a city I could recommend to almost anyone. You have the lake, mountains, Old Town, restaurants, shopping, and culture all within an incredibly manageable area.

We stayed at AMERON Luzern Hotel Flora, which is a great centrally located option just steps from the Chapel Bridge, Old Town, and lake. For clients looking for a much more elevated experience, I toured Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern, and this is where I would look for the true luxury traveler. It sits directly on Lake Lucerne with incredible Alpine views, beautiful suites, and the kind of polished service and setting that can turn Lucerne into a destination rather than simply a stop on a larger Swiss itinerary.

A boat day is a must on Lake Lucerne

One of my favorite experiences was taking a boat across Lake Lucerne and continuing up Mount Rigi aboard a historic railway carriage. Canapés and wine while climbing into the mountains is a very Swiss version of luxury—it doesn’t feel overproduced or flashy. The scenery does most of the work.

We also spent time aboard a historic steamboat on Lake Lucerne, and then I did something far less “luxury” on paper but probably even more memorable: I got in the water. Swimming surrounded by mountains made me realize that Switzerland in summer has an entirely different personality than the winter destination many Americans picture.

The Rigi experience in Lucerne is a must!

Lugano: Wait, are we still in Switzerland?

Then came Lugano, which almost feels like someone dropped a little piece of Italy into Switzerland. The architecture changes. The food changes. The energy changes.

We traveled there by train through the Gotthard region and spent the day moving around Lake Lugano by boat. We had lunch at a traditional grotto on the water, explored the tiny traffic-free village of Gandria, and finished back in Lugano with a mixology experience.

The intersection of Switzerland and Italy

I loved this day because it showed just how much variety you can build into a Swiss itinerary without constantly packing and unpacking. You can wake up in Lucerne and, a few hours later, feel like you’ve traveled to an entirely different country.

And this is where Switzerland really started winning me over for groups. A group doesn’t necessarily need a coach and driver following them around the entire country. First-class rail, luggage forwarding, and Switzerland’s incredibly connected network of trains, boats, buses, and mountain railways make it possible to create something that feels organized and elevated without feeling overly escorted.

Your luggage can essentially travel ahead while you enjoy the journey. For the right luxury group, I think that freedom is a huge selling point.

Lugano

The train isn’t the transfer—it’s the experience

Our journey from Lucerne toward Lausanne proved that better than anything.

Instead of simply getting from Hotel A to Hotel B, we took the Luzern–Interlaken Express and then connected to the GoldenPass Express. You are traveling through Alpine villages, past lakes, waterfalls, and mountains, and suddenly several hours on a train doesn’t feel like a transfer at all. It feels like one of the best sightseeing days of the trip.

That’s something I would absolutely build intentionally into a client itinerary. Don’t always look for the fastest way across Switzerland. Sometimes the slower, more beautiful route is the entire point.

Traveling by train was super simple and reliable.

Lausanne: Chocolate, culture & Lake Geneva

Lausanne was another surprise. We stayed at the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa, which works beautifully as a luxury base for exploring Lake Geneva and the surrounding region.

Lausanne has a sophisticated but very livable feeling to it. We explored the city with a private guide, stopped at artisan chocolatiers, visited the Olympic Museum, and had enough time to actually experience the city rather than just checking landmarks off a list.

Then, the next morning, we went from city streets to Glacier 3000.

This might be the moment that best sums up Switzerland for me. You take the train out of Lausanne, continue into the mountains, and eventually ascend by cable car until you’re standing at roughly 9,800 feet surrounded by snow and glaciers. We crossed the Peak Walk suspension bridge with huge Alpine views around us. On a clear day, the panorama stretches toward some of Europe’s most iconic peaks.

And then you come back down.

That’s Switzerland.

An incredible day exploring Glacier 3000 (and the walk between the two peaks)

Bern: Medieval streets, spa time & swimming like a local

Bern added yet another personality to the trip.

We stayed at Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa, which gave us the combination I love in a luxury city stay: a beautiful hotel and spa, but with the city right outside the door. You can spend part of the day exploring and then come back for some legitimate downtime rather than feeling like every hour needs to be scheduled.

I expected Bern to be beautiful and historic. What I didn’t expect was how relaxed it felt.

We wandered through the Old City, spent time at the Rose Garden with spectacular views overlooking Bern, and then experienced another side of Swiss summer life—getting into the water.

There’s something almost surreal about spending the morning walking through a medieval European capital and later putting on a swimsuit and joining everyone outside. Those were the moments that kept changing my perception of Switzerland.

Luxury here doesn’t have to mean being separated from the destination. You can stay somewhere exceptional, spend time in the spa, and then go outside and experience the city the way the locals do.

I loved that.

Castles, Charlie Chaplin & Swiss wine

Switzerland changed again as we explored the Lake Geneva region.

We visited Château de Chillon, sitting right on the edge of Lake Geneva, before continuing to Vevey and Chaplin’s World. From there, we boarded a Belle Époque-style paddle steamer and cruised toward Cully and the Lavaux wine region.

We ended the day at Domaine Croix Duplex, overlooking the UNESCO-listed terraced vineyards, Lake Geneva, and the Alps with Swiss wine in front of us.

Standing there, I remember thinking: How is this still the same trip? One day you’re standing on a glacier. The next you're exploring a castle. Then you’re drinking wine in terraced vineyards overlooking one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes. That became the theme of Switzerland for me.

Geneva: Ending with a true luxury retreat

Geneva gave us one final version of Switzerland.

We stayed at La Réserve Genève Hotel & Spa, which felt like a true retreat and was exactly what I wanted after days of trains, mountains, swimming, exploring, and sightseeing.

I love having a property like La Réserve at the beginning or end of a busy itinerary because the hotel itself becomes part of the trip. You can explore Geneva and its Old Town, spend time around Lake Geneva, and enjoy the city, but then retreat back to a luxury resort environment and actually slow down.

After such an active trip, spa time wasn’t an afterthought. It was part of the experience.

And that’s another reason I think Switzerland works so well for luxury travelers. You don’t have to choose between doing everything and relaxing. A well-designed itinerary can give you a morning in the mountains, an afternoon exploring a city, and then a beautiful hotel and spa waiting for you at the end of the day.

By the end of the trip, I kept coming back to the same thought: Switzerland has range. We went from glaciers to swims, medieval Old Cities to grand hotels, mountain railways to vineyards, chocolate tastings to spa afternoons, historic castles to cocktails and long lunches beside the water. Every few hours, it felt like Switzerland was showing us another side of itself.

For luxury groups especially, that’s what makes the destination so interesting. The active traveler gets mountains and outdoor adventure. The foodie gets wine, chocolate, and regional cuisine. The culture lover gets museums, architecture, castles, and historic cities. The luxury traveler gets exceptional hotels, spas, first-class trains, and beautiful private experiences. And the person who simply wants to sit somewhere spectacular with a glass of wine is going to be very happy, too.

Switzerland doesn’t force you to choose between adventure and luxury. You can have both—sometimes in the same afternoon.

I went expecting Switzerland to be beautiful. I didn’t expect it to be this much fun.

Don't think of the trains as transportation. This was probably my biggest lesson. The panoramic rail journeys are part of the itinerary, and I would intentionally build them into a trip rather than always looking for the fastest route between two cities.

First class is worth considering for luxury travelers and groups. More space and a calmer environment make a difference, especially on longer scenic journeys. Switzerland's rail system makes it surprisingly easy to build a premium trip without relying on private drivers every day.

Use luggage forwarding. This was a game changer. Being able to send luggage ahead and travel with only what you need for the day completely changes the rail experience, particularly when you're connecting between trains or incorporating sightseeing along the way.

Summer Switzerland deserves much more attention. I think many travelers automatically associate Switzerland with skiing and winter. I came away loving it as a summer destination. The water becomes part of daily life, the mountains are incredibly accessible, and you can combine hiking, boating, swimming, wine, culture, and city experiences in one trip.

Don't change hotels every night. Switzerland’s transportation system makes it possible to establish a few great bases and explore from them. That creates a much better rhythm for luxury travelers and groups.

Add Lugano if you have time. Ticino feels completely different. The Italian influence, palm trees, lakefront villages, and food make it feel almost like you’ve crossed into another country without actually leaving Switzerland.

Build in spa time. With properties like Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa, Royal Savoy and La Réserve, wellness doesn’t need to be a separate wellness trip. It can simply be part of the rhythm of traveling through Switzerland.

And don’t overschedule. Switzerland is one of those places where sitting beside the water, swimming, wandering through an old city, taking a boat, or having a long lunch can become as memorable as the major attractions.

Most importantly, don’t underestimate Switzerland. I went expecting incredible mountains and trains. I left thinking it might be one of the easiest destinations in Europe to recommend because it offers so many completely different experiences without sacrificing comfort.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Switzerland page.