Switzerland & Italy with the Amalfi Coast — Self-Launched
15 days · Switzerland & Italy (Zurich to Naples)
Wanderful Holidays LLC charges £2,825
No-markup version: ~£1,046 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 15-day version of Wanderful Holidays' Zurich-to-Naples itinerary: the same lakes, mountains, Renaissance cities and Amalfi cliffs, but stitched together yourself with Swiss and Italian trains, budget guesthouses and self-bookable tours. You'll ride the world's steepest rack railway up Pilatus, jump into the Jungfrau region without paying for tours, take the ferry up Lake Como, walk Venice and the Colosseum with GetYourGuide guides, and finish on the Amalfi Coast with a local bus pass instead of a private transfer. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and assume shared dorms or simple doubles, supermarket lunches and a mix of self-cooked and trattoria dinners.
Day-by-day
Arrive Zurich — old town and lakefront
Zurich
Fly into Zurich Airport (ZRH) and take the S-Bahn (S2/S16, ~CHF 3.50, 15 mins) into the Hauptbahnhof. Check into a hostel in Langstrasse or the Niederdorf area, then do a free evening loop of the old town: Bahnhofstrasse, Lindenhof viewpoint, Grossmünster and the lakeshore at Bürkliplatz. Grab a supermarket dinner (Coop/Migros) to keep costs down — Zurich restaurants are brutal on the budget.
🚌S-Bahn S2/S16 from ZRH to Hauptbahnhof, ~CHF 3.50
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Zurich (Langstrasse/Niederdorf)
- →S-Bahn transfer from airport
- →Old town self-walk: Lindenhof, Grossmünster, Bahnhofstrasse
- →Lake Zurich waterfront at sunset
Zurich trolley circuit and Lake Zurich cruise
Zurich
Recreate the operator's trolley tour on Zurich's regular tram network: trams 4 and 11 loop past the Polybahn, Kunsthaus, Bellevue and Enge, and a 24-hour ZVV day pass (~CHF 9.60) covers the whole city. In the afternoon buy a short ZSG lake boat ticket (1.5h round trip to Küsnacht, ~CHF 15) instead of a packaged cruise — the lake and Glarus Alps views are identical.
🚌ZVV 24h city pass ~CHF 9.60 + ZSG lake boat ~CHF 15
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Zurich
- →Self-guided tram loop (lines 4/11)
- →ZSG Lake Zurich boat trip (~1.5h)
- →Polybahn funicular viewpoint
Train to Lucerne — catamaran to Kehrsiten
Lucerne
Take the IR train from Zurich HB to Lucerne (45 mins, ~CHF 26 with half-fare, cheaper on supersaver tickets booked ahead). Drop bags at a hostel or budget hotel near the station, walk the medieval Kapellbrücke and Lion Monument, then take the SGV catamaran across Lake Lucerne to Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock and back (~CHF 30 return with Half-Fare Card) for the mountain-framed lake views.
🚌IR train Zurich–Lucerne ~CHF 26 + lake catamaran ~CHF 30
🛏Hostel or simple 3* guesthouse, Lucerne
- →Zurich–Lucerne IR train
- →Kapellbrücke and old town walk
- →Lake Lucerne catamaran to Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock
Mount Pilatus: gondola up, rack railway down
Lucerne / Mount Pilatus
Do the classic Pilatus circuit yourself: bus 1 to Kriens, then the Panorama Gondola and Dragon Ride cable car to the summit (~CHF 40-50 with Half-Fare Card), hike the 40-minute Esel summit ridge, then descend on the world's steepest rack railway (48% gradient) to Alpnachstad and catch the S5 train back to Lucerne (~CHF 10) — or take the lake steamer from Alpnachstad to Lucerne pier as the tour does.
🚌Bus 1 to Kriens + gondola/rack railway combo ~CHF 50 + S5 train ~CHF 10
🛏Hostel or simple 3* guesthouse, Lucerne
- →Kriens–Pilatus gondola ascent
- →Summit ridge hike
- →World's steepest rack railway descent
- →Optional Lake Lucerne steamer back
Jungfrau region day trip — Interlaken and Grindelwald
Lucerne / Interlaken / Grindelwald
Instead of a private coach, use the Brünig Pass scenic train: Lucerne to Interlaken Ost (~2h), then the BOB train up to Grindelwald (~35 mins). Walk the Gletscherschlucht gorge or the easy First-to-Bachalpsee trail if weather is good, wander Grindelwald village, and return via Interlaken for a lake-side lap. A Saver Day Pass (~CHF 52 booked early) covers all of it. Skip the pricey Jungfraujoch — the valley views are free.
🚌Saver Day Pass ~CHF 52 (Lucerne–Interlaken–Grindelwald return)
🛏Hostel or simple 3* guesthouse, Lucerne
- →Brünig Pass scenic rail route
- →Grindelwald village and glacier gorge
- →Interlaken Höheweg and lake walk
Lucerne to Lake Como via Lugano
Menaggio / Lake Como
Travel day: Lucerne to Lugano on the Gotthard Panorama route (~2h30), then the regional train to Como San Giovanni (~40 mins). From Como take the C10 bus up the western shore or the fast ferry to Menaggio (~€6-9, 40 mins) — staying in Menaggio or Varenna puts you actually on the lake rather than 20 minutes out, which is a common complaint about the group version. Evening aperitivo on the Menaggio lakefront.
🚌Lucerne–Lugano–Como trains ~€45 + ferry/bus to Menaggio ~€8
🛏Budget guesthouse, Menaggio or Varenna
- →Gotthard scenic train to Lugano
- →Train Como San Giovanni
- →Ferry or C10 bus to Menaggio
Lake Como by public ferry — Bellagio and Varenna
Lake Como
Self-guide the lake with a midi Lake Como ferry day pass (~€15-20 on the Navigazione Lago di Como mid-lake route). Hop Menaggio → Bellagio (lunch, the Salita Serbelloni steps) → Varenna (Villa Monastero gardens, ~€10) and back. It's the same ferry corridor tour groups use, just without the guide radio and at a third of the price.
🚌Navigazione Lago di Como midi day pass ~€18
🛏Budget guesthouse, Menaggio or Varenna
- →Lake Como midi ferry day pass
- →Bellagio lanes and Salita Serbelloni
- →Villa Monastero gardens, Varenna
Como to Venice by train
Venice
Head back down to Milan Centrale (regional train from Como, ~€5-6), then take a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train to Venezia Santa Lucia (~2h20, €30-50 if booked 2-4 weeks ahead on Trenitalia). Check into a hostel on the mainland at Mestre (~10 mins by bus/train from Santa Lucia) to slash costs, then do a first-night wander across the Ponte degli Scalzi. Buy a 48h ACTV vaporetto pass (~€35) on arrival.
🚌Como–Milan ~€6 + Milan–Venice high speed ~€40 + ACTV 48h pass ~€35
🛏Hostel or budget B&B, Venice Mestre
- →Regional train Como–Milan
- →High-speed train Milan–Venice
- →Evening walk in Cannaregio
San Marco, Doge's Palace and a gondola ride
Venice
Book a small-group St Mark's Basilica + Doge's Palace skip-the-line tour on GetYourGuide (~€45-60) to cover the Basilica, Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and the main island walk in one go. Do a spritz at a bacaro in Rialto (~€3-4 standing) and split a 30-minute gondola at a public station (~€90 per boat, so ~€30pp if you share with two others) — or take the traghetto ferry across the Grand Canal for €2 as a budget taste of it.
🚌Vaporetto on 48h ACTV pass
🛏Hostel or budget B&B, Venice Mestre
- →St Mark's Basilica + Doge's Palace guided tour
- →Bridge of Sighs and Rialto walk
- →Bacaro spritz
- →Shared gondola or traghetto crossing
Venice to Rome
Rome
Frecciarossa or Italo from Venezia Santa Lucia to Roma Termini (~3h45-4h30, €35-55 booked ahead). Settle into a hostel or guesthouse around Termini or Monti, then do a free evening orientation walk: Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Pantheon exterior and the Spanish Steps. Dinner in Monti's trattorias — cacio e pepe for €10-12.
🚌Frecciarossa/Italo Venice–Rome ~€45
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Termini/Monti, Rome
- →High-speed train Venice–Rome
- →Free evening fountain-and-piazza walk
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Rome
Book the combined Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill skip-the-line ticket direct on Coopculture (~€18) or add a GetYourGuide guided tour (~€40-50) for the same ground the operator covers. Start at the Colosseum early, then walk the Forum and climb Palatine Hill for the city panorama. Afternoon: Capitoline Hill, Circus Maximus and an Aventine Keyhole view. Use the €1.50 metro or just walk — central Rome is very compact.
🚌Metro/bus day ticket ~€7
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Rome
- →Colosseum skip-the-line entry
- →Roman Forum and Palatine Hill walk
- →Aventine Keyhole and Circus Maximus
Rome to the Amalfi Coast via Pompeii
Amalfi / Agerola
Instead of the operator's $199 Pompeii + Vesuvius day, take the Frecciarossa to Naples (~1h10, €20-30), drop bags at Napoli Centrale, and take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi (~€3, 35 mins). Entry to Pompeii is ~€18 (book on Coopculture); Vesuvius bus+trail from Ercolano is ~€20-25 if you have the energy. Then continue by train to Sorrento and the SITA bus along the coast to Amalfi (~€2-4). Base in Amalfi town itself, not a hotel an hour away.
🚌Rome–Naples ~€25 + Circumvesuviana ~€3 + SITA bus ~€4
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Amalfi or Agerola
- →High-speed train Rome–Naples
- →Pompeii archaeological site
- →Optional Vesuvius crater trail
- →Circumvesuviana + SITA bus to Amalfi
Path of the Gods and Positano
Amalfi Coast
The coast is best self-launched: take the local bus up to Bomerano and walk the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) to Nocelle (~3h, free), then descend 1,700 steps to Positano for a swim and a granita. Return by SITA bus or, in summer, the Positano–Amalfi ferry (~€10). Pack water and a panino — Agerola deli prices beat Positano's waterfront by a mile.
🚌Local bus to Bomerano ~€2 + ferry/bus return ~€4-10
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Amalfi or Agerola
- →Path of the Gods hike
- →Positano beach and lanes
- →Coastal ferry or SITA bus return
Amalfi town, Ravello and Emerald Grotto
Amalfi Coast
Morning in Amalfi: the Duomo di Sant'Andrea and its cloister (~€3), the paper museum (~€4) and a lemon granita in the piazza. Bus up to Ravello (~€2) for Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone gardens (~€8-10) and the best coastal views on the whole trip. On the way back, stop at the Grotta dello Smeraldo if sea conditions allow (~€7). Final night dinner of fresh seafood in Amalfi's back lanes.
🚌Local SITA buses ~€6 total
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Amalfi or Agerola
- →Amalfi Duomo and paper museum
- →Ravello: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone
- →Optional Emerald Grotto boat
Amalfi to Naples Airport and home
Amalfi / Naples
Take the morning SITA bus to Sorrento (~1h30, €4), then the Curreri Viaggi bus direct to Naples Capodichino Airport (~1h15, €10-12) or the Circumvesuviana to Naples and the Alibus (€5). Allow at least 4 hours door-to-airport for the Amalfi run. If your flight is late, stash bags and grab a last sfogliatella near the Duomo in Naples.
🚌SITA bus ~€4 + Curreri Viaggi airport bus ~€11
🛏—
- →SITA bus Amalfi–Sorrento
- →Curreri Viaggi bus to Naples Airport
Self-launched vs. Wanderful Holidays LLC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Wanderful Holidays LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,046 | £2,825 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,779 per person (63%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Wanderful Holidays LLC-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,046
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Switzerland & Italy with the Amalfi Coast — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,046 per person for 15 days in Switzerland & Italy (Zurich to Naples). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Wanderful Holidays LLC?+
Yes — Wanderful Holidays LLC charges around £2,825 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,046 — a saving of roughly £1,779 (63%) per person.
How long is the Switzerland & Italy (Zurich to Naples) trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Switzerland & Italy (Zurich to Naples).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, hiking, city-breaks trip through Switzerland & Italy (Zurich to Naples), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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