Planning Christmas Vacation in Europe: Italy & Switzerland

Our multi-country European trip to Milan, St. Moritz & surrounding villages.

How we chose which countries to visit in Europe

Our family trip to Europe began as an idea to replace the traditional, tangible gifts with an “experience” for the 2022 holidays. Traveling all the way from the U.S., y’all already know I’ll be trying to pull off a multi-destination trip given the efficient transportation network Europe boasts and lengthy flights endured to get there. My goal was to enrich our experience as much as possible without exhausting my 12 year old daughter, Brooklyn. That goal was partially successful; however, we did have to wait and book everything a couple of weeks in advance and scale our plans way back due to an injured member of our party. European holiday magic was still experienced… so keep on reading for booking tips and planning details of this trip.

Seth and I have wanted to return to Switzerland ever since we left this picturesque Alpine destination in the summer of 2019. Switzerland was top on our list before planning even began. Snow-capped mountains, idyllic villages, cultural richness, glacial valleys, frozen lakes, charming Christmas décor, scenic train rides, winter sports – mentally I am already here quite often during the weekly grind. Also, it is a beautiful thing when a country is famous for chocolate. PERIOD.

Once our top choice was selected, finding another country in close proximity to Switzerland made decisions easier since we wanted to avoid another flight during our vacation. Traveling by train in Europe is very comfortable and a great way to see more towns and landscapes along the way. If you have read any of my previous blogs, you may remember that I am completely in love with Christmas. The dreamy holiday markets in Italy definitely piqued my interest to earn the next spot on our travel itinerary. Winter can be an ideal time to visit Italy due to less crowds, lower prices, and gorgeous holiday light displays in several cities. Also, I love pizza and pasta. I am not ashamed to highly factor food into my decision-making process.

Booking Tips: It was cheaper for this trip to book everything separately – hotels, flights, and transportation. Using the package deal on Orbitz, Booking.com, or any other travel booking site ended up costing quite a bit more, which has been more common in my planning experience when booking multi-stay trips with flights. Our accommodations in Switzerland were significantly cheaper on the hotel’s website, so always price check before assuming your preferred way of booking saves.

Booking.com allows you to add multiple hotels during your stay when searching Flight + Hotel packages, but it can be a little confusing at first. After entering your initial search criteria using the airport destinations and dates, hit search, then click “Edit Trip” at the top right of the screen. *See example below.* Now you can add multiple places to stay with specific dates for each, which gives a little more flexibility than Orbitz for a multi-stay booking. As of now, Orbitz only allows for 1 hotel when booking a package deal (even if you call customer support for booking assistance). The dates can be made different than the flight dates by selecting “I only need accommodations for part of my trip” found below the initial search criteria boxes (or if using the app select “change dates for hotel stay”). Also, Orbitz was not offering all of the available hotels when trying to combine our shorter stay in Milan with flights vs. when searching for “hotel stays only” during the same date range, so keep that in mind if you are willing to be a search engine wizard to optimize your stay!

How we finalized travel destinations in Italy & Switzerland

Okay, now we have 2 countries we want to visit – Switzerland and Italy. Narrowing it down further was accomplished by researching transportation possibilities and the best places to visit during Christmas time. Even though we chose to forgo our traditional Christmas celebrations at home, I didn’t want our family to feel like they missed out on it altogether. I needed to find Christmas magic across the globe!

It helps to look at a map and know where the major airports and railways are located when arranging travel to multiple destinations. Then, figure out how far flights, car or train rides will be between destinations of interest. I used Trainline (web browser and mobile app) for all European train information – times, maps, routes, and tickets/seat reservations. I also used SBB for Swiss Travel Passes which includes unlimited rides for trains, panoramic trains, buses, boats, and also discounts on mountain railways, museums, etc. Only you know how aggressive your itinerary can be with your travel partners and duration of stay. We wanted to be on a train less than 5 hours, so this helped slim down the search criteria of possibilities.

Ultimately, we chose to stay in Milan, Italy, and St. Moritz, Switzerland. By the time we knew we could make this trip happen and book, everywhere in the heart of St. Moritz proper was completely sold out – oh, and I really wanted to stay in a castle because I am extra like that. I sorted our Orbitz search criteria by proximity and found an amazing castle hotel in the neighboring Pontresina village so we could still spend our time in the glitzy St. Moritz. Whenever we return in the future, we will likely do this again because we loved the more secluded and cozy vibe of Pontresina.

One major perk to traveling between Milan & St. Mortiz/Pontresina is being able to ride the ever so popular Bernina Express train!! This topic deserves its own little paragraph, so I will explain why you shouldn’t miss out on this experience and how to book it using the Swiss Travel Pass below.

Booking Tip: If you have your heart set on staying in St. Mortiz proper, book as early in advance as possible if you are fortunate enough to have a job that allows you to do so (healthcare workers – not so much, right?!). Being one of the most exclusive destinations in the world, and the birthplace of winter sports, the accommodations are sure to fill up fast during the holiday season! I just did an Orbitz search for St. Moritz during the Christmas week of 2023 (11 months in advance) and most of the hotels are already sold out!! Pay attention to hotel distance on booking sites because neighboring village accommodations are usually included in St. Moritz searches due to close proximity.

Italy

Located in northern Italy, Milan was our first stop on our European Christmas Vacation. We flew into Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) but flew out of Milan Linate Airport (LIN), so pay close attention to your flight details. Orbitz offered the cheapest roundtrip flights from Charlotte, NC. MXP is the main international airport with public transportation, taxis, and a train that runs every 30 minutes to Milan Central Station or Milano Cadorna. LIN is closer to the city center but does not have a train service, requiring bus or taxi for transportation. Uber is available in Milan as a more expensive option.

Upon arrival, our Uber from MXP to the city center took 50 minutes and cost $177 USD (we did upgrade to a van, though). On our trek home, our taxi from Milan Central Station to our hotel beside LIN cost around $14 USD and took approximately 25 minutes due to traffic, even though it is just shy of 5 miles between the two destinations.

I will never forget the ride into Milan from the airport. Even though I was exhausted from the long flights, the beauty as we got closer to the city center kept my eyes wide open! Milan is one of four fashion capitals of the world and it totally looked the part, too. The diverse architecture and cobblestone streets oozed sophistication and romance. The beautiful city apartments seemed to be completely enveloped in vegetation. The sight of the iconic Milan streetcar is an exciting attraction in this bustling city, and tickets can be bought from Metro kiosks or ATM app. Tram routes are included on Google Maps. The real amazement comes when you finally get a view of the Piazza del Duomo, the main city square, home of the infamous Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral).

Seth found the most fun hotel near the Duomo that was perfect for Brooklyn. The ODSweet Duomo Milano Hotel (booked via Orbitz) is a quirky, candy-themed hotel with a rooftop bar overlooking the Milan Cathedral. It is actually the only hotel in the Piazza Duomo, which makes it the perfect location for a short stay in this city. The lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas… total bonus! We had 2 chocolate themed rooms with city view balconies, and SO MUCH CANDY waiting for us inside!! The staff was very polite and helpful. Across the street was Spontini, a quite famous quick-bite pizzeria, and our favorite pizza of the trip! It really rivals NYC pizza, guys.

Steps from our hotel was the heart of Milan, the Duomo Square, and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas. This is where you can find the highest concentration of sights to be seen during your stay, such as the Milan Cathedral, Victor Emanuel II statue, the Palace Museum, the incredible Christmas markets (during season), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Palace Of Carminati, and more.

McDonald’s probably doesn’t make the itinerary for every family since you will be surrounded by incredible food, but the McDonald’s in Duomo Square was a fun stop for Brooklyn. We ordered the pizza bites, wings, Nutella toasted sandwich aka McCrunchy Bread, gelato, and several other pastries that aren’t offered on the U.S. menu. According to my mom, I would be remiss to leave out the immersive experience at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, one of six in the world. Here, you can watch the coffee roasting process and be stunned by the dramatic floor to ceiling design. Offering rare, premium coffees and fresh baked desserts, this is a serious upgrade from the typical Starbucks drive-thru.

Our visit to the Milan Cathedral and Rooftop was unforgettable (purchase tickets and rooftop access here). The dramatic architecture, stained glass windows, gargoyles, statues, sun dial, stone pillars, and overall gothic vibe made for a breathtaking experience. We weren’t sure if it made sense to tour the rooftop since our neighboring hotel had rooftop access, but we did not regret it. Every passageway of the terraces offered a new discovery of statues, city views, and endless marble adornments. This spot is the epitome of Instagram worthy photos! A notable fact of the Milan Cathedral is that it is said to preserve a remarkable relic: a nail from the True Cross kept in a tabernacle (marked by a red light above the apse shown in picture gallery below), displayed to the public once a year. Most recently, this event has taken place in September during the First Vespers of the Exaltation of the Cross.

An additional major highlight of our visit to Milan was seeing the world famous Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church is a 20 minute walk from the Duomo Square, or a 5 minute taxi ride. Seeing this mural painting in person was mind blowing because of the size, which none of us were expecting since we did not heavily research it prior to the tour. It was WAY bigger than the framed replica my grandmother had hanging on her wall growing up, that is for sure. Seth actually had goosebumps during this tour, and I was brought to tears. Tickets sell out like hotcakes, so secure them as far in advance as possible. Our guide was super cool, spoke English for our tour, and provided us more than 15 minutes in the room with the Last Supper in a very small group. Compared to seeing the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci at the Louvre in Paris (which is tiny and insanely crowded), this experience was more memorable in my opinion. Tickets for the guided tour of the Last Supper in Milan can be found here. Be sure to bring your Driver’s License or Passport to verify your identity for entry, because the security here is next level.

One final highlight of our time in Milan that I can’t leave out is the shopping!! Milan shopping scene has my heart!! The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is located adjacent to the Milan Cathedral and houses a true luxury shopping and dining experience. This is where you will find the high-end designer stores such as the original Prada store, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and other luxury boutiques. Click here for Tripadvisor’s information about Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Located between the shopping gallery and the cathedral, you can’t miss the 60+ outdoor Christmas markets during the month of December and first week of January. This is where you are sure to find the most special souvenir or holiday gift. Handmade crafts, antiques, toys, jewelry, clothes, décor, ornaments, pastries, candy, and endless food options can be found at the markets.

During our time in Milan, we never had any issues with language barriers. As per our other adventures in Europe, we are ever so spoiled by their multilingual abilities. Even signs in the airports had English translations. It is always a good idea to download Google Translate app prior to visiting any foreign country, but we did not use it one time during this trip.

Regretfully, we did not muster up enough energy to overpower the jetlag during the times we planned to eat by the canals – hence hitting up the nearby McDonalds and Spontini instead. This is the first thing I will do whenever we return in the future, because I hate the feeling of regret. Here is Tripadvisor’s list of 10 Best Navigil Restaurants in case you beat me back to Milan. I know it would be a magical adventure!

Activity Tip: All of the activities I mentioned above (and many more) can be purchased via Get Your Guide App. I recommend downloading this to your phone before traveling. It was nice to have our tickets, information, and addresses all accessible on one app since I had to keep up with so many other tickets and booking confirmations during this trip.

Shopping Tip: If you plan on splurging, prepare ahead of time to receive the VAT (value-added tax) refund. I won’t go into great detail because I have unfortunately never had the time to make this happen, but it will save a significant amount of money. Italian luxury brands are already priced better in Milan than in the U.S., and the additional refund up to 15.5% can equal big savings. Click here for information on the VAT refund for Milan. Plan ample time on the day of your departure if you want to get this done.

Switzerland

On the next leg of our journey, we boarded a train and ventured up to 6,000 feet above sea level to the glamourous St. Moritz and quaint Pontresina. These beautiful villages are nestled in the canton (state/district) of Graubünden, in the eastern part of Switzerland. A unique perk of Switzerland in comparison to the U.S. is the easy accessibility to a true high alpine environment by mountain cable railways.

With the sun as it’s official symbol, St. Moritz offers more than 300 sunny days each year. It is also considered one of the safest places on earth and has hosted the Winter Olympics twice. It is no surprise that this celebrity hotspot attracts an elite crowd from far and wide. It is a picture-perfect Christmas town!

The train ride from Milan Central Station to Pontresina Station was 4.5 hours long, with a brief changeover in Tirano, Italy. The train tickets from Milan to Tirano were purchased on the Trainline app as mentioned above. Remember, with purchase of a Swiss Travel Pass via SBB, this goes into effect starting in Tirano (if you are traveling into Switzerland). With the Swiss Travel Pass, you will only need to book seat reservations if you are riding one of the panoramic trains. This can be confusing, so I will explain further in the Bernina Express discussion.

The closest airport to St. Moritz/Pontresina is Lugano Airport (LUG), a regional airport in Switzerland. LUG is a 2.5 hour car ride or 6+ hour train ride (with multiple changeovers) to St. Moritz. This really helped justify flying into another destination with an international airport. Our train ride from Milan was shorter (4.5 hours), and the additional stay gave us time to recuperate from the 11 hour flight before boarding a long train ride into Switzerland. We also considered flying home from Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH), to add a 3rd destination on our itinerary. The prices from ZRH went back and forth with being cheaper than Milan before we booked, and the train ride from St. Moritz to Zurich is approximately 4 hours. We loved our time in Zurich in 2019 and would recommend it as part of your Switzerland getaway if feasible!

Our next hotel was the charming Schloss Hotel and Spa, a renovated 19th century castle overlooking peak Rosatsch massif, glaciers of Bernina, and surrounding villages of the Upper Engadin Valley. I booked these accommodations directly on the website linked above, and saved over $1,000 by doing so. It pays to price check!! The Schloss Hotel was absolutely lovely and the views from our rooms were postcard worthy. Brooklyn really enjoyed the warm indoor pool with panoramic views of the snowy alpine landscape. The hotel also offers a good restaurant, lobby bar, lounge area, ski room, spa, kids club, fitness room, and a cross-country ski path directly outside. The staff was so accommodating and friendly! Upon arrival to the Pontresina train station, the front desk staff kindly sent a shuttle driver to pick us up. There is also a bus stop right outside of the train station for an easy transfer to the hotel.

Again, we had no difficulties with language barriers in Switzerland with the exception of one taxi driver (which wasn’t a huge issue since we could show the address from our cell). From the front desk to the housekeeping staff, everyone we encountered spoke English.

A huge convenience factor of the Schloss Hotel is the bus stop located right across the street from the front lobby entrance. Google Maps app includes bus routes/timetables, and they run at least every 30 minutes. The buses were impressively punctual and you can easily bring ski gear with you (many skiers hop on and off the trains and buses here). The Swiss Travel Pass allows for unlimited rides making it easy to bounce around neighboring villages or ski spots in the cold weather. There are easily-accessible walking paths as well for those who can brave the chilly temperatures.

Brooklyn’s favorite activity was snowboarding in Celerina/Schlarigna with St. Moritz Ski School. We were able to book private lessons with an incredible English speaking instructor to ensure Brooklyn safely enjoyed her time snowboarding. The other snowboarder in our party was unable to accompany her due to injury. We rented her snowboard, boots, and helmet with Skiservice Corvatsch, and they were awesome! We were able to walk to a shop near the Schloss Hotel to pick up the rentals, which really helped save luggage space. The gear looked brand new and was shockingly inexpensive to rent! We rode the line 2 bus from Pontresina Schlossgarage to Celerina, a 10 minute ride, and walked a short distance to the nearby slopes. The 3 main ski areas in St. Moritz are Corviglia (the closest), Corvatsch, and Diavolezza, all offering a unique experience for the winter sports lover in your family.

Take advantage of the easy access to breathtaking summit views during your stay. Piz Nair‘s 360-degree panorama is a top attraction offering a view of the Upper Engadin valley, and the highest restaurant in St. Moritz ski region – Restaurant Piz Nair 10,000 Feet. Accessible from St. Moritz by funicular and cable car, even non-hikers can enjoy an amazing view here. One more notable sightseeing opportunity I will mention from St. Moritz or Pontresina is Muottas Muragl. Take a train, bus, or taxi to Punt Muragl Station, then enjoy the scenic climb up to Muottas Muragl by funicular. Enjoy the surrounding views of the mountains and lakes from the terrace, or grab refreshments from the mountain hotel. The coolest part is the option to toboggan your way back down in the winter (sleds can be rented at Punt Muragl Station).

Even if you aren’t a big shopper, you should still plan for window-shopping in St. Moritz. Oh my gosh, it was everything my little heart could ever dream of in terms of uniqueness and luxury! Louis Vuitton opened a finely crafted pop-up yurt during our visit, adding more winter charm to our shopping experience. Via Serlas street is known to be the highest luxury mile of shopping in the world. In addition to the well-known designer stores, there were also furniture stores, boutiques, high-end antique shops, and fine dining. I like to believe this is what attracted the fashion queen Audrey Hepburn to St. Moritz. During your stroll through the town, don’t forget to look for the iconic Leaning Tower landmark!

St. Moritz also has a Christmas market in December, so research the dates of the year you will be traveling as it only lasts one day. We didn’t make it in time for the market, but from what I read, they do it BIG for just a single day affair. Even though we missed out on the market magic and village visit from Santa, the town was still decorated to the nines for Christmas!

The bobsleigh track in St. Moritz-Celerina, ice skating on St. Moritz frozen lake or the natural ice rink beside Kulm Hotel, and curling rink in Celerina are just a few of the activities in this glamourous winter wonderland. St. Moritz is the birthplace of winter sports for a reason!

Last but not least of my St. Moritz/Pontresina recap, we were fortunate enough to spend New Year’s Eve in St. Moritz. Fireworks are set off over the St. Moritz lake, and basically all around the villages ALL NIGHT LONG! I thought the USA went hard celebrating the 4th of July, but the endurance of the firework displays here was very impressive! The Schloss Hotel has a terrace on the back of the lobby floor offering a close view of the fireworks set off on both sides of the hotel.

Plan your dining ahead for your entire trip during the holiday season, but especially for Christmas and NYE, because many restaurants will be closed. It is likely you will need to make reservations at your hotel’s restaurant if you do not score reservations far in advance. If I haven’t made it clear, St. Moritz is the place to be for the holiday season!

Shopping Tip: Click here for the information on the VAT refund for Switzerland. It is less percent back than Italy, but it is still a potential for savings if this is your only travel destination.

Packing Tip: Bring warm layers for a winter visit including a winter coat, snow boots, beanie, gloves, waterproof socks, and thermal base layers. I was toasty warm in my Smartwool layers, Polartec Athleta leggings, and Moon Boots. To prepare for the lowest temps in St Moritz, I also ordered rechargeable heated socks on Amazon. Don’t forget a good pair of sunglasses and a universal international power adapter/charger.

Dining Tip: Check out Gondolezza, La Stalla, Restaurant Kochendorfer, ECCO St Moritz, and Cafe Hanselmann (for chocolate and pastries).

Bernina Express

Alas, the time has come to head back to Milan and start our journey home. I intentionally planned our ride on the Bernina Express for end of our travels so we had something exciting to enjoy while we battled the end of vacay blues. This is not just any ride, it is a euphoric journey!

The Bernina Express is a scenic train ride with panoramic windows throughout the cars allowing for the most impeccable views. It is the highest railway traveling across the Alps where you can see the Morteratsch Glacier, Bernina Pass, Lago Bianco (glacial lake), the famous Brusio spiral viaduct (stone spiral railway), several bridges, towns, tunnels, and endless landscapes from the snowy mountains to palm trees.

The train ride included spacious seats, chocolates, tea, and a tour guide via overhead intercom pointing out special landmarks in several languages. It also made a stop at Alp Grüm station for photo ops of the mountains, Palü Glacier, and the Lagh da Palü (lake).

Our route on the Bernina Express from Pontresina station ended in Tirano (Italy), and includes railway lines of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In Tirano, we had a changeover to a regular train headed for Milan Central Station, where we spent another day and night near the Linate Airport.

Tirano, Italy, was our point of changeover each time. I wish I had known what a cute little town this was when booking. I would have scheduled time to dine and explore between trains.

The Bernina Express is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, but you must make seat reservations unlike the regular trains. In order to do this, visit the Bernina Express website and go through the steps of booking tickets. After choosing your seats, the next screen in checkout will allow you to add any discounts or passes applicable. See image below for Bernina Express seat reservations with Swiss Travel Pass.

I hope you have enjoyed my quite lengthy blog on booking a multi-destination vacation in Switzerland and Italy, with a review of our stays in each. Scroll down to see comment and email section, and enjoy one last video of the Bernina Express train experience!

-Amanda