Hi i have never been to switzerland before..heard a lot about it though,so in december we are planning a week's trip.Could somebody advise what to see in a week's time?We will be arriving in geneva and will start our tour from there.

Is a train ticket cheaper and better or hiring a car more convenient, we are two couples..

looking forward to your advise...

Goed, I would hire a car as you can see a lot more that way.

In one week I would try to see Geneva (of course), perhaps Zermatt or St. Moritz, (definitely some place high in the mountains), Ticino (Lugano, Ascona and Locarno - can be done in just about one day), Zürich, Lucerne and Basel.

You don't have a lot of time but at least it will give you a good taste of what CH is like. You will also see the French part, the Italian and also the German.

That's a lot of travelling and a punishing schedule in a week.

I think it depends on where you are staying. Will you be moving around or will you be based in Geneva? At this time of year, with short daylight hours, if you were to drive from Geneva to Lugano, it would use up most of the daylight hours and it's far enough for driving in the dark to be a strain, especially in bad weather. Allowing for sightseeing time therefore you would have to allow three days for that trip. Everywhere you've mentioned is easily reached by train but even by train it will take six hours to get to Ticino.
All the other cities are doable by train in a day from Geneva with enough time for sightseeing if you are happy to get an early start. Cheap rail deals are available.
Otherwise you can see a lot of what Geneva has to offer in a relaxing day.
A trip by train down the lakeshore to Montreux (about 1 hr by train) is stunning scenically and you can easily take in the lakeside towns of Nyon, Montreux (incl Chateau Chillon) and Vevey in a day. Montreux has the biggest Xmas market in the French speaking part of the country (runs from the end of Nov).
Neuchatel would make a good day out. Also you might consider Annecy which is in France but there's a rail link with Geneva. It's a beautiful alpine, lakeside town.
If you had to make one choice in the German speaking part, I would recommend Zurich. You can do it there and back in a day. It would be a long day but well worth it. If you don't have to return to Geneva at the end of the day then do Luzern and Basle by all means.
The mountains could be fun to see but if you're looking at a day trip, again it takes 6 hours by train from Geneva to St. Moritz and nearly 4 hours to Zermatt. If you want a relaxing scenic alpine day trip through the Bernese alps you might consider taking the Golden Panoramic train from Montreux to Gstaad. Trains connect from Geneva.
http://www.goldenpass.ch/GPL/voyages/Hor2008GPL.pdf
http://www.goldenpass.ch/GPL/main.asp
The Golden Pass line run special excursions to the cheese factory at Gruyères and the Nestlé chocolate factory at Broc, but I'm not sure if that runs in December.

If you decide to use trains this is a useful website:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm

I would definitely travel by train and Postbus. An 8-day second class Swiss Pass will set you back CHF376.00 each. This is much easier than travelling by car, and you will both be able to fully appreciate the scenery.

https://www.sbb.ch/mct/wi/shop/b2c/start.do?sprache=en

The coverage is extensive, including many buses and boats, and half-price on some mountain railways/cable cars.

http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/dow...tskarte_en.pdf

You have a point Nev. It is quite a long journey. It really depends on the person's rhythm, I guess. If you prefer a relaxing holiday to a really busy one, then it's better to just concentrate on one area. They're all beautiful so you really can't go wrong!

Also, in December there's always a possibility that the roads will be snow-covered which makes conditions unpleasant (even for those who are used to driving in snow) and often creates traffic jams. In winter I think the train is a much better solution ... save the car hiring week for next summer when you come back to see the parts you didn't have time to visit ... and there will be lots for a week is very short to see a country, even a small one.

Personally I wouldn't want to see Geneva, Basel, Zurich and Lucerne if I only had a week - despite them all being lovely cities (my favourite amongst them is is Basel), it would mean missing out on so much of the real Switzerland, ie. the spectacular Alps, countryside of Lauterbrunnen or Gruyère areas, small mountain towns etc.

I'm sure you'll have a great time wherever you choose ... and if you need help once here on itinery changes, the Tourist offices are usually very helpful.

Get a guidebook and decide for yourself. I'm sure that my idea of how to spend a week in Switzerland (or anywhere) will not be the same as yours.

Rent a car or take the train depending on what you decide your itinerary should be. Each option has it's advantages and disadvantages.

Have a good trip.

True. The Alps is the real Switzerland. My first visits were around the Alps and lakes. Other than Lucerne, which I really liked, I am only just getting round to the cities three years later.

Virtually wherever you go you are guaranteed to find something spectacular to satisfy your interests.