Upcoming Trip in December

I'd overnight in Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen or Grimmelwald instead of going all the way back to Lucerne.

Geneva (to me) was just another city - not overly charming. I'd spend my time elsewhere. :)

Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen or Gimmelwald will all be cold and almost deserted places in early December.
Even if the weather should be fine, there would probably be no sun at all in shady Gimmelwald.

Triberg may be deserted too in low season, but I think you have your reasons for going there.
I suggest to sleep at Neuhausen am Rheinfall instead of Zurich. Trains from Zurich airport every 20 to 30 minutes until 23.22; 40 minutes ride.

The train ride from Neuhausen to Triberg takes 1 1/2 hrs and from Triberg to Lucerne 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 hrs.

Lucerne - Jungfraujoch - Berne: put your luggage in a locker at Interlaken Ost railway station, go then to Jungfraujoch and back (only if the weather is fine) and take then a direct Interlaken - Bern train (50 min ride, every 30 min).
Be prepared to cold weather at Jungfraujoch (up to minus 20 degrees centigrade; today it's particularly warm for the season: plus 16 degrees at Bern and minus 9 degrees at Jungfraujoch.

You need almost a whole day for the visit of Gruyeres (cheese diary, castle and medieval town, chocolate factory). It's possible to leave Bern early in the morning, to put your luggage in a locker at Bulle railway station, to do all the visits and to proceed to Geneva in the evening.
I suggest however to sleep at either Gruyeres or Bulle: leave Bern in the morning, put your luggage in the hotel room, do all the visits and go on the following morning by train along the scenic route via Montbovon - Montreux to Lausanne and Geneva.
Places to visit in the area:
Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/multimedia/spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-ExcursionsFR-HistSitesFR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142&Itemid=56
http://www.goldenpass.ch/default.asp?Language=EN
http://www.chillon.ch/en/
http://www.montreux-vevey.com/en/culture_leisure
http://www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/view.asp?domId=63370&language=E
http://www.nyon-tourisme.ch/en/themes/museums-174-0
http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/?rubrique=0000000000&lang=_eng
http://www.bern.com/en/index.cfm
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html

If you go only from Zurich airport to Rheinfall (Swiss border) and back and then to Lucerne - Interlaken - Gruyeres - Geneva, point to point tickets will be the cheapest solution. If you plan some side trips like Rigi, Jungfraujoch, Riederalp or Rochers de Naye, check the Swiss Half Fare Card. For hte German legs: point to point ticket or Baden-Wuerttemberg ticket.

http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
http://www.bahn.de/i/view/DEU/en/prices/

Hi all

thanks for all the advice and links! I will slowly look through them before i firm up my plans.

I hope december in Swiss will not be cold and miserable sadly thats the month which I have my vacation.

May i know why you recommended Neuhausen am Rheinfall instead of Zurich? I was thinking after a 14 hr flight, I may just want to have a slow day walking around Zurich city, not doing too many transfers, before heading to Rheinfall the next day, then on to Triberg where I hope to go to the cuckoo clock workshops (albeit a bit touristy).

The reason why I wanted to base myself in Lucerne is due to inclement weather, I'll be able to make the decision to head to the cities rather than be at the colder mountains if weather is not that fine. Will prob give Geneva a miss, perhaps just to take a bus to Annecy as suggested.

Dont mind me asking, whats the difference between the Goldenpass, swiss pass and the swisspass half fare card?

The transfer by train from Zurich airport to Zurich main railway station takes 10 minutes. You will then have to change to one or more tramways in order to reach your hotel. This may take another 10 to 20 minutes.
In roughly the same time, you can go by train from Zurich airport in the other direction, to the much smaller places of Neuhausen or Schaffhausen, both very close to the Rheinfall. Your hotel there will probably be a few minutes on foot from the railway station. I think it would be more relaxing to walk a bit in the nature around Rheinfall (and to enjoy the latter from all sides) than in the hectic city center of Zurich. There is a direct train (no change) from Zurich airport to Neuhausen - Schaffhausen every hour, from 6.01 until 21.01 (and 2 others with just 1 change at Winterthur).

For a bad weather alternative, Berne would probably be the better place. The medieval city center is a gem by itself, so are the many good museums. Berne has furthermore the advantage to be close to
many other scenic small towns, like Murten (entirely walled medieval city), Neuchatel and Biel/Bienne (both with famous celtic lake dwelling museums and charming medieval city centers), La Chaux-de-Fonds (Swiss Watchmaking Museum), Avenches (Roman amphitheatre)....
and to
the mountains
Jungfraujoch (3 1/4 hrs by train)
Zermatt/Matterhorn (2 1/4 hrs by train)
Riederalp/Aletsch Glacier (1 3/4 hrs by train).

There is no doubt that Geneva has much more to offer than Lucerne or Annecy. But it's easy to go from Geneva to Lyon via Annecy (train or bus to Annecy, then train)

Golden Pass: http://www.goldenpass.ch/default.asp?Language=EN
Swiss Pass: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/