dreamingq

Hello! We're a family of 7 (my parents, and my siblings aged 17, 16, 10, 8 and 2) and we'd be visiting Switzerland through a traveling agency. All the rest is set by them, except for one day where they take us from zurich to interlaken and we're either to spend our day at leisure there or opt for a tour to jungfraujouch.. Since the latter was making our trip too pricey, we denied the offer having left August 6 for us to spend on leisure in interlaken. I was really hoping we could either visit lake thun/ brienz on a boat trip, see a waterfall and visit the village around brienz. Also I was wanting to visit spiez castle and river aare and I just really hope we could end up at some spot where we get the real feel of the alps! Now I understand its crazy to do all that within a single day which is exactly the reason I'm hoping to get help on here! My priority would be one of the lakes, a waterfall, a castle and most importantly a view of the alps.. I'd be ultra grateful if someone could help me plan out my day to really make that day a regret free dream come true with every moment filled with something extraordinary! I'd really appreciate all sorts of itenary planning! Also, some suggestion on getting nice budget friendly souvenirs in interlaken would be great! Thanks in advance!

nytraveler

Well the best way to see some of the Alps is to ascend the Jungfrau. If you don't want to pay the price then look at taking the train just to one of the villages part way up so you can at leat see the lower slopes and have a view of the upper (ONLY if there are no clouds - may not happen every day).

The other things you are asking for is not really going to give you a lot of Alps. If you take the lake steamer to Thun you will find a very quaint town and a charming castle - as well as views along the shore. I'm not sure about waterfalls. There are waterfalls into Lake Brienz - we have seen from the opposite shore - but we were driving. But Brienz doesn;t have a castle.

PalenQ

Yes you should IMO take the 20-minute or so train ride Interlaken to Grindelwald for the awesome view of the glacier-girdled majestic Alps rising thousands of feet above lush meadows - take some easy trails to hike - I walked to a glacier though a gondola takes you there to.

lakes are great but at least IME go up to Grindelwald and spend the day in the high Alps (well Grindelwald alt is only about 3,500 ft I think. Interlaken bores many though it is a neat town but the dreamy picture of Switzerland etched in your minds' eyes may only be fulfilled in a place like Grindelwald. BTW get a free Family Pass at Interlaken station and all kinds under 16 would tavel free on anything you buy tickets on - including the Jungfraujoch train, to me the absolute highlight of the area but yes is very pricey.

for lots on the Jungfrau region and trains check www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com.

neckervd

for alpine panoramas choose between:
Schynige Platte
Niederhorn
Niesen
Brienzer Rothorn

A lake Brienz cruise can be combinded with the visit the Ballenberg Village Museum, the Aar Gorge or the Giessbach waterfalls and hotel.

Lake Thun boats stop at the castles of Oberhofen and Spiez as well at as the St. Beatus caves.

Most glaciers and the highest peaks of Switzerland are in the Canton of Valais.

Some places like the Rhone Glacier Ice Cave can even be reached by Postbus (free with Swiss Travel Pass).

Dianedancer

Loved Schnyige Platte. The cog wheel train up to it, and the amazing mountain vistas.

dreamingq

Thank you all so much on your input! I highly appreciate everyone's help here!


nytraveler I totally agree! A trip to Switzerland without Jungraujoch is incomplete indeed! But the price crosses our budget so we'll just explore Interlaken instead Thanks, but since we'd be visiting Harder Kulm which resembles a castle, we'll quit that, and maybe headoff to trummelbatch falls later, still planning on that bit!

PalenQ Thanks so much on the advice for the Family Pass! Totally gonna go for it! Hmm, Grindelwald sounds interesting. I've been told by someone that I should "train to Grund near Grindlewald, then the cable car to the Mannlichen. If you're up to the walk (2-3 miles, good flat path) and the weather is good, walk to Kleine Scheidegg, then train down to Lauterbrunnen with a stop in Wengen. Postbus to Trummelbach, Postbus back to Lauterbrunnen and then train to Interlaken." It sounds good but I don't know if it's worth replacing Thun/Brienz with this.. What shall the rest of you propose?



neckervd Highly obliged on your input, but I'd repeat the same question to you as I ask above ^ Also, is there an all day Interlaken pass we could avail maybe?



Dianedancer Thanks! I'll see if I can try fitting that in too!

Pepper_von_snoot

Dear Madam, please check prices for your excursions because all require money.

For example, I have my ticket stub for Lake Brienz ferry from Sept. 12, 2011.
Price for 2nd-class ticket with Half-Fare Card was 24 CHF. Regular Fare would have been 48 CHF.

If you disembark ferry at Hotel Geissbach Pier, you must pay to take the funicular up to the Falls. I think fare was 7 or 9 CHF in 2011.

You can walk up, but it is a long steep climb up.

Mannlichen cable car ticket from Wengen was about 20 CHF in 2011.

It has to cost at least 20 CHF to get into Ballenberg Farm.

The point I am trying to make is make sure that your Interlaken excursions don't exceed the cost of going to the Jungfraujoch.

Switzerland is expensive.


You can see train ticket prices at WWW.SBB.CH


Thin

PalenQ

I'd say anything up in the hills would be more awesome than the neat boat rides - and yes Grund - cable car to Mannlichen - raved about viewpoint for 360 degrees miles around and then the fairly flat and really easy walk to Kleine Scheidegg - the so-called Ridge Walk as you can see down into two valleys - the Grindelwald one and the Lauterbrunnen one - then take train from Kl Scheidegg to Wengen and onto Luaterbrunnen and back to Interlaken.

Looking around Interlakne itself is not worth the trip IMO - nice nice town but there are much better ways to spend your precious time in the Jungfrau Region.

Trummelbach is neat - a water cascade inside the cliff - walkways take you there to see the interior cascades.

dreamingq

Thin, I really appreciate your honey help there! I was just thinking about the same.. All this I making the whole thing quite as pricey as jungfraujouch was.. In that case, how would you suggest we spend our day in a cheap yet beautiful and memorable way? (Considering the fact we're not up for buying the Swiss half fare card and we're 7 people with such varying ages). In really looking forward to hear from your wisdom!
palenq - thanks so much again! But as I stated we might not spend all that much after all.. Any advices for a more economic initerary please?

dreamingq

Honest** autocorrect

mokka4

Take a ride on Lake Brienz. The ringing snow-capped mountains are still quite beautiful. Have lunch outdoors in either Brienz or Thun. Harder Kulm trip is inexpensive and gives a slightly higher view. All inexpensive.

Dianedancer

Been to Switzerland three times and have yet to go up to Jungfraujoch. So many hours spent getting there and back and much of it inside tunnels. With one day in the BO region, you have time to go on Lake Brienz and also go up to mountain towns or hikes.

PalenQ

palenq - thanks so much again! But as I stated we might not spend all that much after all.. Any advices for a more economic initerary please?>

Well just take the train to Grindelwald and take teh awesome panorama in and do some easy walking right from town - I walked to a glacier - not hard trekking but easy enugh walking in sports shoes. Yes the gondolas are pricey but to get to any of the higher climes/climbs they are needed.

But just go to Grindelwald and putz around - you will be eyeball to eyeball with the high Alps - something you cannot experience from Interlaken or the lakes that bookend it. Though they make fine trips for sure. But not like being right up in dem hills.