Best day trip from Basel to see Alps
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Best day trip from Basel to see Alps
My family will be staying with friends in Basel. The 4 of us and possibly our 2 Swiss friends wish to take a day trip to view the Alps. Any suggestions? Lausanne? Bern? Zurich? What transportation would you recommend? Train or rent a car?
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The Jungfrau Region in the Interlaken area is to me and many others both the literal and figure sbsolute highlight of Swoitzetrland - glacier-girdled peaks capping cliffs soaring thousands of feet from lush valleys - toylike trains and thrilling aerial gondolas going everywhere - this area is as close as any dramatic Alpine part of Switzerland but is still a long day trip - probably two hours or so to Interlaken then another hour up to say Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, ju,mping off points for trains and gondolas into the higher Alps.
Check out these IMO fantastic sites for lots of good info on the Jungfrau Region and trains and gondolas there - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (Switzerland section) and www.ricksteves.com.
You can drive to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen but not above those mountain towns - private vehicles being not allowed above those towns, where you must park you car on the edge of town.
Check out these IMO fantastic sites for lots of good info on the Jungfrau Region and trains and gondolas there - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (Switzerland section) and www.ricksteves.com.
You can drive to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen but not above those mountain towns - private vehicles being not allowed above those towns, where you must park you car on the edge of town.
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Even if the Jungfrau itself is clouded up it need not ruin your day trip as IMO just seeing lovely mountain villages like Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen or Wengen and the base of the mountains soaring up thousands of feet just a few miles away is unforgettable.
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Bern is a wondrous city - to me the finest in Switzerland in many regards (all Swiss cities to me are great - even Basel, often maligned on Fodor's for some reason) but I would do it as a separate day trip from Basel - maybe by car - you may have to change trains in Basel going to Interlaken and the train station is in the heart of town but Basel needs several hours to poke around - go to the famous Bear Pits, etc.