Since you will have a car, why limit your stay to Interlaken? Granted, it's a terrific hub if you are dependent on the train, but if you have wheels, it would be a lot better to stay in ahotel close to the sights you want to visit so that you can be there at at special times -- like sunrise and sunset, and dinner time. You don't want to be driving back to your hotel in interlaken after dark, and missing all that great scenery.

By the way, you will be surprised at how crowded and busy Interlaken is. Unless you have some compelling reason to stay there, why not grab a hotel in Grindelwald or Wengen . . . or Zermatt? We stayed in a wonderful place in Spietz, on the Thunersee: Strandhotel Belvedere. Tell Frau Schlatter that Sandra and Cliff Spohr sent you.

Thanks for info...I was just wondering what to do with the car while in Zermatt?...Also, I've been told it's best to find a spot and take trips from there. I picked Interlaken as central area. I guess I got bad advice? Since I've only been to Zurich & Lucerne, I am hoping to see the rest of Switzerland. I will stay some time in Aarau(grandfather's birthplace). Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Our trips to Switzerland we drove everywhere except of course into Zermatt (no cars allowed). There you park the car and take the train into Zermatt. We loved Grindelwald. Our room at the Hotel Gletschrgarten (phone 036-53 17 21) had a view to the magnificent Jungfrau Region. Also we enjoyed Locarno, St Moritz, Klosters, Lindau.

Joyce,
Zermatt is definitely one of my favorite cities of all my travels in Europe and I would definitely recommend staying there for at least one night (two or three nights preferable in my opinion). Sunset on the Matterhorn is incredible. And sunrise is even better -- get a room with a view of the Matterhorn and wake up before sunrise one morning...what you will eventually see is the tip of the Matterhorn turn bright red-orange from the sun...this reflection eventually climbs down the mountain and the whole mountain glows. It's something you have to see in person. Zermatt is a great town and is fun to be in at night -- plenty going on, at least when I was there in the summer. I took the train there last time, but the first time I went with my family about 10 years ago we drove. You just drive up to Taasch, a small town below Zermatt, and park in their huge car park. Then you take the train up to Zermatt. Visit my travelogue of my trip there last summer at www.lunadesigns.com/travels/. There is a link to the website of our hotel, Hotel Alpenblick, which I recommend. Have a great time.

Thanks to Sandy, Jack and Nicole....your are tremendously helpful.

Whether or not you base in Interlaken depends what you want to see and do. To the south, you have the Jungfrau-Moench-Eiger massif with trains and busses all over the place. There are several beautiful walks, aided by gondolas and lifts over the steep parts. If you want the heights on foot, then one base makes sense. If you want the valleys by wheels, then move about nomad style.

As for a train from Interlaken to Zermatt and back in one day, I don't think that schedule is worth it. There is a detailed schedule of train travel available from the Swiss RailWay folks that gives exact times. But the trip takes 3 hours 12 minutes hours down and 3 + hours back. The web site is www.sbb.ch You can get the full details and the cost of the ticket, except for the private rail part.

There are also web sites for Zermatt. The place is loaded with hotels, but standard fare is over $100 a night if you want a bath in your room.