Did your relatives fill you in on what Interlaken is and what it is not? Seems to me you may be operating under an erroneous assumption.

Interlaken is not itself a worthwhile destination. Its claim to fame, justly so, is its location that makes it ideal for its role as a homebase and springboard for daytrips all over the Berner Oberland.

Interlaken itself is a busy spread of hotels and shops and restaurants, situated on the flat between two lakes, with two train stations. Sure, the overall area is nice, and when you look up and around, you realize that, but nobody goes to stay in Interlaken for the sake of staying in Interlaken unless they're very much on the inactive side, old folks for whom an afternoon on a boat on either lake is an adventure, etc.. But that's not you and your kids.

So when I see one day on your itinerary listed as Interlaken, I wonder what you have planned for that day? Check www.thunersee.ch/index_en.asp and www.berneroberland.ch/navi/winter/frame_en.htm for ideas.

Here are some suggestions. If you can get your troops out the door by 7AM, you can catch the 07:19 from Effretikon, change in Zürich to the 07:38 direct Interlaken train and be there by 10:03.

Now what? Tons of options, but you better hurry, you still have to get to where the action is - to Mülenen via Spiez if you want to get up on the Niesen (www.niesen.ch) for example, for great views of all the "big ones" and also over the flatter parts of the region (to the north). There's a restaurant at the top, and you can hike up or down, all or half - ther's an intermediate stop. If the Niesen is what you want to do, there's no need to go all the way to Interlaken. instead, take the 08:10 train out of Effretikon, you change trains in Zürich and in Bern and you get to Spiez at 10:11 where you change to the regional train for a short ride to Mülenen at the basis of the Niesen.

Another great target in the region is the Niederhorn above Beatenberg - there's a cograil or such (www.niederhorn.ch/) - you couold get off the train in Spiez, walk down to the lakefront, catch a boat (www.bls.ch/schiff/) and get of at the base of the Beatenberg/Niederhorn cograil. There are caves nearby - oooh so spooky, your kids might like to visit them while you're there - check www.beatushoehlen.ch/e/hoehlenwelt/index.html

If it's Mürren you want, from where you can do the Schilthorn or the Junfraujoch, both among the most awesome alpine excursions there are, you take the train in Interlaken Ost (East) (10:40 for example if you left Effretikon at 07:19) first to Lauterbrunnen where you change to the train for Mürren (10:47, arr. 11:15) - you can be at the top by about 12:12. (see www.schilthorn.ch)

Or check out
www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/DesktopDefault.aspx - it doesn't get any better than this.

About Zermatt: I'm not sure how to read your schedule - you have one day allocated, but in one of your posts you say something like you won't stay that night in Effretikon. I strongly suggest that in the evening after your Interlaken-and-whatever-else day you move on to Zermatt, getting there late and staying the night. From Effretikon it takes 5:05 hours to get to Zermatt, from Interlaken it takes 3:12 and from Spiez about 2 1/2 hours.

Just enjoying Zermatt and trying to get back to Zürich the same day will make for a long day!

Or at least go from the Interlaken region as far as Brig that evening, it takes an hour from Spiez, stay the night - it's a nice city, not too much happening, it's a railway hub of sorts down in the valley, and in a bit over an hour you can then be in Zermatt the next morning.

Hope this helps - enjoy!

WK

I think the train is great for kids. There's lots of space, they can move around, and the toilet is down at the end of the car. Plus there's the novelty of riding a train--and maybe eating a meal on it.

And certainly the Swiss trains are wonderful and scenic.