bern or interlaken as a base location
 

Hi all, I am planning a week long trip to switzerland this september with my family.I do not want to change my lodging while i am there. From what i have researched so far i have come accross BERN and INTERLAKEN as the central locations in switzerland from where its relatively less time consuming to reach chur,geneva/laussane,luzern,engelberg etc.
Now my only concern is I want to spend as less time travelling from one place to another as possible. Please tell me which is a better option.Thanks

Well, it depends on what you want to do, and where you want to go? Interlaken is great for exploring the Bernese Oberland, like the Jungfrau, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Spiez, Thun, etc. But Bern would be the easier option if you are wanting to trip to places like Geneva, Luzern, or Zurich, as the trains from Bern are faster, and Bern is closer, by rail to all of the major cities. From Bern you can easily get to Interlaken/Bernese Oberland if you just wanted to spend a day there, but from Interlaken, you pretty much have to travel through Bern to reach Geneva/Lausanne/Luzern/Zurich etc.

you can check travel times for any of your desired trips at sbb.ch (click on english version) by entering start and end destination cities.
then you can compare duration of travel for each intended trip and make a better decision about the home base.
(I personally would not like Interlaken itself as it is a touristy mini-city. Rather I would consider Thun, Spiez or Brienz in the area--but ity depends on how much nightlife you would like).

Ok so that means i can do day trips to jungfrau/lauterbrunnen even if i stay at bern;and sbb.ch preety much clears all my doubts.Thanks to both of you for help :)

Interlaken far prettier than metro Bern not touristic

Base there in the prettiest booking.com hotel u can find.

Venture out on day trips on regional train

Seat61.com good info

Mignt have a look at a map some places too far to reach in a day

Pare back for better experience less cities best.

Royal St George or AlpHorn to super places I have stayed in Interlaken

Nothing comprable in metro Bern for me

Hi var_90,

I'd also like to suggest Thun as a base for your trip. It's far more charming and beautiful than Interlaken -- it has a castle and sits right on Lake Thun. It's also in a nice, central location that makes it convenient for excursions. Check the schedules at SBB to see how it compares, then take a look at some photos using google's images search engine.

Have fun!

s

Bern is only a half hour or so by train from Interlaken - though Bern is better located if taking trains to places like Geneva and Lucerne it is not nearly as romantic a place as the Interlaken area, backdropped by awesome glacier-girdled Alps of the Jungfrau Massif - there is so much to do from an Interlaken area - not only to places like Bern and boat rides on Lake Thun but nicer even forays into the Berner Oberland to fabled places like Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Murren, etc. - the absolute highlight of the Switzerland etched in your minds' eyes - glaciers, rugged mountain peaks, cows with bells tickling, flwoer-bedecked chalets - things lacking in Bern, which though to me is a really nice old city.

Accommodations tend to be more expensive in Bern as well.

anyway if doing lots of rail travel be sure to look at the Swiss Pass - which not only covers trains but also lake boats, postal buses, city trams and buses and also gets free entry to over 400 Swiss museums, including the much lauded Paul Klee Museum in Bern - probably about a $20 value itself - anyway here are some fantastic sites for Swiss trains and passes, etc - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com. And the Swiss Pass if you have kids under 16 gives them a totally free pass - the Family Pass where they never pay a dime for anything - even lifts to mountain tops where the Swiss Pass typically only covers 50%.

and I would consider two bases - one in the Interlaken area and one in the Geneva/Lausanne/Montreux or Vevey areas - the last two being perennial favourties with Fodorites.

Though it is easy to do a day trip to the Jungfrau, etc from Bern staying overnight in a place like Wengen with its stupendous views of jagged glacier-girdled Alpine peaks is priceless - in Bern you'll likely be facing a loud street. Better IMO to day trip to Bern from the Interlaken area.

I'd also like to suggest Thun as a base for your trip. It's far more charming and beautiful than Interlaken >

Ah a very subjective statement that many would not agree with - yeh folks who never get off the main tourist drag in Interlaken may say that about Interlaken but it has sections like in Matten and along the roaring river with Lucerne-type wooden bridges - is every bit as charming as Thun, a much larger city.

PalQ,

You and I have gone round and round on this one. I've told you several times before that I HAVE gotten off the main drag (please write it down so I don't have to tell you again). I've gotten lost in the many tiny streets in the hinterlands all around there several times.

And I still don't like it. Hooters, tacky souvineer shops, tacky "Bryon slept here" signs, tacky tourist restaurants. No, I don't like it.

Many folks on other boards do agree with me.

Listen, Pal, we are allowed to have our own opinions. You do not have to rule the boards. If someone posts an opinion that you don't agree with, you honestly do not have to repeat your already-penned opinion.

s

Hooters, tacky souvineer shops, tacky "Bryon slept here" signs, tacky tourist restaurants.> You only find that on the main drag or one block off it - nowhere else - and the Unterseen, Matten areas, etc. are bucolic with awesome views over lake and glacier-girdled peaks.

But for you to say <It's far more charming and beautiful than Interlaken> sounds like it is a fact - please next time say in your opinion but do not make it sound like a matter of fact - there are cities you could compare where it may be factually correct to say say Bruges is more beautiful and charming than Brussels - but to malign Interlaken as lacking beauty and charm is to me totally incredible.

Pal...you know I had a wonderful stay recently in Interlaken at a delightful hotel at riverside in the Unterseen district. The Goldey Swiss. I don't know if any of your detractors know of its existence. We found traveling daily into the oberlands was easy and fun. A ten minute walk to Ost station along side the River Aare..tranquil, charming promenade, with a footbridge leading into downtown Interlaken...IF you want to go into town...no one HAS to. Pics here show the Goldey well.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuartto...rOberland2009#

stu

When we were there we stayed in Bonigen on the outskirts of Interlaken, a ten minute bus journey or 30-40 minute walk (along the river) from Interlaken, with a lovely lakeside location. That was a good balance of peace and easy access to transport.

Many folks on other boards do agree with me.>

about Interlaken being all Schlock - well some here do not and they have pictures that show a very romantic side of Interlaken that you seemed to have missed or dismissed as
<Hooters, tacky souvineer shops, tacky "Bryon slept here" signs, tacky tourist restaurants.> Again that is only on the main drag but not in most of Interlaken - Interlaken can be a very nice base - I always stay there so pardon me if I take offense when someone calls the town just tourist Schlock - this could deter folks from basing in what is not only a utilitarian base for day excursions but in many sections that most tourists never see very charming.

Hey Pal,

It’s really too bad that you feel such grief when others post opinions that you don’t agree with (. . .if I take offense when someone calls the town just tourist Schlock . . ); however, that’s really only your own problem.

If Interlaken were the only option for a base in the area, then, yes, it would be fine. However, there are so many other alternatives that are so much better (IMO) that Interlaken pales (IMO) as a base.

I always prefer (that’s an opinion) to stay higher. I personally prefer (that’s an opinion) to stay up higher so that my balcony views are over to the other mountains and down into the valley (fact and fact), not craning my neck up to the peaks.

And staying in one of the car-free villages is a unique (fact) and more pleasant (IMO) experience. For one thing, it’s just more peaceful and quiet (fact) because there are fewer people on the streets and rarely an electric cart. Also, the air seems cleaner up there (not sure if that’s a fact or an opinion). Since they are only about 40 minutes from Interlaken, that is just a minor inconvenience (IMO) for such a huge payoff (IMO) in views and ambiance.

As I’ve stated before, yes, Interlaken is ok (IMO) for an afternoon or a morning to meander around its edges and its river through town. But I wouldn’t want (that’s an opinion) to spend every morning and every evening of my visit there.

Even though I think it’s pretty easy to tell fact from opinion, I will try to make my opinions more clear when I post about Interlaken.

I do wish you would manage to think through your answers and provide them at one go – to save us from paging through your numerous postings. Yesyesys, I know; that’s my own problem.

s

Swandav, FWIW, I've always found your perspectives useful and helpful and I've taken your advice more than once, with happy results. I am also surprised at how you've been attacked in this thread - of course, anyone should be able to understand that you are presenting your opinion - and that Pal's contrary opinion is also just that, an opinion - NOT immutable fact. I've read many of your posts about Switzerland and your opinions have always been based on solid personal experience - they've never been rash, flimsy, or superficial. You're one of the last people whose views about Switzerland should be dismissed as shallow or ignorant.

As we're talking about switzerland, let's just try to have everyone "stay neutral". Seems like the original poster made his decision. All good tips here. Seems like there is so much to see in Switzerland! I too am headed there in September...

swandav2000 - well said and we both should say in our opinion I guess.

and I will say Swandav, in all others takes except perhaps Interlaken, in MY opinion, is infallible in her/his Swiss advice - a real great source and one with whom I put a lot of stock in the advice. I love Interlaken for so many reasons from so many stays there and thus perhaps overreact with others whose opinions, yes opinions, like mine are, differ. But swandav is a Fodors treasure to be sure and has helped so so many folks and always without attitude that I find in so so many Fodorgarchs.