Bernese Oberland
 

We have 9 days in Switzerland and will spend about 5 of those days in the Bernese Oberland. Is there an advantage to staying in any one town over another? We are trying to decide between Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and Murren. We will be there the first week of July, so we realize that we are booking late - should we just focus on where we can get a room?

Wengen and Murren are car free villages, Lauterbrunnen is in the valley, you will pass through Lauterbrunnen to get to Murren on one side of the valley and Wengen on the other. Wengen mostly faces the three great mountains, Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau and Murren is alomost sideways on. Murren might not be as accessible very late in the evening. Wengen has a direct train service via Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken until late. Other than that you pays your money and takes your choice. All are quite small and rooms may by now be hard to get. If you are travelling by rail the Swiss Rail website is very helpful www.sbb.ch/en for the English version. Enjoy when you get there.

Hi mcboulder,

Just a few notes --

Grindelwald is as high as the tour busses go, so that's where they all go. They stop in Interlaken for a souvenir break, then they all go up to Grindelwald, turning it into a zoo in July and August. I strongly recommend you choose one of the car-free villages (Wengen or Mürren) to avoid that problem.

I've never liked Lauterbrunnen because it sits at the base of some cliffs that overhang it. However, many people don't even notice them , and others think it adds to the charm of the village. I'm just piping up fyi.

You can look for a room in all of the villages at one time at

www.myjungfrau.ch

Have fun!

s

I had the same wondering about my upcoming trip so I decided on 3 nights in Murren, 3 nights in Wengen. Then I'll know what to tell other Fodorites who ask!

Everyone says Murren is more quaint and Wengen has more amenities (if that helps you). My research tells me Grindelwald is the most touristy of them all.

Your late booking time may reduce your options however. I was turned away from some places when I tried to book in January (for June). Don't wait too much longer.

We stayed in Lauterbrunnen in an apt for 8 days and loved the central location. But that said, Wengen and Murren are lovely towns. You might have to go with where you can get a booking at this late date. Don't discount Lauterbrunnen but think twice about Grindelwald, tons of tourists. The BO is beautiful. Have a great trip!

I'll vote for Lauterbrunnen too. That is where I always stay, and will again in August. I love being in the valley. I'm not much of a fan of Murren - although you really can't go wrong in any of these locations. The whole area is spectacular.
Martha

I've stayed in all four villages and once in Interlaken. On our last visit we booked an apartment in Lauterbrunnen for a week and found it an ideal location. It's a bit of a transportation hub; you can get just about anywhere from Lauterbrunnen. Very convenient. I personally love the Lauterbrunnen valley - the sheer cliffs just add to the dramatic scenery, which I find fantastic.

My least favorite place to stay is Interlaken, with Grindelwald a close second for the reasons mentioned above.

I loved the cliffs in Lauterbrunnen. Very dramatic. Granted you have shade a bit earlier but who cares. Don't forget to visit the Trummelbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen. Quite amazing.

The hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg is easy and beautiful. Chocolate milk cows everywhere.

Can't wait to return. Heavy sigh.

Another vote for Lauterbrunnen. I have stayed in Wengen, Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken. I, too, found Lauterbrunnen to be the most convenient for visiting the area. I love the view of the cliffs and Staubbach Falls.

We stayed in Murren at Chalet Fontana and really loved it. We would like to explore Wengen on out next trip. Not sure you can go wrong with either spot, they really aren't that far apart - I think you can see one from the other across the chasm! Love Switzerland!!

I also stayed in Lauterbrunnen and have to give it a thumbs up. I loved the valley. It was so convenient to Wengen, Jungfrau and hiking trails. It is a quick ride to Interlaken to hop on a train to other areas of interest.

The MAIN reason that I would pick either Wengen or Murren over Lauterbrunnen--and this is VERY IMPORTANT--is that Lauterbrunnen can get a lot of traffic on Saturdays and Sundays if there is some sort of triathalon or bike race going on.

I was walking through the town last August during some sort of bike race and the traffic was non-stop. It was really hard to cross the road. There are no real sidewalks in Lauterbrunnen and walking along the road with a lot of traffic can be of a concern, especially if you are travelling with kids.

P_P