Day trips from Interlaken
 

Hi,

We have limited time in Interlaken, 1.5 days. I have identified the following options for our time there -

1. Interlaken-Lucerne express panorama train, spend some time in Lucerne and back to Interlaken

2. Interlaken to Jungfrau and back

3. Interlaken to Gimmelwald, spend some time there, go to Schilthorn and back to Interlaken.

Clearly only one of these options is possible, so please help me choose among these.

Thanks!

Forgot to mention - we are going to be there Feb 8, 9.

There are tons of other options, BTW.
We don't know your interests. There is no best solution anyway. Just go to the place you like best.

I suppose you know that trips to Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn make only sense if the weather is fine.

Hi, I would be interested in those other options. I have had little time to do research, would be great if you can share the details.

Eliminate # 1 if you are staying in Interlaken - just take the scenic Brunig Pass train and stay in Lucerne.

The Jungfraujoch train costs a ton - over $100 - why only 1.5 days in the Interlaken/Jungfrau Region? I think the Gimmelwald-Murren-Schilthorn option may be your best as it is very varied in what you see - cute remote village of Gimmelwald, spiffy Murren and one of the Alps' longest cable car rides to the Schilthorn - an icy outpost in the middle of nowhere (see James Bond's On Her Majesty's Secret Service which was in large part film on the Schilthorn in the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant) - for lots of ideas on the Jungfrau area check www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - for other ideas too and www.seat61.com - train and gondola info on the area.

Follow the weather. Personally, I'd go up to the Jungfraujoch only if the weather is good and you have no altitude sickness problems. I really have enjoyed my trips up to the Kleine Scheidegg (the last stop before Jungfraujoch) and then doing the easy walk to Männlichen. Go back down to Grindelwald and then back to Interlaken.

Yes do the easy Ridge Walk Kl Scheidegg to Mannlichen - the most popular and perhaps easiest walk in the whole area - stunning views the whole way - a short few miles and fairly flat - a wide path.

From Interlaken take the train to Jungfraujoch via Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen/Wengen and on the way back from Jungfraujoch get off at Kleine Schiedegg and walk the Ridge Trail to The Mannlichen and then take the cable car down to Wengen for trains back to Interlaken (or cables back down to Grindelwald from The Mannlichen):

https://www.google.com/search?q=mann...w=1920&bih=955

So many things to do and so little time! Does the cable car to Schilthorn operate this time of the year? Would be rather icy/snowy at that altitude.

Just stumbled upon a video of people being rescued by heli from the cable car stranded high up in the mountains. Perhaps not something for the faint hearted ones like me!

If it's possible to ascend the Jungrfrau I would definitely do that - but it's certainly not possible very day. If the top is wreathed in clouds you would see nothing and were in Interlaken 3 days before we got one clear at the top.

The train station has info on this and there is a web site as well. If it clear at the top first thing in the am go immediately as clouds can easily roll in later in the day.

If that is not possible I would do one of the scenic trains.

Be aware of the cold weather and short daylight hour everywhere.

There is nothing in Gimmelwald--just some houses, a small hotel, and a cafe the size of a potting shed.

I stay in Wengen in the summer months. The owners of the hotel I stay at tell me that when it snows guests have to either ski out of the hotel or wear snow shoes to get to town.

Just be aware that you are going into car-free, remote villages (Murren, Gimmelwald) in the middle of ski season.

Thin

That's a good point. Most guidebooks and write ups seem to assume a travel in summer. We are going there mid winter. So perhaps we should just skip Gimmelwald altogether. Maybe spend time in Brig or some other bigger village instead?

Hi kdd,

To answer one of your questions above -- yes, the cable car to Schilthorn operates in the winter (and, yes, it *should* be snowy & icey!). That is prime skiing time, and there are wonderful ski runs on the Schilthorn.

Of course it's wonderful to ascend the mountains and to go hiking in the wintertime --- the views are spectacular and the skiers are entertaining. But you must make sure you are prepared for it. Your hiking shoes have to be waterproof and have thick lug soles. You should also have hiking poles.

Have fun as you plan!

s

"There is nothing in Gimmelwald--just some houses, a small hotel, and a cafe the size of a potting shed"
It seems that's just the reason why Gimmelwald is so popular with tourists from overseas; Europeans would never stay there.

Schilthorn: actually it's much too warm for the season: average temperature around 0 degrees centigrade. Forecast for next Thursday: 15 degrees below zero in the morning, 10 degrees below 0 in the afternoon.

You are hitting the carnival week and Luzern is a hotspot. So if you like festivals, go on Monday Feb 8 and watch the parade (starting at 14.00). If you don't like festivals and crowds then avoid Luzern during those days altogether. Normal sightseeing will not be possible.

http://www.bellevue-wengen.ch/hotel/zimmer.html

You can go to the Bellvue's website and look at the webcam.

As you can see, no snow in Wengen today.

Thin

In ski season you may have problems renting for only two nights in a mountain village - Interlaken probably but hotels may be aloof to rent for a few nights up in the ski areas if they can book for a week straight.

Thanks for the link, Thin. It's gorgeous!

kdd - what are you other Swiss plans if any? Makes a difference on say buying a Swiss Pass or Swiss Transfer Ticket, both of which are worthless in your case if just spend 1.5 days in Interlaken and just going to and from Zurich perhaps. But even then the Swiss Transfer Ticket could be good if say doing Zurich to Wengen or other Jungfrau place and going onto say France or Italy or Germany or Austria, etc.

What are you Swiss plans?

From Interlaken we go to Verbier for some skiing with some side trips in the afternoons. We do plan to take trains everywhere so I have bought the Swiss Pass.

After reading obsessively about Schilthorn and Jungfrau I am now leaning towards Schilthorn. I am not afraid of heights, and I always thought cable cars were perfectly safe, but YouTube seems to be full of heli rescues from gondolas and cable cars! Wish I hadn't known about it. So having to think more about this Schilthorn trip.