"From Interlaken we go to Verbier for some skiing with some side trips in the afternoons...so I have bought the Swiss Pass"
I suppose you know that the Swiss Travel Pass is NOT valid on gondolas in the Verbier area (in contrast to Zermatt or Saas Fee)

the Swiss Pass will take you to Wengen if you opt for that with 100% coverage and also from there via Lauterbrunnen to Murren and Gimmelwald and down to Stechelberg 100% coverage - a good deal for those plans and 50% off gondolas to Piz Gloria.

I suppose you know that the Swiss Travel Pass is NOT valid on gondolas in the Verbier area (in contrast to Zermatt or Saas Fee)>

There is probably some local free pass from hotels in Verbier than give discounts or even free rides- check on it anyway.

The Jungfraujoch train is nearly all in tunnels after Kleine Scheidegg and though there is a stop at a belvedere cut into the rocks for photo opps you see really little but tunnels most of the way - yet up top is a Winter Wonderland of glaciers and snow and ice caves - much more up here than at Piz Gloria - a small platform outside in the middle of nowhere but rugged Alps - also ice caves and a noted revolving restaurant (as shown in the Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service).

kdd:
http://picasaweb.google.com/stuartto...land2009#These are pics from my last visit to Switzerland. They should give you a good idea of many of those options you mentioned. We took several day trips from Interlaken and it worked out well. We loved our lodgings, about a 15 minute walk across the footbridge from Center Interlaken, and the same along the beautiful riverside promenade to Interlaken Ost train for the Alps.(Hotel is Goldey Swiss..great alpine views from the balcony as you can see)

Many folks diss Interlaken here as worthless but at least me and tower love it - a good base if in the area only a short time - easy in and easy out and a great base for day trips by boats on either lake bookending Interlaken and to place like Bern when it is rainy or funky weather up in dem hills.

Yes my thoughts exactly. Sometimes touristy is not bad as it means it is convenient for a visitor, especially if only spending a short amount of time.

Tower, those are lovely pictures.

Still trying to decide where to go. Think I will leave it to my husband to decide. All of this assuming a clear day of course!

Love your pictures, Tower!

tower's pix also show how some parts of Interlaken that few folks see are so so neat.

Yes my thoughts exactly. Sometimes touristy is not bad as it means it is convenient for a visitor, especially if only spending a short amount of time.>

There is only one main drag in Interlaken that is touristy and IMO folks who diss Interlaken as awful probably never get off that one main dragged lined by tourist Schlock - Interlaken has Lucerne-type covered bridges and lovely walks along the northside of the river linking the two lakes it is wedged between - and the Matten section too is wonderful to stay in - yeh the views of the Jungfrau Massif are from a distance but still majestic. Matten is a very quiet section of town as is the part tower stayed in as his pictures show.

(Swandav - I know you have explored all of Interlaken so do not take umbrage, as usual, with my comment that folks who diss Interlaken never get off the main drag - you are the exception in that regard. Cheers!)

Thanks for telling me about the covered bridge. How lovely! I have printed off some self guided walks now. Should be good. How about boat trips on the river, any good in winter weather?

"How about boat trips on the river?"

You may have a look at
http://www.interlaken.ch/en/activiti...nterlaken.html

Interlaken gets overlooked because most folks just transit town and at most see the touristy main drag - that said first timers understandably should or will want to stay up in a Grindelwald or Wengen with their precious time - yet return visitors may revel in Interlaken's hidden gems as I do now.

Hi Fodorites,

Here is an update from our trip. We had just one full day in Interlaken and we were blessed with a fine clear day! Husband chose Jungfrau so we went there. The scenery was spectacular. Later in the afternoon there were heavy winds which started blowing all the snow around, so by 2:30 pm they announced last trains and all the staff were also asked to vacate as it was deemed unsafe for them to remain there. It was a bit eerie and scary but must say that it added to the excitement and isolation of being on top of Europe!

We heard from some other train passengers that they could not get to Wengen as all the gondolas were stopped. Wonder how the people who went to Schilthorn made it back that day.

Glad you had good weather!

Would it be better to stay at Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen?