hi, we are confused! we can go to only one place. which should we choose-jungfrau or pilatus or titlis? we are planning the trip in early june. thinking of staying in berne and lucerne. if jungfrau is better we can stay in berne for 2 days and take a side trip. if pilatus is better, we can shorten our stay in berne and be in lucern for 2 days. would appreciate suggestions.

also, would it be better to stay in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, instead of berne, and then take a ride to jungfrau from there? if that is ideal, any recommendations on budget accommodation in the valley? tks

I haven't seen Pilatus so I can't compare it to the Jungfrau, but the concensus seems to be that if you can only do one mountain it should be the Jungfrau. If that's the one you pick, then stay in Wengen, Grindlewald, or Lauterbrunnen.

I have been to both Pilatus and Jungfrau. I enjoyed Pilatus very much, but it does not compare with the Jungfrau. There's a lot more to see and do there, including the ice cave, dogsled rides, skiing, and disc sledding. There's also a ride on some gizmo where you are attached to a cable and you go from the top of a peak to the ground. I don't know what that thing is called, but it looked like a lot of fun. The wait was long so I didn't do it.

The Jungfrau is more expensive than Pilatus but well worth it. If you take the first train you will get a discount, also it will be less crowded.

I stayed in Grindelwald, but Lauterbrunnen would be a great place to stay as well.

Lauterbrunnen is the best place to stay for a trip to the Jungfrau because you can ride up to the peak from there. You might want to remember that in June, the Jungfrau will still be very cold and everything will be covered in snow -- lots of it. Dress warmly.

If you are more inclined toward verdant scenery but from a mountain, your best bet would probably be Mt Rigi. You can get a cog rail up to Rigi at Vitznau and other places. Rigi isn't so high, or so snowy, but I believe the views across the Swiss mountains are better --and the temperatures are not so cold. There are concessions at the top where you can get something to eat and drink. Good luck.

Have been to all three and Jungfrau is definitely the champ. The problem is that you can;t plan on going on any one specific day - since there is often a total cloud cover. (Our first trip to Swizterland we tried to go as a day trip from Lucerne - but it was socked in - so we did Pilatus instead - which was fun. And although it was clear when we rode up by the time we were finishing lunch on the terrace the rain clouds came through (not over) and we had to run for cover.)

We finally got to do Jungfrau a couple of years later - but we were staying in Interlaken - and it was only on the third day of our stay that the clouds cleared enough for us to go. (If you call the local railway station they tell you conditions at the top.)

In any case - I wouldn;t stay in Bern - little to see or do. Stay somewhere closer to the mountains - more convenient even just for walks or other sights - not just the Jungfrau.

Have done all three, each of them at least two times (three times for Pilatus). No doubt the Jungfrau is the best. In the summer Pilatus is fun, because you can do a fun round trip there.

Do you want to stay in a city, or in a small village? Berne is a very scenic and interesting city, with plenty to see, but it is in an area that is not particularly scenic. Lauterbrunnen, by contrast, is a small village amid spectacular scenery with immediate access to mountain areas.

Because of the changeable weather, I would recommend staying in Lauterbrunnen. On awakening, you can check to see if the alpine sites are socked in; if not you can see them. If so, you can explore the lower areas (the Lauterbrunnen valley itself is worth seeing), or take a day trip by train to Berne.

Enjoy your trip.

You can get to the Jungfraujoch from Interlaken Ost, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wilderswil, Wengen, etc.
Trains go from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg where everybody changes to the Jungfrau train.

Trains from Interlaken Ost go to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen where everybody changes.

In terms of where you stay, the main objective is to be in Interlaken Ost in time to take the train to the top.
If you start at Interlaken Ost, you will change twice - Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg or Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg.

Rail line is the Berner Oberlandbahn and it leaves from Interlaken Ost. It is a private line that is not integrated into the Swiss rail confederation. You can buy your tickets, however, at a Interlaken Ost or elsewhere before you get there.

Staying in Lauterbrunnen gets you 20 minutes closer. But everybody rides the green and yellow Wegener Alpbahn train up to Kleine Scheidegg and the red train to the top.


The cost is high, however. You might want to check out that aspect of the trip before making up your mind.

I've done the Jungfrau and Titlis. Of the two, I'd recommend the Jungfrau, but it will really depend on where you decide to base yourself. The Titlis can be easily reached from Lucerne or Zurich on a day trip to Engelberg. If you base yourself in Lucerne, you can probably do both Titlis and Pilatus, time and weather providing.

If it were me, I'd use Lauterbrunnen or Wengen as a base and concentrate on the Jungfrau and the surrounding area. You just can't go wrong in the Berner Oberland.

BTW - on our first few trips to Switzerland we used Bern as a base. Never again. You'd do better to base yourself closer to the BO.

Have fun.