PalenQ

We stayed in Grindelwald last July for four nights. We had read lots of comments about how it is "clogged with tour buses" but we did not find that to be the case.>

a longtime reliable Fodorite just posted the above on another thread - ah the eye of the beholder and what they want that eye to see!

swandav2000

Oh, I agree with you there, PalQ -- I love seeing hiking groups and hiking families. I loved that when I was in Scuol for 4 nights -- saw no cameras and no souvenir shops but only serious hikers heading purposely for the lifts. Lots of sports stores instead of souvenir shops.

Unfortunately, that's not what I saw in Grindelwald. The crowds would descend from those large tour busses, about 40 at a time, all dressed for urban exploration. With only 2 busses, that would mean a crowd that the town just couldn't absorb.

I wonder if you were gone during the day and so missed this sight? As I said, I was travelling with my mom, who didn't want to leave the town at all, so I got to see all the tourist traffic of a normal day. Perhaps you were there in the morning and the evening after the busses and crowds had left.

". . . and what they want that eye to see!"

What?? Do you really think that I dragged my 76-year-old mother across the ocean to witness this unpretty sight? That's truly NOT what I wanted to see. I wanted to show my mom the beauty of the country that I had been raving about.

s

shwets

Zurich tourist centre advised the 4 day Swiss Saver Pass (for 2), which covered our trip from Zurich to Bern to Interlaken to Grindelwald. And on the 4th day, the trip to Lucerne. It gave us a 25% discount on jungfrau express. Also a 50% discount on the gondola ride from Grindelwald to First. And all the bus trips.

I would recommend Grindelwald to everyone. But I didnt stay in the main town (although nothing wrong with the town / main street). We were at Aspen Alvin hotel which is a boutique hotel at the foothills of eiger. It meant taking an aditional bus from grindelwald station to aspen, but suited us.
Lauterbrunnen is another favourite, I really enjoyed the tremmelbach falls and the 45 min walk from there back to the town.
cant recollect tourist buses but we went in the first week of june. anyway it has to be less crazy than interlaken in all months.
We stopped at wengen just for lunch on our way to lauterbrunnen so cant really comment.

PalenQ

shwets - thanks for that report! I too like Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, despite their being so popular - for a good reason!