Switzerland
 

We are a family of 4 with 2 teenagers. I have looked at a couple of different places as a home base for our Switzerland visit based on vacations rentals that are available. The two places are Oberdiessbach & Lauterbrunnen. I would like to visit Interlaken, Junfraujong, Lucerne etc. Which one would you pick as a base? Which one is more scenic? or does it matter as Switzerland is so pretty.

Thanks

there is no place in Switzerland better IMO for a first-time visit than the Jungfrau Region in and around Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen is one of the nicest and most awesome places there. This is the picture of Switzerland etched in your minds' eyes - glacier-girdle3d Jungfrau Massif high above it - waterfalls, including one inside the cliff! - toylike mountain trains - thrilling aerial cableways (like the one to Schilthorn, where James Bond On Her Majesty's Service was in part filmed in the now famous Piz Gloria revolving restaurant out in the middle of nothing by rugged Alps, etc.

Lauterbrunnen is about a 20-minute train ride from Interlaken, which has great mainline rail service. If your kids are under 16 and you buy a Swiss Pass the kids get a free Family Pass and never ever pay a dime to ride any form of transit in Switzerland - including the pricey trains to the Jungfraujoch itself (via Wengen from Lauterbrunnen). A Swiss Pass gets you to Lauterbrunnen 100% covered and to many places in the area, including boat rides on the two lakes that bookend Interlaken - an awesome thing to do with kids IME.

Anyway great sources of info on Swiss trains and passes IMO -http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html; www.ricksteves.com and www.swisstravelsystem.com.

In my over 12 years of posting on Fodors, I never ran across this town!
Looks nice on its website, but I wonder how well connected it is (btw, how will you be travelling?).
I think most responders will lean toward Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or even Brienz or Muerren as they are much more familiar.
But, as you say, you CAN'T go wrong in the Berner Oberland!
PS: Jungfraujoch

by looking at its location Oberdiessbach's region just cannot even come close to matching the majestic scenes in the Lauterbrunnen area - no way and like mokka poses how well it is connected by public transit - probably postal bus to nearest train station. Even if driving it would not be a great location for visiting say the Jungfrau Region - cars are not even allowed in the Jungfrau Region above Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald and you have to pay predatory rates to park them on the edges of town. Train and public transit, at least for the Junfrau Region, is IMO the only way to go.

Lauterbrunnen, Lauterbrunnen, Lauterbrunnen. Nuf said :)

Thank you all (PalenQ, mokka4 & michele_d) for providing valuable feedback. Lauterbrunnen, it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUHKn1E9Lo

shows the awesome beauty of Lauterbrunnen!

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So glad you chose Lauterbrunnen - you can't go wrong there. It is amazing!!!

there are two routes between Interlaken and Lucerne - one via Bern and the other one up and over the rugged Brunig Pass - this one is a whole lot more scenic but may take a tad longer. From Lauterbrunnen take train down to Interlaken-Ost station and change to the Brunig Pass train that putzes along idyllic Lake Brienz before climbing up and over the Brunig Pass, using cogs to assist prodigious steep ups and downs - the only Swiss Federal Railways to use cogs! Lucerne is a smallish big town so a half day or so there is ample to see what most tourists wish to see! You could return via Bern on the other rail route for variety. A Swiss Pass is valid the whole way on either route.

talk about Asians in the Jungfrau region - there are tons and tons - trains to the Jungfraujoch seem often to have more Asians on them than Europeans or Americans - there are even advertising billboards in the area in Chinese and Japanese! Just adds to the interest of the area to moi.

We're staying in Lauterbrunnen in May with two small kids and I can't wait! I don't want to go crazy with wanting to hike and see everything or I'll burn my kids out and it will end up being miserable, but PaenQ can you recommend any small hikes or "must sees" that we need to go do even with our kiddos? I know getting up to Jungfraujoch is super expensive. Is it worth it?!

I have been to Jungfraujoch twice, and I think it is worth the money. I loved being there with all the snow, yet I didn't even need a jacket. While I was there the first time, an airplane flew by...down below me!

but PaenQ can you recommend any small hikes or "must sees" that we need to go do even with our kiddos>

Here's a couple of easy hikes even kiddos can do - from Lauterbrunnen take the aerial cable car up to Grutschalp and then walk on a flat path along the top of the cliff to Murren - now the whole way is too long but you can hop on the train that parallels the path at some points - or better take the train from Grutschalp to Murren and then do the easy downhill walk to Gimmelwald.

Or from Lauterbrunnen take the train up to Wengen then the chairlift to Mannlichen - perhaps the most celebrated viewpoint in all the Jungfraujoch region - over both Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys and over Interalken bookended by its two lakes far below - and then do the easy walk to Kleine Scheidegg - a flat few-mile at most stroll that even baby carriages can go over. - Take the train from Kl Schiedegg back down to Wengen and Lauterbrunnen.

Those are three easy hikes I have seen families with young kids on.

Thanks! This is just the kind of info I need! My parents were in this part of Switzerland years ago and did not go up to Jungfraujoch (again because it's so expensive), but they did to Schilthorn and said it was beautiful. Are they comparable in awe factor to those of you who have done both? Is Schilthorn a better bargain?

Will cable cars be open on May 17th? It's a holiday over there isn't it?

It's Ascension Day ("Auffahrt"), and yes, I it's a bank holiday in Switzerland. Cable car to Schilthorn will run, cog-train to Jungfraujoch also.

I am torn between Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch. They're different. From Schilthorn you have a 360° panoramic view, from Junfraujoch not. It's a pass ("joch") between two peaks - Jungfrau and Mönch. So, roughly spoken, you basically have the far-distance view to the north and to the south. In east and west you have glaciers/snow and the two peaks close by.

I personally did not like that a large part of the trip up from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch is in the tunnel. On the other hand, the cable car to Schilthorn might be a problem for people with fear of heights.

. Are they comparable in awe factor to those of you who have done both? Is Schilthorn a better bargain?>

completely different both in conveyances getting up to the summits and what is there - more thrilling to take Alp's longest aerial cable way to Schilthorn/Piz Gloria vs tunnel to Jungfraujoch but once there there is a panoply of various things to do at Jungfraujoch and not that much at Schilthorn except ice grottoes like at Jungfraujoch and tremendous views - Schilthorn is more isolated feeling as less folks there - Jungfrau is often packed to the gills in the main building with ice caves but you can walk to various things like a glacier whereas on Schilthorn you are basically stuck to a large platform overlooking ice and rocks - both are great - with a Swiss Pass it is much cheaper to go to Schilthorn as pass covers 100% of travel to Murren then 50% off to Schilthorn.

I actually wasn't bowled over by the Schilthorn. Never done the Jungfrau trip, but would absolutely recommend <b>Schynige Platte</b>. Just the cog wheel trip up there - surrounded by mountains, is glorious. Then at the top is a "garden" - Vistas like you wouldn't believe and you can walk all over the grounds - not just a platform to look at the scenery from. I think it would be especially good with teenagers as they can walk all over themselves and you can still see them on the hills are where you walk, with cow bells chiming.

Check it out.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/schy...-jungfrau.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...wiss_Alps.html

Not in May, kenav. That time of year Schynige Platte cog-train is not operating.

Schynige Platte sounds great! Too bad we won't be able to go since it's closed in May. I think we'll do Schilthorn if we get our Swiss passes. There's no age restrictions on any of these gondolas or trains is there? We have a one year old with us.

<Jungfrau is often packed to the gills>

Play on my name? ;)

No age restrictions.

I actually wasn't bowled over by the Schilthorn.>

I can perfectly understand that - Piz Gloria just offers a viewing platform and some ice caves - not much to do after a short while - Jungfrau has lots and lots of things, especially for kids.

But to me the whole loop from Lauterbrunnen and thrilling aerial cable way to Grutschalp, scintillating mountain train along cliff's edge to Murren and cable or walk down to Gimmelwald - oh oh lovely lovely isolated Gimmelwald - nothing like it anywhere! and then even more awesome aerial cable car plunging back down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley at Stechelberg for a lovely flat few-mile walk back to Lauterbrunnen or hop the postal bus there - with a Swiss Pass the whole loop - even aerial cable ways in 100% covered. (Schilthorn detour 50% from Murren and back).

PalenQ - Yes, coming into Lauterbrunnen was wonderful. I fell in love with the town. Incredible valley with waterfalls and the Alps. We did take, I believe, a funicular up to Grutschalp (no cable car) and then perhaps the train to Murren. I remember walking from one end of Murren to the far end to get the cable car to the Schilthorn.

Where do you walk from to go from Murren to Gimmelwald?

Well as I recall you walk thru Murren by the cable car station to Gimmelwald or Schithorn and veer off to the east and you find a trail - first a street with residences on it and later a regular footpath that gently descends to Gimmelwald with awe-inspiring views over the Lauterbrunnen Valley far below - a really easy short enough walk. Well that is how my at times hazy memory remembers it! Head to the cliff at the southern end of the village!

Do you think we could do this walk between Murren and Gimmelwald next week? (IOW - trail will be walkable)

that path is paved so unless there is snow or ice on the trail - hard to tell - at least it will not be muddy so yes, depending on the whether and it is a beaten trail used by locals and thus I think would be maintained.

The weather is hard to predict - I was in Murren early September once when it was freezing with some ice around - nevertheless I did walk down to Gimmelwald even then so I think at least that path is a good bet and a great little walk - can always take the cable car down too.