Oh - I wasn't intentionally ignoring anyone. I only remembered Andrew's posts (I didn't go back and read the Help Forum thread)

Please a recommendation in Lauterbrunnen??

@ janisj -- I appreciate your explanation!

@ Macaroni09 -- you might consider the Hotel Staubbach:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/ch/staubbach.html
It suited my needs very well. Here are some things to consider:

(a) As a solo traveler, I opted for a room with<b>out</b> a view of the magnificent Staubbach Falls, counting on my ability to use the "shared" spaces that afford those views, given that I was traveling off-season. That worked easily for me on 2 of 3 nights, and with a bit more difficulty, I found a solution for the 3rd evening. I'm not sure I would count on access to the views if I were traveling in high season, and of course, that would affect the cost differential....

(b) The experience will change with season! When I was there, the falls were particularly full, the visible mountains still snowcapped, the fields filled with blooming wildflowers, and the patrons of the nearby bar quite subdued. I can't speak to what you might experience later in the year.

(c) The hotel does not have a full-service restaurant -- it has an amazingly generous breakfast buffet; and (as I recall), coffee, tea, and water are available all day; but there is no meal service for lunch or dinner. I did not find that a problem, as there are other places to dine in the area. YMMV.

(d) I thought the views down the valley absolutely stunning. But note: these are not the views you would get from being above the valley, whether at Wengen or Murren. There really is a tremendous difference, and ONLY you can decide what you want.

(e) I found the service at this B&B absolutely outstanding! From desk staff to breakfast staff to cleaning staff, everyone was kind and gracious and able to speak a stunning array of languages and made me feel incredibly welcome from the first moment I stepped inside until the moment I left. Even by the VERY high standards set by Swiss hoteliers, and even after nearly 3 weeks of experiencing those standards, I was impressed with the incredibly personable service at the Hotel Staubbach. JMO.

Hope that helps!

Hi again to Macaroni09,

I'm so happy to see how much fun you are having with your plans!! That's such a fun step in any trip -- you get to visualize each place you stay and imagine what you'll do there. I love it all, and I am feeling your excitement!!

I haven't re-read kja's trip report nor the planning posts she posted here, so I don't know if anyone mentioned anything negative about Lauterbrunnen.

But I do want to mention something negative about Lauterbrunnen that has always put me off the place. If I were going to stay there and no-one told me about it, I would be **very** unhappy . . .

Lauterbrunnen sits at the bottom of some tall cliffs. The village can be dark in the mornings & evenings, I've heard. I just know that every time the train rolls in and I see those dark cliffs above me, I get depressed.

I know that lots of folks stay there and don't even notice the cliffs, and others only notice the beauty of the valley. Maybe kja can give more information & feelings (if she hasn't already done it in her trip report) about living with the cliffs. But I personally could not stay there.

You can take another look using google maps and pull up some photos of the place -- see if the cliffs make any difference to you.

So -- keep having fun!!

s

When I visited Lauterbrunnen -- in early-to-mid June -- the sun was nearly overhead. There were NO -- repeat: <b><u>NO</b></u> -- big dark shadows. I can't speak to other times of year.

What I saw from Lauterbrunnen was, in a word, <b>magnificent</b>! I saw stunningly high cliffs from which water leapt with incredible force; glorious wildflowers in any direction I looked; and when facing the north, awesome snow-capped mountains surmounting the cliffs and waterfalls and verdant flower-bedecked fields, bisected by a wedge of blue sky and the colorful chutes of paragliders. I loved that view, and find myself reflecting upon it with frequency! I've also noted on other posts that I absolutely love waterfalls, which could have made me more fond of the view from Lauterbrunnen than those who are less fond of them.

But I thought we had covered this ground before, swandav? You did, of course, raise your concern several times as I planned my trip -- and I appreciated your input. But I thought you have since admitted that you have <b><u>NEVER</b></u> left the train station in Lauterbrunnen, at <b><u>ANY</b></u> time of year?

Unlike swandav, I've stayed in BOTH Lauterbrunnen and Wengen and I think there are advantages and disadvantages to each. And I think the choice really depends on traveler-specific priorities, budgets, and itineraries.

I tried to speak to some of those differences and considerations above, including my impression that taking advantage of the views from Wengen will cost more -- perhaps MUCH more -- than staying in Lauterbrunnen. Again, I splurged for one night in Wengen, and didn't get a view that I thought worth the price. So IF you decide to stay there, consider your options carefully and consider paying a premium for a decent view. JMO.

And yes, pay attention to time of year, as the extent of the shadows that swandav so dreads could, of course, make a huge difference. ;-)

Yes, kja, you and I have gone over this before.

But I wasn't sure that this op had access to that information, and that's important to me. As I said, if I were planning to stay in Lauterbrunnen and no-one had told me about the cliffs, I would be very unhappy. Maybe even angry.

I brought up both points of view, I think -- noting that many love the scenery there and others don't even notice the cliffs. But. In the very small chance that the op might be one who would notice, I brought it up.

Yes, that's right; I've never strolled through the streets of Lauterbrunnen. Because, as I said here and have said before, when I pull up in the train, the overhanging cliffs just depress me. I'm not ashamed or afraid to say that. I can't even get myself to get off the train; there is nothing beckoning to me.

I am curious why you used so much bold here and bold, underlined caps for a few words. Really??? Do you think I need to be shown what to read??? Please calm yourself; we can hear you.

s

s

What hotel did you stay in in Wengen that didn't have the splendid views? I've stayed twice at the Alpenrose, and the views over to the other mountains and down the valleys were, really & truly, stupendous. But, yes, the rooms with the views are even more pricey than the rooms without.

s

Jeeesh, swandav, you asked me to elaborate ('Maybe kja can give more information & feelings [if she hasn't already done it in her trip report) about living with the cliffs."]), so I did. And I used bold and caps to emphasize certain ideas, as in this response: The fact that <b>YOU</b> have never been outside the train station in Lauterbrunnen is important to <b>ME</b>.

By all means, provide the information that you think would benefit others in whatever way you think appropriate. You are, and have long been, an extraordinarily valuable source of information to Fodorites on many parts of Switzerland, and many of us have benefited immeasurably from your input.

Nonetheless, you can trust that <b><u>I</b></u> will continue to provide the information that <b><u>I</b></u> (yes, underlined and bolded) think beneficial in whatever way <b><u>I</b></u> think appropriate.

Thanks for the kind words, kja!! That's something that I've noticed since you first started posting here -- you are very generous and thoughtful to other posters.

I have never questioned the information you provide; yes, I even did want you to give more information/impressions on living and staying in Lauterbrunnen. So I'm not sure why you want to reassure me that you will continue to post . . .? Your information and your tone have been great here, and I would always look forward to more.

I taught college-level English for 20 years. I always encouraged my students to make their points with words, with vocabulary, with images, and with punctuation -- that may be why I dislike seeing bold and caps and underlining when conveying simple information. It seems emotional, and it seems like overkill to me. I like to see the words speak for themselves.

I should also add that I think I simply gave the facts about Lauterbrunnen; I didn't try to give the impression that I had walked its streets or had a personal impression of it. I do the same thing with other places I haven't actually walked. I know some facts about Lausanne that may help travellers who are thinking about staying there (the distance from the lake shore to the center of the city, the size of the city, etc). Similarly, I know some things about Gimmelwald without having stepped foot there that could possibly help someone (how tiny it is, how long it takes to travel there).

When I post about Lausanne, though, I always preface it with "I just dislike large cities, so I haven't ever been inside Lausanne . . . " I guess I ought to preface my comments about Lauterbrunnen with "I just dislike walking under overhanging cliffs, so I haven't ever walked through Lauterbrunnen . . . "

s

Sounds like a great plan, swandav! – except that you might want to delete the word “overhanging” from your preface – through much / most of the area, the clifftops are some distance away from the base of the cliffs – they don’t actually overhang anything. ;-)

Many, many thanks for your very kind words! I find travel an incredible delight, one that I never take for granted. To be able to take full advantage of every moment and opportunity that travel provides me is something I dearly treasure – and I have been able to do so in large part because of the advice that you and other Fodorites so generously offer. So even though I’m not an expert, I try to give back and pay forward. And I’m glad that I can count on many other Fodorites who, like you, will add a dose of reality when I misrepresent something.

Maybe we can agree to disagree about the use of bold and underlines ... but for goodness sakes, I think we'll have to disagree about Lausanne -- what a delightful city! ... ;-)

And OMG, Macaroni, please forgive this long aside and bring us back to what YOU want to know!

We like Lauterbrunnen - we've stayed there a couple of times and find it the perfect base from which to explore the entire region.

As for where to stay - we thoroughly enjoyed our week long stay here:

https://www.vrbo.com/1775914ha

For shorter stays, I suggest the Hotel Silberhorn - fantastic food in their restaurant too. They're located right on the main street, easy walking distance to the station, from where you can get to just about anywhere.

The Hotel Silberhorn also has apartments - I've had my eye on them for sometime, but I think they have a minimum five night stay.

And for what its worth, we also like Wengen and Murren and have stayed in both many times. We've also stayed in Grindelwald a few times (and once in Interlaken).

It's all good.

Lauterbrunnen, in a deep gorge-like valley - I've camped there a few times and liked the town but I think for first-timers the views from towns like Wengen and Grindelwald and especially Murren are much more awesome? Though kja'a description of Lauterbrunnen vistas are compelling but I still think they match the views from towns up above - but yes awesome in their own right.

Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald are busy transit towns - vehicles stream into their parking lots -- Wengen and Murren are car-less, smaller and more quiet - like swandav likes - I prefer a faster pulse like in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald but different strokes for different folks.

But really you can't go wrong in any town in this area, except Interlaken for superlative views of the glacier-girdled soaring Alps from your hotel balcony.(Be sure to get a room facing the Jungfrau Massif!)

Melnq8, Thanks for the link to the VRBO. The tub,washer/dryer combo would come in handy, and the pic showing the walk to Wengen has me smiling! I have also looked at hotel Silberhorn, and will check that out.

I have posted with no problems at all!

Found a real gem from kimsanjose on Trip Advisor. She has really researched the Wengen area. She will gladly send you her online book, complete with links and live webcams. She has hiked in Jungfrau region for 18 years. Be sure to contact her if you are spending a few days in the area!

Thanks, kja, for suggesting Rough Guide & Lonely Planet. They arrived today and I have been engrossed!

Lucerne looks like a keeper to me, and Zurich is back on the list too. When it shows up in the train connections, how can one just roll by? Not a chance!