Top Of The Alps
 

I am going to be in Switzerland for 3-4 days in May. I would like to get to the top of the Alps, most likely Jungfrau. I was in the Lauterbrunnen area once before, but because of limited visibility, never got to the top. Ideally, I would like to explore a village/town/city or two, as well as the Jungfrau.

Would you suggest I stay in a place like Lucerne, and get to the Jungfrau from there, or would I be best staying in a place closer to Jungfrau? If a Lucerne/Jungfrau trip is possible, that would be ideal. Would it be better to stay in a place like Interlakken, which is closer?

Getting to the top of Jungfrau is the priority, but some typically touristy things would be great as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Lucern is really too far - since even if the top is open when you check in the am it might be socked in by the time you get there. You either need to be in Interlaken - where the train starts (we were there 3 days before we got one with visibility at the top) or in one of the villages on the lower slopes.

From either you can visit those villages on the slower slopes and can easily take lake steamers on Lakes Thun or Brienz and see those towns (the former is very cute double level town with a great castle and the latter hosts a bunch of woodcarvers and is near the Ballenberg folk museum).

I would consider staying in Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen, or perhaps best of all, transportation-link-wise, Grindelwald.

Would you suggest I stay in a place like Lucerne, and get to the Jungfrau from there, or would I be best staying in a place closer to Jungfrau? If a Lucerne/Jungfrau trip is possible, that would be ideal. Would it be better to stay in a place like Interlakken, which is closer?>

Lucerne to Jungfraujoch is a long long way - five hours or so each way I'd think and expensive to commute - stay in the Interlaken area - the only practical advice for what you want to do. If going to Jungfraujoch Wengen and Grindelwald are the closest by train - the only way to go besides alpineering - to the Jungfrau.

If the purpose is really to go up to Jungfraujoch, then commit to it. Stay in either Grindelwald or Wengen with direct access to the top.

Get up early, go to the Tourist Office and check the weather on top, they will know. If clear, go up THEN, first thing in the morning. That is usually the best time of the day for clear weather up top.

You can easily day trip to other places on your other days without a problem. One I would suggest for a day trip would be to Ballenberg. http://ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome

Living less than 50 miles from the Jungfrau and seeing this mountain everyday from my livingroom (if there are no clouds), I feel flattered if you call "my" Jungfrau (11333 ft) the top of the Alps.

But in order to be honest: there are other alpine "tops" of easy reach by public trainsport:

Kleinmatterhorn (Zermatt): gondola station 12525 ft, foot path up to 12740 ft
Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix): gondola station 12605 ft
Testa Grigia (Breuil-Cervinia): gondola station 11415 ft
Mitelalallin (Saas Fee): cablecar station 11345 ft
Hinterer Brunnenkogel (Pitztal): gondola station 11285 ft
Rifugio Torino (Courmayeur): gondola station 11060 ft
Schwarze Schneide (Soelden): gondola station 11000 ft
Mont Fort (Verbier): gondola station 10925 ft
Corvatsch (St. Moritz): gondola station 10820 ft
Les Grands Montets (Argentiere): gondola station 10810 ft
Ghiccaio Indren (Alagna Valsesia): gondola station 10750 ft
Hintereis (Schnals/Senales): chairlift station 10700 ft
Wildspitz (Stubaital): gondola station 10540 ft
Unterrothorn (Zermatt): gondola station 10200 ft, footpath up to 11200 ft
Hohsaas (Saas Grund): 10175 ft, footpath up to 10500 ft
Gornergrat (Zermatt): railway station 10140 ft, footpath up to 10750 ft

But Jungfraujoch is a fine place. If you want to go there, stay close to the mountain as suggested above

If Jungfraujoch is your priority, then I'm with those who are suggesting Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, or Grindelwald. FWIW, I was glad I stayed in Lauterbrunnen and can heartily recommend the Hotel Staubbach.

We stayed at the Hotel Belvedere in Wengen for six days this June when my husband and I spent two weeks hiking in Switzerland. Wengen is a lovely little town about 20 minutes above Lauterbrunnen by cogwheel train, a very scenic ride. Our hotel room had a balcony with views of the Monch, the Eiger, and every once in awhile when the clouds cleared, a gorgeous view of Jungfrau herself. The hiking in the area was spectacular!

The train ride from Muerren to Jungfraujoch takes as long as from Interlaken.
Grindelwald or Wengen are the better choices.

Listen to neckervd - the Jungfraujoch - by definition - is not the top of the alps, it is the lowest point, the "saddle" (= Joch) between two peaks (Mönch and Jungfrau). Unless you are a technical climber par excellence, you won't get to the top anywhere. Jungfraujoch is spectacular though.

But look up those that neckervd lists - for example seeing the Matterhorn on a good day from the Gornergrat is - to me - even a better "top" view than being on the Jungfraujoch and looking up at the peaks.

Another I can recommend - it's not a peak as high as the really high ones, but it stands apart, is high enough, easy to get to and provides a spectacular 360-degree view: Niesen (www.niesen.ch).

Ah yes, Niesen. We first saw it from the train window on the way to our Kandersteg apartment and it was one of the first places we visited. A very enjoyable trip and I agree, the views are spectacular.

Bonus with Wengen: an extra 20 minutes of sleep before the first train arrives from Lauterbrunnen..

Gornegrat also provides a great view of Monte Rosa the highest of the Swiss Alps a little over 15k feet and second only to Mont Blanc almost 16k. One a reasonably clear day the train ride to Gornegrat is well worth it!