Where to go in Switzerland on a short trip: Alps, lakes, and cities

Switzerland is an extremely popular country for those planning multi-stop tours around Europe, yet very few potential first-time visitors actually know specifically where they want to go. Everyone seems to know that it has the most beautiful views of the Alps and some very impressive cities, but there are actually many misconceptions among casual trip planners, so I’d like to clear most of that up below. The places to visit in Switzerland are not obvious until you’ve been there yourself or done many hours of research, so the list below should be a short cut.

I get hundreds if not thousands of itinerary questions for people who are considering a Eurail trip around Europe, and most people just include the word “Switzerland” among a list of cities like Paris, Rome, and Berlin that they want to visit. So where in Switzerland should you go if you can only make a few stops at most? I’ll answer that question below.

Note: This article was expanded and updated in February, 2024.

Switzerland is about outdoor views rather than city visits

The first situation we usually run into is that people who want to visit “Switzerland” assume that the first and best (and sometimes only) stop should be its largest city, which is Zurich. Unfortunately, Zurich is the most expensive city in the world for travelers, and it’s not really very interesting.

Geneva is a very famous city (though not for tourism reasons) on a lovely lake of the same name, but it’s also notoriously dull and lacking distinction. Rick Steves puts it well by saying that “Geneva is pleasantly situated on a lake, like Buffalo or Cleveland.” The point is, you don’t want to go to Geneva unless you’ve got something specific in mind that you want to see there.

Switzerland's cities in summary

Zurich – The largest city, very expensive, geared towards business travelers. It’s generally a pretty and very well-run city that you would enjoy if you visited, but it’s not nearly as interesting as the likes of Vienna, Munich, or of course Paris.

Geneva – Second largest city, in the French part of the country, no major sights. Again, if you visited you’d be very impressed by it and get some great photos, but it’s not worth your time unless you know someone there. There’s an impressive fountain in the lake and you can usually see it from the train as you go through the city, but it’s not really worth going there and staying more than an hour or so.

Basel – Bordering France and Germany, no major sights. It has the famous art market each year, and aside from that it’s even duller than the ones above. Again, if you visited you’d be impressed, but if you later compared photos with friends who went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley instead, you’d kick yourself for going to Basel.

Lausanne – Near Geneva in the French part of the country, very hilly, and certainly more interesting than Geneva.

Bern – The capital, compact, on a lovely river, some interesting sights and the best Swiss city to get a feel for the culture. Bern is fairly close to Interlaken (which we will discuss below) and it can be a great day trip from there, especially on a day where it is foggy and/or rainy in the mountains (and this happens a LOT).

How much time and which Swiss cities to visit?

If you have 4 or fewer days in Switzerland I wouldn’t visit any of the cities listed above. If you have 5 or more days and especially if you want to include a proper city then I’d recommend 1 day in Bern or a day trip there from Interlaken. For a longer trip, and especially if you want to visit the French part of the country, then a day in Lausanne could be worthwhile.

Many people (me included) don’t feel as if they’ve scratched the surface of a new country if they haven’t spent at least a day or two in the largest city. Zurich is certainly pleasant and a useful transit hub so spending one or two nights there wouldn’t be a major mistake. But Zurich isn’t even close to being a city like Paris, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam, or even Vienna. If you skip it in favor of spending more time in the outdoors, you won’t be missing much.

The 2 Swiss places to focus on for short visits

Interlaken – If you want the best possible Alpine views and activities, head to the Interlaken area, which will be described in detail below.

Lucerne – The traditional Swiss tourist retreat, Lucerne is a small city with interesting culture and sights, that is gorgeously set on a lake with plenty of top activities surrounding it.

If you have 4 or 5 days and want to see the very best of Switzerland, then divide your days between those cities. They are less than 2 hours apart by direct train, so it’s easy to visit both of them even if you only have 3 days. If you only have two days, I’d pick one or the other.

What about Zermatt for Alpine views?

Zermatt is a remote car-free village in southern Switzerland that is famous for being the place to see the Matterhorn mountain. It’s also a busy ski resort area, and aside from that, there isn’t much to see or do here. It’s on a private rail line, so it’s more complicated and usually more expensive to reach than Interlaken.

In other words, unless you’ve irrationally placed “Seeing the Matterhorn in person” on your so-called bucket list, skip Zermatt and head to Interlaken on a shorter visit. You won’t be sorry. If you already have enough time in your visit for the main sights around Interlaken and Lucerne and you want to also see the Matterhorn, then by all means go and you’ll enjoy it. There are quite a few other car-free villages in the Lauterbrunnen Valley near Interlaken, so they are not as novel in Switzerland as one might expect.

A weekend in Switzerland?

Switzerland is justifiably popular for weekend breaks among those living in Europe and if you’ve only got 2 or maybe 3 days to spend in the country and this is your first visit I highly recommend focusing on the two places mentioned just above, namely the Interlaken area and especially the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and Lucerne.

One challenge is that neither has an international airport so you’ll either be flying into Zurich or perhaps Geneva.

Train times from Zurich to Lucerne to Interlaken and back

  • Zurich Airport to Lucerne: 1 hour 10 minutes by train
  • Lucerne to Interlaken: 2 hours by train
  • Interlaken to Zurich Airport: 2 hours 15 minutes by train

As you can see with the travel times above, Zurich Airport to Lucerne is a fairly short trip, but once you add Interlaken into the mix (even if you skip Lucerne) the travel time starts to add up for a weekend visit. With this in mind it’s probably best to just choose one of them and save the other one for another trip.

Lucerne is gorgeous, but the Lauterbrunnen Valley near Interlaken is really the star of the show, so I’d recommend going there first and doing Lucerne on another trip.

What about the Swiss Travel Pass?

Easily the most confusing travel or city pass out there, the Swiss Travel Pass seems expensive at first, but is actually a very good deal for many people wanting to take the scenic and panoramic trains. Read our full Swiss Travel Pass review for all the details and information on where to buy.

The bottom line is that if you are coming to Switzerland for at least 3 days and you want to take 2 or more of the amazing scenic rail journeys that the country is famous for, the travel pass is probably a good deal. It also provides 50% discounts on the Schilthorn cable car and 25% off the Jungfraujoch mountain railway. Both of those are quite expensive on their own, but extremely worthwhile, so the discount is helpful.

The Half Fare Card is probably a better deal for most people

The Swiss Travel Pass is a good deal for those who are going to be spending at least 2 or 3 days riding the rails and seeing Switzerland that way. But if you are mostly going to be focusing on Interlaken and Lucerne and the mountain sights, the Half Fare Card is the best option. For CHF120 (about US$134) you get the card that is good for 30 days and gives you a 50% discount on all trains, cable cars, mountain railways, and other sights and attractions. If you are doing either Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch, the Half Fare Card practically pays for itself with just one of those.

>>>Buy the Swiss Half Fare Card

Many people have questions about the Swiss Half Fare Card so I will explain it a bit here. You can actually buy half price train tickets for travel within Switzerland any time you want and you will see that option when you go to buy them online. The only thing is you have to have and present a valid Half Fare Card when you get on the train and are asked to see your ticket. In other words, you can buy a half fare train ticket today and buy a Half Fare Card just before you get on that train months in the future, and you are fine.

How and why visit the area around Interlaken

Even though I keep referring to the city of Interlaken (pronounced inter-LOCK-en) in this article, it’s really the villages in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, just above Interlaken, that you want to visit. Interlaken itself is a pleasant and scenic town that is dominated by tourism and feels more than a little out of date.

You can see everything discussed below by actually staying in a hotel in Interlaken, but it’s not the Alpine experience that you get if you stay in one of the small villages nearby. You can reach those villages in 20 to 40 minutes from the Interlaken Ost (East) train station, and it’s much easier than it sounds.

The 3 best places to stay to visit the Swiss Alps

Lauterbrunnen – A private train line runs from Interlaken Ost station to the end of its line in Lauterbrunnen. There’s a lovely waterfall here and great hiking trails, but you should probably only stay here if you can’t get to one of the villages mentioned just below. It’s a great little transit hub and it’s definitely gorgeous, so it can be worth a night if you’ve got one to spare.

Gimmelwald – THIS is where you want to stay if you can manage it. This tiny village has one of the most stunning natural mountain settings you’ll ever see, and it feels like a time capsule that is twice as wonderful as you thought possible. If you’ve ever seen Rick Steves discussing Alpine villages, this is the one he always refers to, and his readers are some of the only guests.

Mürren – Just one stop above Gimmelwald by cable car, Mürren has a nearly identical mountain setting, but it also has about 20 times more hotels and tourist shops than Gimmelwald. Many people will feel more comfortable here with more choices and a bit of possible nightlife, but Gimmelwald is still the perfect choice for most nature lovers on short visits to the Alps.

The unforgettable things to see here (if the weather is decent)

Schilthorn observation deck and restaurant

The cable cars (mountain lifts that carry up to 80 people at a time) from Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald and from Gimmelwald up to Mürren are short and fairly cheap, but if you keep going up two more segments to the top, you reach the Schilthorn observation deck. It’s expensive (around US$100 round-trip from Lauterbrunnen to Schilthorn) but if the weather is clear this is very worthwhile and may be your single best memory of Switzerland.

There is a rotating restaurant (with prices similar to normal Swiss restaurants) and a bizarre and anachronistic James Bond attraction based on it being a key location in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The Bond thing is included with the lift, and it’s worth a look.

But the main thing you come here for is the 360-degree view from one of the highest peaks in Europe. Again, the weather here is key, but fortunately all the locals track the visibility on a minute-by-minute basis. If it’s clear up top while you are in the area, it would be a terrible shame to skip it based on the high price. But even if it’s cloudy up top, there are still plenty of wonderful things to see and do in the villages below.

Jungfraujoch observation area

This is famously the highest railway line and station in Europe, and it’s another privately-run line that is priced as a tourist attraction rather than as transportation. The train leaves from Lauterbrunnen and takes about two chilly hours to get up to the top, including a change of trains halfway up in Kleine Sheidegg.

The views from the top are similar to the views from Schilthorn, from the other side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Once on top you can have lunch, hike, or even go sledding. It’s also quite expensive at nearly US$200 round-trip unless you have a Swiss Pass or a Eurail Pass for discounts, and it takes most of your day, but you’ll never forget the views from the top.

Harder Kulm mountain and Two Lakes Bridge Observation Deck

Interlaken is named after the fact that it’s located between two lakes (Brienz Lake and Thun Lake) and the best way to see them both at the same time is to take the funicular up 10 minutes to Harder Kulm and the Two Lakes Bridge Observation Deck. It costs CHF20 each way so you can take it up and walk down or vice versa to save a bit of money and have a memorable hike.

There’s a revolving restaurant about 10 minutes’ walk from the station at the top, which is definitely an unforgettable place for lunch if you’ve got time. It’s not as expensive as you might expect, at least compared to normal restaurants in Switzerland.

The Harder Kulm Railway goes from early April through late November each year. If you are only in Interlaken for one day and/or you are on a strict budget, this is the fastest and best way to get amazing Alpine views in the area.

Getting from Interlaken to Gimmelwald and Mürren

Getting up to these villages sounds complicated and time consuming, but it’s actually fast and easy once you get there. This little guide should help.

Arrive in Interlaken

Interlaken has two main train stations, one in the west (closer to Bern) and one in the east (closer to Lucerne). If you are staying in Interlaken itself then most hotels are closer to the Interlaken West station, but if you are going up the mountain you’ll want to get off at the Interlaken Ost (East) station. All trains stop at both stations, and if you are staying at a local hotel then you get a card that allows free trips between the two.

Once you arrive at the Interlaken Ost train station, head for the ticket windows in the office and buy a ticket to your final destination (Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, or Mürren). Eurail passes are good for 25% discounts on the rest of the trip, but not for the whole thing.

From Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen

The private train leaves Interlaken Ost every 30 minutes and arrives in Lauterbrunnen 20 minutes later. If you are staying in Lauterbrunnen then you are probably walking distance from your hotel when you reach the station.

From Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald

If you are going to Gimmelwald then your combined train ticket will include the price of a shuttle bus that is waiting for each train as it arrives. Show your ticket to the driver and enjoy views of the waterfall as you pass it. A few minutes later you’ll arrive at the base of the mountain at the cable car station.

Again, the ticket you bought in Interlaken covers the whole thing, so just show your ticket at the cable car entrance and walk on in. A few minutes later the cable car will begin its fast ascent, and 5 minutes later the car lets everyone off at the base of the village of Gimmelwald. From here you are within a few minutes walk of literally the entire village and all of its hotels. The famous Mountain Hostel is directly up the path in front of you so it’s hard to miss.

From

Gimmelwald to Mürren

If you are staying in Mürren then you hop out of the cable car in Gimmelwald and then walk directly into the cable car across the platform, which is about to leave for Mürren. Once the door closes, you’ll be in Mürren in about 5 minutes. There is also another private rail line that goes to Mürren, but it’s slower and less scenic than the cable cars.

Recommended hotel and hostel in Gimmelwald

I get asked all the time about where to stay in Gimmelwald, so here it is:

HotelEsther’s Guesthouse

When you step off the cable car in Gimmelwald, look a little bit to the right and you’ll see a path going slightly uphill. Even if you go in the wrong direction, you’ll hit a dead end in 15 seconds, so it’s impossible to miss the road. The first thing you’ll see on your right is Esther’s Guesthouse, which is also arguably the best hotel in lovely Gimmelwald.

It’s run by Esther, as you might guess, and she is very friendly speaking excellent English. Each room is different and the place feels like a mountain cabin, because it is. She offers an excellent buffet breakfast in the morning, which you have to order the night before. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it because it’s hearty and there are no other good options nearby.

Book as early as possible because this place is often the first place to sell out in Gimmelwald.

HostelMountain Hostel Gimmelwald

If you’ve ever wondered which hostel has the best view in the world, Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald would be at least in the Top 5, if not #1. Follow the path to Esther’s Guesthouse (above) and walk a few steps past it, and then look to the left for the short path down to Mountain Hostel. They offer fine dorm beds that are the cheapest accommodation in the village, and it’s quite a fun place in general.

You won’t believe the views from this place, which are the same as from Esther’s except a bit lower and more unobstructed. This place also has a busy bar and restaurant that is basically the only “nightlife” in Gimmelwald. Many hikers get to bed early in this tiny village, but if you want to have a couple drinks and order a pizza or some local options, this is the place to go.

Again, book early because this place is always sold out.

Lucerne and what to do there

Luzern, as it’s spelled locally, is the other traditional holiday destination in Switzerland. Unlike Interlaken, Lucerne actually qualifies as a small city rather than a small resort town, so it’s a very nice contrast and very worthwhile.

The area around Lucerne is surrounded by small mountains, but it’s not in the Alps and it doesn’t have the sort of amazing views you get in Interlaken. The main attraction here is Lake Lucerne and the various small towns on its shores. There are excellent hikes that are mostly not too challenging, and some wonderful views from nearby peaks.

However, unlike Interlaken, the town of Lucerne itself is a great attraction and worth at least a day of exploration. This has always been a rich area so you can expect to find all of the high-end shops and boutiques along the small streets just north of the lake, but there are also many traditional shops and things to see that will appeal to anyone.

Recommended hotel in Lucerne

>>Hotel Des Alpes (3 stars with an amazing location and view)

Hotels in Lucerne are not cheap, but you’ll probably spend only one or two nights there, so it’s worth paying a bit more for one of the hotels overlooking the prettiest part of the lake and the famous Chapel Bridge itself. The 45-room Hotel Des Alpes has rooms right on the water, in the heart of everything, and it’s a short walk from the train station and cruise dock as well. This place gets excellent reviews and is worth paying a bit more for unforgettable views from your bed.

If this place is booked, which is often the case, then book a hotel as close to it as you can find or afford. The whole historic part of town surrounding it is lovely, with restaurants, bars, and high-end shops. There are also a couple of nearby supermarkets where you can buy inexpensive alcohol and picnic supplies to keep other costs down.

Spend a day in Lucerne itself

The covered wooden bridge (Chapel Bridge) that is the signature sight of Lucerne looks just as lovely when you are near it or walking across it, but there are several other historic wooden bridges just a bit upstream as well. On the north bank of where the lake becomes a river, you’ll find a string of restaurants and bars that each have excellent views. Food and drinks all over Switzerland are expensive by most standards, and fortunately the prices of the waterfront restaurants are within the normal range even though they could charge more.

Most of the interesting part of Lucerne is in the area behind those restaurants, and it’s certainly worth doing a self-guided walking tour if not a guided one. Heading farther east you’ll come to another older part of town where the famous lion statue is located. You can’t visit Lucerne without having a look at the lion, and fortunately it’s easy and quick to reach (and it’s free).

Take a lake cruise of some kind

The main lake-cruise boats leave from just in front of the train station, and at the very least it’s worth doing the simple round-trip of about one hour where you don’t even leave the boat. If you have most of a full day you have up to 35 different options of stops to disembark and walk around before catching another boat back to Lucerne.

Especially in nice weather, even the short lake tour is lovely, and if you have more time you can jump off at Vitznau and do the scenic hike up Mount Rigi. There are also small lakeside villages that are ideal for a stroll and lunch stop. Long story short, there are dozens of interesting sightseeing options that are available using part of the boat tour, and the views all around are wonderful.

Visit Mount Pilatus

The tallest mountain around Lucerne is just behind the city, and it’s also extremely popular for hiking, although you don’t actually have to walk up or down if you don’t want to. You can take the steepest cogwheel train in the world up to near the summit (except in winter), and there is also a gondola and cable car going to the same place all year round.

You can take the cogwheel train up and have a more or less flat hike around the summit area, and then take the gondola and cable car back down again. You can do them in the other order, and the cost is the same either way. At around US$65, this is not a cheap hike, but like most everything in Switzerland, the quality is high so it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. You can reach the cable car in 10 minutes on a public trolly bus from Lucerne.

Visit Mount Rigi

Not technically part of the Alps, Mount Rigi overlooks Lake Lucerne and is the easiest peak to reach in the area. The boat tours that leave from Lucerne include stops in both Weggis and Vitznau where you can hop on or off. There is a cable car from Weggis that goes up to the Rigi summit and a train that goes between Vitznau and the summit. Many people take one up and the other down.

Unlike the other peaks mentioned in this article the Swiss Travel Pass covers both ways to get up and down for free. The others are 50% off with the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card, except for Jungfraujoch, which is only 25% off with the Swiss Travel Pass and still 50% off with the Half Fare Card.

Visit Mount Titlis

A bit south of Lucerne, Mount Titlis is an Alpine peak that is the most dramatic in the area. Once up at the top you can experience the Titlis Cliff Walk, which is the highest suspension bridge in the world. It’s a free pedestrian bridge over 3,000 meters up that allows for amazing views of the area, as long as the weather is clear.

You can reach Titlis by taking a 43-minute train ride from Lucerne to Engelburg and then taking the cable car up from there. As with the others, it’s wise to check the weather immediately before you are going to depart because it can be foggy or cloudy any time of the year, but usually not for whole days at a time.

Additional photo credits

Jungfraujoch by cupweuro on Flickr, Pilatus by Tony Fernandez on Flickr, Rigi by Kosala Bandara on Flickr, Titlis by PaulSchliebs on Flickr

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All Comments

  1. Ujwala says:

    Hi Roger,

    I am planning to go to Interlaken, Lucerne and Mount Pilatus, while staying in Interlaken.
    I am having 3 days to cover this.
    Reading your articles, i have got an fair idea, however it will be of great help if you suggest Itinerary.
    I plan to reach Internlake around 3 pm on 26th May and leave on 30th May early morning to Zurich.
    Also please suggest some good and safe Hotels in Interlaken, as i am travelling alone.

    Thanks in advance

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Ujwala,

      I think if I were you I’d stay in Gimmelwald or Murren on 26 and 27 May, and then take a train to Lucerne for 28 and 29 May, so you can take an early morning train to Zurich or Zurich Airport. That would give you almost two full days and nights in Interlaken and at least one full day in Lucerne to see it and Mount Pilatus. The other option would be to stay the first two nights in Gimmelwald or Murren and the last two nights in the town of Interlaken, so you can do a full day trip to Lucerne. You’d have less time in Lucerne that way and you’d spend a lot more time on trains, but at least the trains in Switzerland are all comfortable, scenic, and famously punctual.

      If you want to stay in Gimmelwald I can highly recommend Esther’s Guesthouse, which is where I stayed, or the Mountain Hostel, which is just next door and where I had most of my meals. I get this question a lot so I should come up with more recommendations because those places are often booked well in advance. Gimmelwald is tiny so every hotel is within 5 minutes of the cable car stop. Murren is much larger though. I find that TripAdvisor reviews and Booking.com reviews are very helpful in popular places like this. Best of luck and let me know if you have other questions. -Roger

  2. Micheal says:

    Hi Roger,

    I am planning a trip to Switzerland in early July. After reading your website, I am really interested in Interlaken are as you mentioned it provides you with the best Alps views. However i do have a few questions that i need your advice from.

    1. We will be a family of 4 travelling from Paris into Switzerland on 30 June till 3 of July and to Rome. What would be the best way to travel into Interlaken or those villages you mentioned from Paris and also out of Switzerland to Rome?

    2. Is it best to stay in Interlaken for all the 3 nights as it is centre to Gimmelwald and other Alps village you mentioned. Also when you mentioned going around those villages and Alps sight seeing, does it include a of hiking? Because we are a family of 4 with 2 sisters of mine and our mum who aged 44 currently. I am afraid that too much hiking might burden them and ruin the meaning of the trip itself.

    3. What would the weather be around the time in Interlaken and those Alps village you mentioned? We are planning to go light on our luggage as it would be summer and I’m just wondering will it be cold there or up the mountain?

    4. I also hope to go for some ski activity there. is it possible to enjoy these activity in that area and how much would it cost for me to do so?

    Thank you so much! I would buy you a barrel of beer for this!

    Also is it worth taking the swiss pass if travelling from 30 june to 3 july around the interlaken area you mentioned?

    Mike

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Michael,

      I’m happy that the articles have helped, and I’ll try to answer your questions below.

      1. You’ll wan to go from Paris to Interlaken by train for sure, and all of the journey within Switzerland is very scenic. Look for train connections into “Interlaken West” if you plan on staying in town, or to “Interlaken Ost” if you are going straight up to Gimmelwald or Murren. The stations are fairly close together and all trains stop at both.

      From Interlaken to Rome I’d also recommend the train, and the journey through the Alps is one of the most scenic railways in the world. However, you could take a train from Interlaken directly to the Zurich Airport or Geneva Airport and fly to Rome. It would be a bit faster, and possibly cheaper as well.

      2. If you have 3 nights I think I’d stay 1 or 2 nights in Gimmelwald or Murren, and 1 or 2 nights down in Interlaken itself. Gimmelwald is stunning but it can be fully seen in a couple hours. Murren is more of a town so it’s less scenic, though also lovely. So I think you want to spend at least part of a day enjoying Gimmelwald and Murren, which will include some walking, although it won’t be too strenuous if you walk downhill from Murren to Gimmelwald and take the cable car back up. And you’ll also want to spend several hours doing the Schilthorn observation deck, as long as the weather is clear up top, which it should be that time of year. You can do a lot of sightseeing by taking the cable cars and trains to the peaks and then just walking around a bit when you are there, so it doesn’t really need to be strenuous.

      With a day or two in Interlaken itself, you can walk around town a bit and also take the private train lines to some of the other nearby towns and cable car stops.

      3. In early July it should be fairly warm in Interlaken itself, and of course it gets colder the higher you go. The peaks in that area have snow all year round, and Gimmelwald and Murren will be a bit chilly, though much too warm for snow on the ground.

      4. There are many ski slopes and lifts in that general area, though I don’t believe any of them are open later than April or so. I’m not 100% sure so you might Google that for confirmation.

      It’s hard to say about the Swiss Travel Pass because they are a bit confusing to me as well. They cover the private trains, I believe, and a 50% discount on the cable cars. You really have to know which things you plan to do for sure to know if it will pay off. My usual recommendation is that you can enjoy that area just fine without the pass, although some (but not all) of the cable cars and private train lines are quite expensive.

      As always, let me know if you have other questions. -Roger

      1. Micheal says:

        Hi Roger,

        Thanks for your reply! It certainly gave me more insight on my planning! But i do have a few more questions.

        1. What website would you suggest me for booking the train from Paris to Interlaken? Also is there a direct train or do i have to change a few station? I am actually traveling from Paris to Interlaken on 3rd of July instead of 30th June. My mistake.

        2. So my plan would be 3rd July train to Interlaken and stay there for three night. Then we will head to Grimmelwald the next day and also Murren as well. Could this two places be done in one day or should i stay a day in there? then the second day we could do the Schilthorn observation deck and the area around it. what is there to see around there or there’s only one place? then we could probably spend half the third day around Interlaken and catch a train to Rome. will this plan work? or could you plan a better itinerary for me?

        3. Do i have to purchase all the train ticket ahead or can i just pop by the day before and purchase them?

        Mike

  3. Ling says:

    Hi Roger,

    May I ask if the Swiss Travel Pass Youth (Swiss Fr 309.00) allows one to have unlimited train rides? Does it include the cable car rides that you mentioned in your article?

    Also, I have a relative staying in Genolier. So, to save costs for accommodation, I was wondering whether it would be feasible to make a day trip to Grimmelwald or Grindelwald to do one of the hikes, and travel back to Genolier for the evening, then back again to one of those places to do a second hike, if i like it there. Or would it be better to get an accommodation in those places, if i intend to do more than one of the day hikes?

    Thank you very much! Looking forward to hearing from you.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Ling,

      I find the Swiss Travel Passes to be confusing as well. I don’t see one for CHF309 on the page I’m looking at, but it’s in the same range. Those passes qualify for a 50% discount on the cable cars I mentioned.

      Genolier is a town I’d never heard of. Looking at it on a map, it’s probably two or more hours from Interlaken by train, and those train rides will cost probably CHF30 each way. Considering the 5 hours of traveling each day and the cost of the train rides, I don’t think it would be a worthwhile way to save money. You’d be better off going to Gimmelwald and staying in the Mountain Hostel for at least one night, and doing your hikes on both days. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  4. Nakul says:

    Hi Roger ,

    thanks for wealth of Info.

    also just wanted to know can we book hotels after landing in Murren,

    instead of booking from India.

    I will be there is the last week of April , I am afraid whether we

    will get hotels suddenly there or not.

    Regards

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Nakul,

      I’d highly recommend booking your hotels online as soon as you are able. Booking.com usually has the best rates for Europe and they have a generous cancellation policy as well so there is very little risk. The thing is, most of those hotels near Interlaken are small and the better ones do get sold out well in advance. April isn’t one of the busier times of the year so if you just showed up without a reservation you’d certainly find something, but most likely it would be at one of the lower rated hotels. Best of luck with this. -Roger

  5. Satish says:

    Hi roger
    Me and my family (me wife daughter and son both 15+}planning to visit Lucerne and interlaken for 4-5days in July 1st week
    Pls tell me where would we get a safe hotel and @what price??
    Can we stay at one place all days and operate from there for both the destination
    We will be landing Zurich from Copenhagen
    Could you help to plan our trip
    Regards

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Satish,

      The best views and experiences of Interlaken are in the towns up the mountain called Gimmelwald and Murren. You’ll want to stay in one of those towns for 2 or 3 nights, and in Lucerne for another 2 nights. They are less than 2 hours apart by train, so it’s easy to go between them once, but you don’t want to be doing that in the morning and coming back at night. And both are within two hours or so of the Zurich Airport as well, and the views from the trains are amazing all the way.

      Please have a close look at the recommendations in the article above about Gimmelwald and Murren. Gimmelwald is far smaller and more charming, but Murren has far more hotels and services to go along with similar (incredible) Alpine views. If you want to stay in Gimmelwald then I highly recommend Esther’s Guesthouse. I’m not sure of the room rates, but I do know that it’s one of the more affordable hotels in the area. Keep in mind that Switzerland is extremely expensive even by European standards, although you’ll agree that it’s worth it once you get there.

      In Lucerne I stayed at a place overlooking the lake with a pub taking up the bottom floor, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a family visit. But I do highly recommend staying in one of the hotels along the north shore of the small section of the lake near the famous bridge. There are 7 or 8 hotels in a row, and the views of the lake are breathtaking. In July they will be extra popular though. If you can’t book one of them, then any hotel near the lake and also near the train station will be great. It’s a compact town and that area is its center. It will be nice if you can walk from the train station to your hotel, and the lake cruise dock is directly across from the train station. Have a great trip. -Roger

      1. Satish says:

        Thanks roger
        For finding time and patience to answer my question
        Good luck
        Satish

  6. Nakul says:

    Roger,

    I have a query , I will be visiting interlaken (gimmewald) in the last week of april.

    will it be very cold ?

    what kind of dress we should be wearing , I am from India , so want to know whether we should buy some special sweaters etc.

    Can u suggest some other hotels in Gimmelwald , i tried Esther’s Guesthouse , which is bookd.

    and for hostel – ‘Mountain Hostel’ they say they dont have separate room for couples. can u suggest some other hotel nearby

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Nakul,

      In late April it should be quite nice in Interlaken, and still quite chilly up in Gimmelwald and Murren. It will probably be windy up the mountain as well, so a jacket might work better than a sweater. The usual advice is to dress in layers, as in, shirt, sweatshirt, and light jacket, so you can put things on or take them off as needed. Even in Interlaken, it’ll be like Delhi in January, so it will feel cold to you.

      As for accommodation, I stayed at Esther’s (and loved it), and I had several meals and spoke to people at the Mountain Hostel, so those are the only two places I know personally. But there are about 10 or 12 other hotels in Gimmelwald and they are all within maybe 300 meters of each other. As long as the TripAdvisor reviews look pretty good, I’m sure you’ll be happy at any of them. And if they are all booked up, then stay in Murren, which is the larger village just above Gimmelwald. There will be vacancies there for sure, and you can still do a little hike down to Gimmelwald to see it while you are there. Have a great trip. -Roger

  7. urmila says:

    Thanks for your time to educate us. I and my husband planning from USA to Zurich from around July 21 to 30.and then as per your expert advise for 10 days.My question is ,Do i need to book hotel or train,bus ticket in advance? Any kind of problem if not book in advance?Any further suggestion appreciated.
    Thanks.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Urmila,

      First off, you’ll want to take trains to get around Switzerland rather than buses. The trains go pretty much everywhere and are famously punctual. Another interesting thing about trains in Switzerland is that the fares are the same no matter when you book, for domestic journeys. In other words, if you are going from Zurich to Interlaken, the fare might be about US$35 whether you book two months in advance or just as the train is about to leave. So to answer one of your questions, you can book as you go along and it won’t cost you any more money. But July is very busy in Switzerland and you might encounter some trains that are sold out, so it’s best to buy tickets as soon as you are able to. So if it’s Sunday and you know you want to go to Lucerne on Tuesday, buy the ticket on Sunday and you should be able to get seats on a good departure time. And of course, trains run on the popular routes pretty much every hour during the day, so even if the 10am one is sold out, you can probably get on the 11am or noon departure.

      As for hotels, I highly recommend booking as far in advance as you are sure of your destination. In a busy month like July, the better places will all be full, and sold out at least a week or two in advance. That means that anyone arriving in a place without a reservation is going to be choosing among the hotels with poor locations and/or bad reviews, and sometimes even higher prices. If you do your research before you go you’ll find that there are some excellent hotels with moderate rates and great locations, and those will be sold out first. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  8. Amandeep says:

    Hi Roger,

    Thanks for your inputs! All very helpful.

    Could you please give your thoughts/ feedback on my changed itinerary below:

    Increased the trip duration by a day to 7.

    Scenario 1:

    So, 2nd July – We arrive in Montreux from Paris. Full day in Montreux to see Chillon Castle and maybe the vineyards of Lavaux. (The only reason we’ve added a day and are stopping over at Montreux is because we want to do the Golden Pass Line from there to Interlaken. Hope it’s worth it. Otherwise we would have gone straight from Paris to Interlaken or Lucerne). Your thoughts on this?

    3rd July – We take the Golden Pass Line from Montreux to Interlaken.

    3rd to 5th July in Interlaken – Same plan as before (you mentioned Murren not being an ideal launchpad for long trips in that area, what would your advice for the base location be then given we will be doing Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn for sure?)

    6th morning move to Lucerne – Here we plan to do Mt. Titlis and Mt. Pilatus (both look better than Mt. Rigi in videos.. Again, your guidance would help).

    8th July – Take the overnight train from Zurich to Prague.

    Scenario 2: Could be that we keep it 6 days in Switzerland, skip Montreux altogether and do the Golden Pass Line only between Interlaken and Lucerne.

    Scenario 3: Only a slight variation to Scenario 1; we take the Golden Pass Line from Montreux to Lucerne and not Interlaken and do Interlaken after Lucerne (although I know geographically the other way around is more efficient.

    We’ll be purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass (8 days, 2nd Class). Would this cover the overnight train from Zurich to Prague?

    Could you please help me decide between the above scenarios.

    Thanks!

    1. Amandeep says:

      Sorry, read your last reply after I posted this.

      Some of this (especially about train journeys) is already answered.

      Thanks!

    2. Roger Wade says:

      Amandeep,

      I’ll answer your questions in the order they came up:

      Yes, I think the Golden Pass is an excellent scenic train journey and it’s worthwhile. However, if it puts too much of a toll on the rest of the trip, you’d also be happy with the scenery no matter how you got to Interlaken.

      Murren (or Gimmelwald) is part of the way up to Schilthorn so it’s perfect for that and lovely on its own. To do the Jungfraujoch you have to go down the cable car two stops to the base area and then go from there. It’s amazing scenery and not too much extra time. What I meant is that Murren isn’t an efficient base to go see or do things outside of the Interlaken area. From Interlaken West train station, it takes a train then a bus then the cable car to get up to Murren, which takes at least an hour each way. So if you wanted to see things outside of the Interlaken area, then it would be better to get a hotel in Interlaken town itself and come and go from there. But to see the Alps and the sights in that area, Murren is perfect.

      I haven’t been up those mountains near Lucerne, but I have been to the base of them. I have a feeling you’ll figure out which one or ones are best suited to your tastes.

      Scenario 2 would be enjoyable and you’d have plenty of time to see what you want to see.

      Scenario 3 seems somewhat inefficient, as you mention. I don’t think it’s wise. The portion of the train journey between Interlaken and Lucerne is nice, but it’s not the most scenic part, so I wouldn’t want to do that part twice just for the sake of doing the longer Golden Pass.

      As far as I’m aware, the Swiss Passes only work within Switzerland, so at most you’d get a small credit for the first part of that overnight train journey. I think your plans all look really nice and I think your meticulous planning will pay off for a great holiday. Best of luck and I’m always here. -Roger

      1. Amandeep says:

        Hi Roger,

        Thanks again!

        Very helpful indeed and we’ve decided to go the Montreux-Golden Pass-Interlaken route. Can’t wait to travel!

  9. Lisa Bolton says:

    Hi Roger, thanks for your response. It was very helpful. If we took one day trip to France from Basel would you recommend Strasbourg or Colmar? The ‘old town’ in both places looks very interesting and it is hard to choose between the two if we only have time for one. Also I had wanted to plan t day trip to Germany as well and wondered if you have any thoughts on Freiberg or perhaps some other neighbouring town that might be more interesting (either in Germany, France or Switzerland) Thanks again!

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Lisa,

      I haven’t been to Colmar, but I have been to Strasbourg and it’s very nice so I think that is very worthwhile. Colmar looks nice though, and it’s obviously closer. Strasbourg is larger and more important, so it’ll also be more crowded. It’s a tough call and I think you’d be happy with either one.

      I’ve been to Freiburg and to be honest it seems quite generic to me, partly because I’ve been to so many other similar German towns. I was last there about 18 months ago and the cathedral, which is Freiburg’s big attraction, was covered in scaffolding. Another thing worth mentioning is that Freiburg does get many tourists, although they are almost all from the German speaking world, so it’s not as well suited to non-German speakers as most other tourist towns. On the other hand, it’s pretty close to Basel and if you haven’t spent much time in similar German towns, it’s probably a nice place to spend a few hours and have lunch.

      One other town I can definitely recommend is Bern, which is obviously the capital of Switzerland, and about 55 minutes from Basel by train. It’s the most photogenic and most interesting of the Swiss cities, so it should be great for a day trip. It’s a short walk from the train station to the historic part of the city, including a few sights related to Einstein’s work life there. And the river that snakes around town is lovely.

      As always, feel free to follow up, and I’m sure you’ll have a great visit. -Roger

      1. Lisa Bolton says:

        Thanks again Roger. That was my instinct about Freiburg as well. It is lower on the list. I think Bern s a great choice and we will definitely go there for the day (we had a Bernese Mountain Dog years ago and would live to see the city). Now if only summer will come quickly. I am ready to travel!

  10. Amandeep says:

    Hi Roger,
    First of all, many thanks for your detailed answers and wealth of information. I am finding myself building an itinerary reading through all of your responses!!
    My wife and I are planning a 6 day trip to Switzerland and were earlier advised by members on Switzerland forum on Tripadvisor to split it between Montreux/ Vevey and Wengen/ Murren (and not Interlaken!) and that’s where we started from.
    I have some specific questions that I hope you can help with. But first, here’s my original itinerary.
    3rd July – TGV Lyria from Paris to Lausanne for a 3 night stay in Montreux
    3rd to 5th July – in Montreux/ Vevey (Not very clear what we’ll do there)
    6th July – Take the Golden Pass Line to Interlaken to stay for 3 nights in Murren/ Gimmelwald
    6th to 8th July –
    1. Aerial cableway in the Alps from Stechleberg to Gimmelwald to Murren to Schilthorn
    2. Jungfraujoch observation area
    3. Lucerne day trip
    On 9th morning we take the train from Interlaken to Zurich and fly out to Prague
    Now my questions are:
    1. Does the Itinerary make any sense at all?
    2. Geographically, am I doing the right thing by stopping at Montreux first and then moving on to Interlaken (considering I’m coming from Paris and going on to Prague)?
    3. We would love to do at least 3 fantastic train journeys – I think I have these as Golden Pass Line, Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch but is there a better one that I could include/ substitute?
    4. For us the Interlaken area is pretty much locked in with Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch confirmed from your reviews. But what’s your take on the start of our travel – Montreux and Vevey? What is there to do in and around that area? I may decide to cut that to 2 days and maybe even rule that out completely in favour of…? Laucerne? Your thoughts..
    5. Would you suggest that since we have only 6 days we stay in one place only (Murren) and make day trips from there?
    6. Finally, and most importantly, I’m totally lost about the Swiss/ Euro passes. What would be your recommendation as we will be doing the above 3 (or at least any 3 train journeys), multiple cable cars etc. We will be travelling to Switzerland from Paris via Train. Also, we may just end up taking the overnight train from Zurich to Prague? Would discount from any of the passes apply to these as well?
    Your guidance on the above will be hugely helpful! Thanks once again.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Amandeep,

      Your itinerary looks expertly crafted and I’m not sure I can add much to it, but I will try to address your questions to the best of my knowledge.

      First off, Wengen and Murren are both small towns in the Interlaken area, so it’s really the same thing. When I recommend that people go to “Interlaken” to see the Alps, I mean that area, and then go to Lauterbrunnen to reach Gimmelwald and Murren or over to Wengen. So we are on the same page.

      1. Yes, the itinerary looks great.

      2. Yes, going from Paris to Montreaux to Interlaken to Zurich is the most efficient way to do it.

      3. The Golden Pass Line is a long train journey within Switzerland, the Jungfraujoch is reached by a private (and expensive) train line that goes up the mountain near Interlaken, and the Schilthorn is an observation deck that is reached by a series of cable cars from Lauterbrunnen (near Interlaken). So they are three very different things, and I think it’s a perfect combination. Switzerland advertises a group of classic scenic train rides, and a few of them have special observation carriages, but honestly almost EVERY train ride in Switzerland is extremely scenic and gorgeous. You could just hop on any train and be impressed. Going from Montreaux to Interlaken and to Zurich will be great. If you had a lot more time you could take the train down to Lugano, but you’ll love the ones you are doing and you can save that one for next time.

      As for Montreaux and Vevey, I’ve only been through there on trains, so I don’t know much about the sights. I do know that they aren’t considered top-tier destinations within Switzerland, even though they are wonderfully situated overlooking Lake Geneva. Also, they are in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, while the other places we are discussing are in the German-speaking areas. Generally speaking, the German speakers are much better at English than the French speakers, so it tends to be easier to get around and talk to people unless you speak French.

      All of that aside, I highly recommend Lucerne (locally called Luzern, not to be confused with Lausanne). It’s also on a lake, but this one is much smaller and filled with activities and sights. The city of Lucerne itself is also beautiful, and it’s more tourist oriented. The lake is lined with hotels and restaurants, and it’s all very walkable.

      5. If you have 6 days then I’d do 3 or 4 in the Interlaken area and the other 2 or 3 in Lucerne or Montreaux. They are very different from one another, and you can’t see nearly enough of one of the lake cities just on day trips. Also, if you are staying in Murren, it would require taking two cable car rides to get down the mountain each time. They go every 30 minutes and they are pretty fast and fairly affordable, but still it’s not an ideal base to be coming and going long distances.

      6. You won’t want a Eurail Pass for this trip, but you might want a Swiss Pass. A Eurail Pass would cost way more than you’d save, but the Swiss Pass might work out. The Swiss Passes also confuse me, but I do believe that the ones that include train travel AND the cable cars and private railways are good deals if you are planning on doing those things anyway, which it sounds like you are. It’s also nice to not have to keep buying tickets at each stop. I haven’t run the numbers myself because I’ve never used one in Switzerland, but from my general understanding of the Swiss Pass, you are the ideal customer.

      Have a great trip and feel free to follow up. -Roger

      1. Amandeep says:

        Hi Roger,

        Thank you for your reply (immense detail and patience!) and the vote of confidence.

        Slight spanner in the works, someone just pointed out that the Montreux Jazz Festival will be on during out travel dates which means accommodation either not available or exorbitant. Also, I’m generally leaning towards your advice of doing Lucerne (2 days) and the Interlaken area (4 days). Given this, could you suggest a suitable scenic train journey as doing the Golden Pass Line from here to Montreux may now be a little impractical (5 hours going-5 hours coming back).. What do you think? Of the popular ones I would then look at the Bernina Express (which I think you mentioned as well, going to Lugano). Where would that start from? and how much time would it take? Can we be back in a day? Between the Golden pass and this, which one would be your pick?

        Thanks!

        1. Roger Wade says:

          Amandeep,

          Interestingly, the one thing I really know about Montreaux is the jazz festival, so it’s a bit unlucky that it’s on while you wanted to visit. Still, I’m 100% sure you’ll be happy with the Lucerne visit instead.

          As for the train rides, it’s a tough thing to recommend because they are all so nice. I think the one down to Lugano would be a great choice if it fits into your schedule. On the other hand, I’ve criss-crossed Switzerland on trains and I can barely tell the difference between the ones that are considered “scenic” and the normal ones. Except for the area directly around Zurich, which is still pretty nice, the views of Switzerland from train windows are gorgeous. What I’d recommend is to choose one or more places that you want to visit, and then ride the train there.

          For example, if you want to spend a few hours in Lugano then you’ll love the train ride there and back. Or you could go to Appenzell (a small and traditional dairy town) and you’ll enjoy the train ride there and back. What I’d hesitate to recommend is taking a “scenic” train ride somewhere and then just hopping right back on the same train in the other direction. In my experience, the scenery outside a train window can be hypnotizing for maybe 2 or 3 hours at a time. After that, it’s hard to focus on it. So if you take a 3-hour scenic ride and then 3 hours back, it will feel overly long and maybe not worth it. But if you spend a few hours in a town before heading back, I think you’ll enjoy wherever you decide to go. I hope this helps. Have a great trip. -Roger