Jungfrau region - which town is best as a base?

Good morning

We are in Switzerland only for 4 days (September 2023) and have decided to only do the Jungfrau region. We will be landing in Zurich and then we will travel by train.

I first thought that Interlaken will be a good base, but we actually want to experience the small town, not a big city.

My questions:

1. Which town is best to use as a base? Gindelwald, Wengen or Lauterbrunnen

2. How easy is it to reach them by train from Zurich?

3. Do we buy the half fare Swiss pass and then the Top of Europe pass or other way round?

Kind regards

Maretha

Hi Maretha,

Welcome to MySwissAlps.

September is a great time to explore the Jungfrau region. If you're interested in a small setting with magnificent views, I recommend Wengen as a base. You can find hotel options here: www.myswissalps.com/wengen/hotels

Wengen is a car-free village but is served with a regular train service from Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken. You can find travel information here: www.myswissalps.com/wengen/travel. You can check train schedules online here: www.myswissalps.com/timetable

With the Swiss Half Fare Card, you can purchase the Top of Europe Pass at a reduced price. You can purchase either one first, just make sure on the day you travel you have both passes to show during ticket inspection.

Regards,

Anna

I visited the Jungfrau region in September with 4 days as well and stayed in Wengen. It was great! We traveled from Zurich and it was really easy.

I liked Wengen instead of Lauterbrunnen as you are above everything instead of down in the valley. Gindelwald would be my next choice but it is not quite as scenic and there is more hustle and bustle as it is a bigger town.

Hi Marethavdh01.

Ah, what a problem to have. Where to stay in the Jungfrau area.

If you ask 3 different people you'll get three different answers. For myself, I prefer Grindelwald as I believe it has the best views with the panorama of the Wetterhorn, Mettenberg, and Eiger laid out in front of you and there are possibly a greater number of things to do and see such as the walk to Bachalpsee and the Gletscherschucht (glacier gorge). My completely subjective opinion is that Grindelwald is more fun, especially for kids with things like the First Flyer, Trotti Bikes and the gravity Go Carts below First if you want some thrills. The downside is it is also a lot busier, with lots of cars and tourists during the day, but on the upside, it also has more shops and restaurants than other places.

Lauterbrunnen has famous waterfalls, but being at the bottom of a valley, it doesn't have the same views as the other towns and it can feel a bit claustrophobic at times. It is a unique place and well worth a visit, but I wouldn't use it as a base.

Wengen is the most picturesque of the 3 towns. It can only be reached by train or cable car and is almost completely car-free with only the occasional municipal or farmer's vehicle to watch out for. It also has a fantastic view of both the Lauterbrunnen valley and the Jungfrau and is the quietest of the three towns, especially at the end of the day after the day trippers have left. Being more or less in the middle of the region it's within striking distance of all the major attractions in the area such as the Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch and First.

The train from Zurich is straight forward and takes about 2 and a half hours. Depending on which route the train takes there can be several stops, but the most direct route goes straight to Interlaken Ost where you change for the train to Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen. Something to be aware of, the train leaving Interlaken Ost stops at Zweilütschinen and splits in 2, one half goes to Grindelwald and the other goes to Lauterbrunnen, so it's important to find the correct carriage for your destination before you leave Interlaken Ost. If you do find yourself in the wrong carriage you can switch at Zweilütschinen.

I hope this helps,

Have fun!

Alan

Thank you for your information - I think we will stay inWengen.

The train travel still stresses me out a bit as we are planning to go from Wengen to Milan, but I am sure we will find the correct trains and information ☺

Thank you Anna

I will look towards Wengen then as a base ☺

Thank you. Could you please share your itinerary with me if possible? We don't want to do too much as we would just experience the culture and the people, but of course we will do Jungfrau Joch.

Excellent choice! You'll have a fantastic time.

Cheers

Alan

Hi Marethavdh01,

this page might help you with the train trip to Italy: www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy.

At www.myswissalps.com/jungfrauregion/activities you can find activity tips in the Jungfrau region.

Ildiko