Grindelwald First gondola tickets and reservation with rail pass?
Peggy and her husband are set to travel to Lauterbrunnen soon, planning to visit First mountain by taking a train to Grindelwald and a gondola. They need advice on using their Swiss Travel Pass, gondola ticket purchases, and whether they can fit additional destinations like Gimmelwald into their trip.
- You do not need to buy train tickets from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald; your Swiss Travel Pass covers it fully.
- You can buy gondola tickets in advance to skip the line at the ticket counter, but seat reservations are not possible.
- The walk from Grindelwald train station to the gondola station is about 10 minutes.
- For a scenic route, consider taking the train to Wengen and then the cable car to Männlichen before heading to Grindelwald.
- You can visit Gimmelwald from Grindelwald by returning to Lauterbrunnen and taking the Schilthornbahn.
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Hello,
I have many questions, so I apologize in advance.
My husband and I are travelling with a Swiss Travel Pass, first class. We will stay at a hotel in Lauterbrunnen in a week or so. We plan to wake up early and journey up to First mountain via train to Grindelwald and then a gondola from there (I welcome suggestions for another route).
- According to the Lauterbrunnen agent whom I emailed, even though we have a Swiss Travel Pass (STP), we cannot reserve seats on the train from Lauterbrunnen to Grindewald train station. I just logged on to the SBB website, and it seems to allow me to purchase tickets for example, Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald Via Zweilütschinen, departing at 9:02. Is there a reason I shouldn’t buy these tickets, and is my STP the same as the “half-fare card”? Or how would I select the STP option?
- Do you suggest not buying train tickets from Lauterbrunnen to Grindewald, because the train is never full–is this true for this month? Also, they said we cannot reserve seats on the gondola from Grindewalk to First mountain, to walk on the First Cliff walk. Is this accurate? I believe they would have accurate information, but I see on this forum/website that it says gondola tickets can be purchased in advance. Could someone please advise how to do this, while still retaining our discount with STP (or is there no discount….)?
3. How far is the walk from the train station in Grindelwald to the gondola station/line?
4. If there is no way to secure a spot on the gondola, is this a good reason to book through a travel tour agency–would we bypass the gondola line? We are both (active) seniors.
5. Also, we can’t reserve a time to walk on the Cliff walk, right? (I know it’s free once up there.)
6. Do you recommend making lunch reservations in Grindewald, and do you have a suggested restaurant?
7. Is there a way to get to Gimmelwald from First mountain or Grindewald, or do we go back down to the valley and start over?
8. Do you think these two destinations (Grindewald and Gimmelwald) can be comfortably done in one day?
9. Am I missing a STP or other website where these answers were better explained, or available?
I purchased Rick Steve’s Switzerland guide and have not found it helpful regarding the above questions.
Thank you for your patience with my questions.
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Hi Peggy,
The Swiss Travel Pass provides free unlimited travelling on Swiss public transport. This include your train journey from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald. There is no need to purchase a ticket. Seat reservation on the train is also not required. Trains to Grindelwald depart at regular intervals, you simply board on any connection that is available.
You can find further information on how to use the Swiss Travel Pass here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/
For the gondola ride to Grindelwald First, it is also not possible to reserve your seats. But you can certainly purchase your gondola tickets in advance so you can skip the queue at the ticket counter: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/grindelwald-first/#tickets
The First Cliff Walk is free for everyone. If there is a long line, you simply have to wait for your turn.
The Grindelwald First cable car base station is only a few minutes walk from the Grindelwald train station (maybe about 10 minutes, just walk along Dorfstrasse until you see Hotel Sunstar on you right). You can find information on how to reach Grindelwald First here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/grindelwald-first/
At Grindelwald First, there is a restaurant with a huge terrace and direct access to the First Cliff Walk. You can also bring your own snacks. There are plenty of picnic spots with great views of the surrounding mountains.
To get to Gimmelwald, you would need to travel down to Lauterbrunnen and take the Schilthornbahn to Gimmelwald. You can also hike to Gimmelwald via Mürren; https://www.myswissalps.com/town/murren/
I hope I answered all your questions. Please let me know if I missed any.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Anna, thank you so much for all the information, and your quick reply. I really appreciate your time and help.
At the Lauterbrunnen train station, are all the trains saying “Grindewald” about the same for time/comfort, etc. or should I pick certain routes, numbers?
Can you recommend somewhere to buy the gondola tickets in advance? And this only allows me to skip the line at the ticket purchase counter, but not the line to board the gondola, right?
What are your thoughts about going to Gimmelwald the same day we return from Grindelwald? I may answer my own question when we return from Grindewald. 🙂
Is the Schilthornbahn a regular train, and does it go all the way to Gimmelwald? Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover any portion of that? May I purchase that ticket in advance?
Is there a difference between a gondola and a cable car, or are they used interchangeably? The internet gives mixed answers.
Thank you again for your time and help.
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
>>> At the Lauterbrunnen train station, are all the trains saying “Grindewald” about the same for time/comfort, etc. or should I pick certain routes, numbers?
There won’t be any trains at Lauterbrunnen station saying “Grindelwald”. The train you need will be going to Interlaken Ost, and they are all the same. So you take a train headed to Interlaken Ost and change for a Grindelwald train at Zweilütschinen.
At Zweilütschinen, you arrive on Platform 1, and wait on the same platform between sectors C and D for the train to Grindelwald. Blue and white signs suspended above the platforms show the plaform numbers and sectors.
I have also attached a diagram of most of the transport routes in the Jungfrau Region to help you visualise it.
You can plan how to get from place to place, including any transfers that may be necessary, in the SBB timetable:
Information on how to use it is here:
https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/
>>> Is the Schilthornbahn a regular train, and does it go all the way to Gimmelwald? Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover any portion of that? May I purchase that ticket in advance?
The Schilthornbahn is a series of cable cars that go from Stechelberg via Gimmelwald, Mürren and Birg to the Schilthorn. Gimmelwald is the first stop. It is free with the Swiss Travel Pass from Stechelberg to Mürren (thus including Gimmelwald). From Mürren to the Schilthorn you get a 50% discount.
>>> Is there a difference between a gondola and a cable car, or are they used interchangeably? The internet gives mixed answers.
The term “cable car” tends to be used generically, but there is a difference between cable cars and gondolas. This thread from some years ago goes into quite some detail:
https://www.myswissalps.com/community/thread/gondola/
I have attached some photos showing the First gondola. Also attached are photos of the outside and inside of a typical cable car (although this specific one is the Piz Nair cable car in St Moritz).
Hope this helps clarify a few things!
Alpenrose
Thank you very much. I appreciate your help and time.
After I wrote you, I found a discussion on your forum about going to Grindewald from Lauterbrunnen, but via Murren instead of toward Interlaken. You mentioned a wonderful cogwheel train with beautiful scenery. Which route do you recommend? It seems going through Murren is slower, but perhaps not by much. Is it a train or something else from Murren to Grindewald? I assume as with the other local trains, I do not need to reserve ahead if we did that?
Thank you again.
Hi Peggy,
>>> After I wrote you, I found a discussion on your forum about going to Grindewald from Lauterbrunnen, but via Murren instead of toward Interlaken.
Mürren is in the opposite direction for getting to Grindelwald from Lauterbrunnen. You might be thinking of Wengen or Kleine Scheidegg.
You can get to Grindelwald from Lauterbrunnen by getting the cogwheel train to Wengen, then the cable car from Wengen to Männlichen (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/mannlichen/). At the top of Männlichen you walk a short distance to get the gondola down to Grindelwald. The train to Wengen is free with the Swiss Travel Pass, and you get a 50% discount on the cable car and gondola.
Another option is via Kleine Scheidegg. That route is by train all the way. The first sector is Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg via Wengen. At Kleine Scheidegg you change for a train down to Grindelwald. Lauterbrunnen to Wengen is free with the Swiss Travel Pass. From Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg and from Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald you get a 25% discount.
>>> You mentioned a wonderful cogwheel train with beautiful scenery. Which route do you recommend?
That is probably the route from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg via Wengen.
The routes via Männlichen or Kleine Scheidegg are more expensive and take longer. However, if time and budget permit, I would recommend going to Grindelwald via Wengen and Männlichen and returning via the Kleine Scheidegg route. Both routes are equally stunning and more scenic than the route via Zweilütschinen.
Reservations are not possible on any of the trains or cable cars. However, if you want to ride on the roof of the Wengen-Männlichen cable car, rather than in the cabin, you do have to reserve that.
Hope this helps!
Alpenrose
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide all that information. It is very helpful, and I really appreciate it!
I am boarding a plane back to the USA, and I wanted to thank you again for your invaluable help, clarifications, and explanations. They helped so much during our stay, especially in Lauterbrunnen. I would never have known to go to Grindelwald via Wengen and then Mannlechin. Thank you so much for making our trip that much more memorable and beautiful.
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
Thanks for reporting back and expressing your appreciation for the help you found on the forum!
I’m glad it turned out to be such a memorable experience for you!
Alpenrose
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