Getting good pictures of Alps without cable cars?

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    16 August 2017 at 18:55:37 #812985

    How can I take good pictures of the alps above interlaken and the mont blan without using cable cars?

    can I get to a good spot for picture taking just by car or train?

    thanks, Itamar

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    Slowpoke
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    7567 posts
    17 August 2017 at 1:41:59 #868461

    Hi itamardomb-

    Welcome to My Swiss Alps.

    There are several types of cableways, ranging from chairlifts, through lifts with small cabins for 4-6 people, to (in German) die Luftseilbahn type which have large cabins.

    I have attached a picture from above Wengen.

    Do all of these types bother you, or can you ride some types? If it is all types, check out the cograil from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg and on to Grindelwald, as well as the one to Schynige Platte from Wilderswil. Can’t help with Mont Blanc… in France.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion

    Slowpoke

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    17 August 2017 at 2:00:08 #868462

    Hi Itamar, and welcome to MySwissAlps!

    >> How can I take good pictures of the alps above interlaken and the mont blan without using cable cars?

    It’s not clear to me what concerns you about cable cars, i.e. the experience of riding in them, or the cost. I will assume it is the experience of riding in them.

    >> can I get to a good spot for picture taking just by car or train?

    You won’t get the best pictures in the Interlaken area if you only go to places accessible by car, as cars can’t go beyond the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

    These are some places you can go in the Interlaken area without using cable cars. They are all good spots for photos of the alps.

    Railways and funiculars

    Wengen

    Grindelwald

    Kleine Scheidegg

    Jungfraujoch

    Brienzer Rothorn

    Harder Kulm

    Schynige Platte

    Bus

    Grindelwald to Meiringen over the Grosse Scheidegg

    Boats

    Boat trips on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun

    Some of those options are not available all year. When are you travelling?

    Alpenrose

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    17 August 2017 at 6:05:06 #868463

    Thank you Alpenrose.

    Any ride on cables is a problem for my wife as of anxiety.

    The only options are on ground (by car train or bus) or on boats.

    I checked google map and saw that I can get to grindelwald by car from interlaken.

    We plan to be in interlaken during the week of Sep. 3. Is it safe to drive to grindelwald at that time?

    Thanks, itamardomb

    Removed user
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    17 August 2017 at 6:16:12 #868464

    Thank you sleepless,

    Any type of cable is a problem because of anxiety.

    The only option is traveling on the ground, I.e. car, train or bus.

    I saw on google maps that there is a road from interlaken to grindelwald.

    Is this road safe during beginning of Sep 2017?

    Is grindelwald good enough for pictures of the alps?

    Thaks, itamardomb

    Removed user
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    17 August 2017 at 7:18:16 #868465

    Hi itamardomb,

    Early September should be no problem at all for driving in the Jungfrau area (where you can drive).

    Grindelwald will be ok for some pictures of the mountains yes. Better options would be Kleine Scheidegg or Schynige Platte.

    Lucas

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    17 August 2017 at 8:58:48 #868466

    Hi itamarbomb –

    You can drive to Grindelwald easily in early September. Once there, you will park your car, because you can go no further by automobile. Early September is a nice time to visit the area; just hope for good weather, or you won’t see much of the Alps. On the other hand, you really have trouble avoiding the sight of at least part of the Alps from many places that are not right up close to the Jungfrau. The views are just much better if you get to the places mentioned below.

    As several of us have mentioned, you can take the cograil train which runs from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, then onward to Wengen annd Lauterbrunnen, and also the different cograil train which runs from Wilderswil (near Interlaken) to Schynige Platte. The views from Schynige Platte are quite nice.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/sc hynigeplatte

    http://www.fotocommunity.com/ photos/schynige%20plat te

    Both will give you chances for some good pictures. This link explains that in more detail.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch/gettingther e

    From your first post, I assume that you do not wish to do any hiking to get to a place to take pictures. Is that correct?

    I have attached some pictures taken from Wengen. (One location, the Hotel Eiger is no longer a hotel (now apartments, called I believe “The Eiger Residence”) but the view is similar from the train station in Wengen). The Eiger Residence is right by the train station; that picture was taken from an upper floor. The other picture, of the Lauterbrunnen Valey, was taken from below the church which is a 10-15 minute walk from the station. There is a well known point for taking pictures near the church. I took the second picture from a trail down the hillside, a hundred meters or so below the church. If you ask at the tourist office, not too far from the train station, they can direct you to that or other spots. To get that picture showing the depth of the Lauterbrunnen Valley requires very clear day. That view is also visible for a few seconds as the cograil train approaches Wengen station from below ( or goes down towards Lauterbrunnen).

    This map is set to show Wengen and I have turned on a layer (from the menu under Points of Interest) to show the church. It is located by the words “Ufem Biel.” If you zoom in to the correct zoom level, you can see the cograil train tracks which are present in the view i have selected.

    map.search.ch/?pos=637084,161757&z=51 2&poi=kirche,verkehr

    Sowpoke

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    18 August 2017 at 15:53:21 #868467

    Thank you Slowpoke,

    It seems that I’ll take your advice and go with the cograil train from interlaken doing the loop.

    Thank you all for your big help.

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