Hotel stay in Grindelwald during Christmas

Hi All,

I'm new here and not too sure how this works.Planning my honeymoon to Switzerland during the christmas period this year but not too sure what to expect in terms of temperature and hotel stays (pricing) and what goes on during christmas at Grindewald. Not too sure if we should stay in Grindewald or stay in interlaken?

I'm open to views and hope to learn more about any of your experiences here!

Thanks in advance! =)

Welcome klijing!

No worries about how it works, just make sure to read the forum rules. You're welcome to ask questions here!

Grindelwald is most definitely the better place for a honeymoon. It's in the mountains and surrounded by wonderful scenery. Interlaken is a practical place but not particularly picturesque. Also there's a better chance of snow in Grindelwald.

If you need help picking a hotel, please first look at these suggestions and if those do not meet your requirements then post more details (see here please).

Hi Arno,

Thanks for your reply. I was looking at the hotels at Grindelwald but some of them are not available for booking. Do the hotels in Grindelwald get booked way in advance or do they only open for booking after the current winter is over?

Is it also very convenient to travel around with the base at Grindelwald? I'm intending to stay there for 3 nights from Christmas till after boxing day but only have Jungfrachjoch as one of the places in mind to go.

Is Paragliding available during winter too?

Thanks!

Hi klijing,

I had a similar experience looking for accommodation in nearby Wengen for the Christmas period. I knew Christmas was the busiest time of the year in the Jungfrau Region, and I particularly wanted a room with a view over the Lauterbrunnen Valley, so I thought I would most likely need to book a long time in advance.

As online booking (not surprisingly) showed no available accommodation 14 months in advance, I emailed my preferred hotel directly and asked how early I should/could book. They said I could book directly with them immediately, so I did.

In your case, it's possible some hotels are already booked out, but a direct approach might pay off.

By the way, some hotels have a minimum stay requirement over Christmas (in some cases 5 days), so check if that applies to your chosen hotel. Also, some hotels do not open for the winter season until the week before Christmas, but I don't think that will affect you, as it seems you are arriving at or immediately before Christmas.

The link for Grindelwald in Arno's post covers activities in the Grindelwald area. It is easy to get around with the cogwheel trains, cable cars and buses. If you will be spending all your time in and around Grindelwald, and are not planning to get some version of the Swiss Travel Pass or half-fare card for transport in Switzerland, it might be worth considering the Jungfrau Region Hiking and & Sledging Pass. Details, including a map showing what routes are included, are below. It is not available for the 2016-17 season yet, but hopefully will be available later in the year.

http://www.jungfrau.ch /en/winter/tourism/exp eriences/sledging-hiking/#jungfrau-region-hiking-and-sledging-pass_437

Hi klijing,

As Alpenrose666 says it is important to book early for the Christmas period and indeed some hotels may require a minimum stay, so try to add another day or two if a website shows a book out message (so at least you'd know they're not fully booked). There should not be many hotels booked out this early.

Paragliding can also be done in winter: www.viator.com/tours/I nterlaken/Paragliding-Experience-from-Interlaken/d5011-12729PARAGLIDE.

Thanks Alpenrose666 and Arno for your inputs.

If I intend to stay in Switzerland for 9 days, would it be better to get the travel pass or not get the travel pass? I'm Travelling from Zurich to Lucern to Grindelwald and then to Geneva.. I roughly read about the travel but I'm not too sure whether I can board any train at any time for free or there are some trains where I need to book in advance and still need to pay?

thanks!

Hi klijing,

I'm not sure if you mean the Swiss Travel Pass when you say "the travel pass", but in any case some kind of pass would be beneficial for 9 days. The below pages answer your questions. Please post to the rail forum if you have any questions left about rail passes.

• myswissalps.com/ swisstravelpass
• myswissalps.com/ train/ticketspasses
• myswissalps.com/ train/reservations