how to visit Jungfraujoch?

Hello there!

I am looking a for the best way to visit Jungfraujoch, the top of Europe. We are traveling by car, and we will be staying one night in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. What would be the best route (fastest) to get closest to the Jungfraujoch from Vaduz, by car? Where can we join the train, in order to reach the top, and then come back? Which city/village do I need to go first, to be able to climb to the top? Of course I need a place to leave my car as well. I need to plan this trip very accurate, because as I understood, it takes at least 2 hours from Vaduz, then another 4-5 hours the trip to Jungfraujoch, and in the evening I need to be in Milano. Is it possible to make this trip in one day? Vaduz - Jungfraujoch - Milano? What are the costs of the train, entry tickets for Jungfraujoch?

Many thanks,

Rolland

Hello Rolland,

Vaduz to Lauterbrunnen would take 2h30. The trip to the Jungfraujoch and back takes at least 5 hours. Then to Milan takes over 3h30. This does not include traffic jams, weather conditions and time to park.

This is too much for a day. I am not saying it is entirely impossible if you depart very early, but it's a rushy experience and potentially unsafe to do that much driving on (mountain) roads you are probably not familiar with. I would recommend to either book an hotel in the Jungfrau region, or consider to visit the Pilatus, Titlis, or much better, the Säntis instead. Further information about the mountains and tickets can be found through the links I provided.

I hope this helps you out! Have a wonderful day!

Thank you very much for your reply. I will consider that.

Have a nice day! :)

Dear Annika,

I have decided to choose the route you advised, so I will look for an accommodation near Interlaken. If you can advise one, please do so.

We will travel in May, do I need to put my winter tires, or it is not a must in that month?

Does it worth it to travel by train from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch, or it's nice from kleine scheidegg as well? I noticed that it's much cheaper from kleine scheidegg and I could go by car there. What's your opinion, is it better this way, or from Interlaken til kleine scheidegg by train is much better?

Thank you again!

Rolland

Hi Rolland,

Kleine Scheidegg can't be reached by car. By car, you can't go any further than Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. If you stay in Interlaken, I would advice to just go by train from there. The entire route is very nice. Check the Jungfraujoch page for details.

For the hotels we prefer, please check these pages:

• Interlaken
• Grindelwald

Winter tires won't be necessary. The higher passes could still be closed in May.

I hope you'll have a great time! Your trip report would be very welcome, and you may even win a hotel gift card by submitting it.

Thank you again for the information!

Just for curiosity, the gps device shows the route by car to Kleine Scheidegg, and I check on google maps, even with street view. What is the reason that it can't be reached by car?

With thanks,

Rolland

Hello Rolland,

There are a few narrow service reads winding up the Kleine Scheidegg, but they're closed to the public. The exact reasons for car free areas may differ a bit per region, but in general the Alps are suffering heavily from traffic and global warming. Car free areas help to preserve nature in its original state, and to enjoy it without the noise and pollution of traffic. In case of the Jungfrau region, even some villages, like Wengen and Mürren, are car free. Peace and quiet is guaranteed. I'm sure you'll appreciate this approach once you're in the area.

GPS devices and routing software is not 100% accurate in the Alps (or anywhere else I suppose). They may indeed include roads that are inaccessible in reality. Also they may mistake ferry or car train routes for a road tunnel or toll road.

I'm sure you will have a beautiful trip. Enjoy it!

Dear Arno,

I am curious about your opinion. We will travel to Grindewald on Friday and as far as I see the weather reports, the weather there ( including Jungfraujoch ), doesn't look too good. In your opinion, doest it worth it to go to Jungfraujoch on Saturday, in these conditions?

Sincerely,

Rolland

Hi Rolland,

Indeed it does not look good, but one can only tell for sure just before going up. I would keep an eye on the weather forecast and on the webcams. If there happen to be a few clear hours, then go, regardless whether it is on Friday afternoon or Saturday. There should be webcams at the Grindelwald rail station too.

If it's really all clouds, rain and snow during your stay, it's not worth the money. In such a case you'd better look into alternatives such as a boat trip or a day trip to Bern. Suggestions are here and here on the Interlaken page.

I hope you'll have a good stay in any case!