Lake Brienz boat trip incl Giessbach Falls in July
Liz is planning a trip from Interlaken to Lake Brienz in July, arriving from Lucerne. She seeks advice on the best route for her boat cruise, the time needed at Giessbach for photos, and details on the boat ticketing system. Liz is considering her options and wants to ensure she enjoys her time at the lake and also visit Harder Kulm.
- Start your trip by dropping off luggage at your hotel in Interlaken before heading to Lake Brienz.
- It's best to take about 30-90 minutes to enjoy Giessbach Falls and the hotel; bring a camera for photos.
- When buying boat tickets, purchase just for the route you need; check the Swiss Half Fare Card for discounts.
- If it rains, the lake cruise can still be enjoyable, but visibility may be limited.
- Use the official electronic timetable for easier navigation of boat schedules.
AI-generated summary-
I need some help regarding my trip from Interlaken to Lake Brienz now in July. I will be arriving from Lucerne late that morning, plan to leave our luggage at the hotel in Interlaken and do a Lake Brienz cruise to visit Giessbach and see Isetwald from the lake (not stopping there). I also want to do Harder Kulm.
1. Is it better to take the train from Interlaken to Brienz then do the boat cruise, stop at Giessbach, hop back in the boat and take it all the way back to Interlaken or the other way around and start the boat cruise from Interlaken? What I want to see in Interlaken is the piano scene from Crash Landing On You.
2. How much time do I really need at Giessbach? Main thing I want is to take photos of the Falls and the hotel. I don’t really plan to hike much. If time permits, have a meal at the restaurant, but not necessary. I can always eat at Interlaken first before heading to Brienz.
3. On the posted summer schedule for Lake Brienz, what is the difference between the dark green, light green, purple and white columns? Do I have to pay separate tickets for each segment or just buy a one-way ticket at the place where I board the boat and be able to use it regardless of which boat I use? See page 10: http://www.bls.ch/-/media/bls/pdf/fahrplaene/schiff/fahrplan-schifffahrt.pdf?la=en&vs=1
4. I need help reading the schedule. For example, if I took the boat from Brienz at 13:40, which arrives Giessback at 13:51, that means the next boat for me to take back to Interlaken isn’t until 15:51, which gives me 2 hours? But if I get there later at 15:51, the next boat is just 1 hour at 16:51, is that correct?
5. If it’s a rainy day, is it still worth doing the Lake Brienz boat cruise? I do want to see the lake.
Thank you for your help!
Liz
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Hi Liz!
1. It doesn’t really matter which order you pick. You’ll do a bit of backtracking anyway, since you’ve come across Brienz on your way from Lucerne to Interlaken. But with your plans it’s indeed better to first drop off you luggage in your hotel in Interlaken. You can take a train back to Brienz, board the boat there and get off in Giessbach. Board another boat back to Interlaken after your break there, or hike to Iseltwald (http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/giessbach-iseltwald) and get on a bus to Interlaken there. Or board a boat from Interlaken to Giessbach and then return to Interlaken after your break.
2. About 30 minutes should be sufficient for a short photo break. Count on 60 to 90 minutes if you want to take your time and have meal at the restaurant.
3. The colored columns of the timetable (https://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakebrienz/gettingthere) show which boat type is used. It’s explained in the colored blocks below the schedule. You can just buy a ticket for the route you need. It doesn’t matter on which boat(s) you use it (the only exception being special culinary cruises for which booking is required) and it’s no problem to get on and off along the way. In case you have a rail pass, you may not need tickets at all. Please refer to https://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakebrienz/tickets and scroll down to “Get a discount with your rail pass”.
4. Yes, your understanding is correct.
5. Sunny weather would of course be ideal. With low-hanging clouds, drizzle or rain you won’t see all of the surrounding mountain tops. But it can still be a pleasant experience and you’ll definitely get a nice impression of the lake.
Please refer to http://www.myswissalps.com/harderkulm for tips about your visit to Harder Kulm.
Do you suggest a better way for my trip without backtracking? I decided to stay at Interlaken from Lucerne so I’ll be closer to Lake Brienz and be at closer proximity in case we decide to go to Jungfrauboch (so it’s not o far from Lucerne). If I don’t go to Jungfrauboch, I’m still close to Grindelwald or Bern if it’s cloudy on top of Jungfrauboch. My next stop is Zermatt and then Montreux then fly back from Geneva. I’m also open to flying out of Zurich if it’s better.
As for the Lake Brienz boat tickets, what type of ticket do I need to purchase? Do I buy single tickets of day tickets? I don’t plan to do Lake Thun. Also, I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to understand how to read the boat fare posted (green column vs. white column — I didn’t see the legend for them). Can you please tell me how much it will be? I basically need a one way ticket from Brienz to Interlaken and be able to use it to stop at Griessbach and hop back on. And do I just buy it on the day of arrival?
Thank you,
Liz
Hi Liz,
Interlaken is definitely a good base town for your plans. If you hadn’t luggage, I would advise you to travel like this:
- train from Lucerne to Brienz
- boat from Brienz to Giessbach Falls
- boat to Interlaken, or hike to Iseltwald and then a bus to Interlaken
That would eliminate any backtracking. You could use luggage service (https://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/luggage), but it usually takes 1-2 days before you can pick it up and I don’t know if that makes sense for your plans. So if you first want to check in your luggage, you’ll see Lake Brienz twice some way or another, but that’s no problem. It’s pretty enough :-).
As for boat tickets: which ticket you need, depends on the boat route you eventually choose. You can buy it at the day of your trip, at the dock or at the boat itself. Just tell where you’ll be heading and you’ll get the right ticket. It’s explained here: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakebrienz/tickets.
Is this the fare document you’re referring to: http://www.bls.ch/-/media/bls/pdf/preislisten/schiff/fahrpreise-schifffahrt-berner-oberland.pdf?la=en&vs=1? The white columns indicate 2nd class fares, the green ones 1st class fares. Find your departure dock at the top, and then the dock you want to travel to as well. You’ll find the right price where both locations cross. The upper price of the two is for a single journey and that’s what you’ll probably need. So for example: a single journey Interlaken Ost-Giessbach in 2nd class costs CHF 25.
But: can you tell me if you’ll be using a rail pass and if so, which one? As mentioned, a rail pass can allow for discounted tickets and in some cases you won’t need a ticket at all.
Thank you for your help! I’m buying the Swiss Half Fare card. I think I get half off.
Should I get higher than the second class? Would that be better seats for me?
That’s correct, the Swiss Half Fare Card offers a 50% discount: https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/validity. You can show your pass when buying your boat ticket.
1st class is on the upper deck and usually gets you access to the restaurant, which can be especially nice if weather isn’t great. It can also be quieter on busy days than on the 2nd class lower deck. This might be relevant in July as that’s high season, but it’s hard to predict.
The Swiss official electronic timetable PDF might be easier to read. Scroll down to page 2/5 for the summer schedule.
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2022/3470.pdf
The boat service on the Brienzersee ( a small lake) is a simple out and back from Interlaken to Brienz, always calling at Iseltwald and Giessbach but the stops at smaller places differ slightly.
Nevertheless, all the boats are based at Interlaken Ost, so each boat runs: Interlaken Ost – Iseltwald – Giessbach – Brienz – Giessbach – Iseltwald – Interlaken Ost
Depending on where your accomodation is in Interlaken, you might struggle to fit in your plan of going to Interlaken first to drop off baggage. However it is worth noting that – if you go to drop your baggage first (recommended) and start the boat from Interlaken you don’t really have to take the boat beyond Giessbach to Brienz, as you will have seen Brienz from the train inbound from Luzern .
Lastly take note of which services on the lake are run by the paddle steamer – which is obviously much more fun than a more modern boat!
By the way the Brienz – Rothorn steam rack railway is much more fun than Jungfraujoch (nowadays like Disneyland…) or Harder Kulm!
Thank you for the link to the boat schedule. Indeed it was easier to read!
My hotel in Interlaken is actually near Interlaken West train station. Only reason why I was going all the way to Brienz was because I’m taking the train from Interlaken to catch the boat from Brienz. I thought that was the only way I could go to Giessbach?
If I took the boat from Interlaken instead and just stopped at Giessbach, won’t I still need to go to Brienz to go back by train? I wasn’t planning on doing a round trip by boat to save time. Is my thinking correct?
I’m having second thoughts about staying in Interlaken. Between Mt Titlis and Jungfraujoch, I am now inclined to skip Jungfraujoch because it seems to be a more stressful mountain excursion and I don’t necessarily need to do both. Besides, I’m only allotting one day for Jungfraujoch and hoping for good weather. Wouldn’t I have a better chance of seeing Mt Titlis if I stayed longer at Lucerne instead and do Lake Brienz from there? Then head to Zermatt from Lucerne. What do you think?
I’m also now interested in visiting Bern if the weather isn’t ideal for mountain excursions but if I do that from Lucerne then now I have backtracking again.
I can’t decide! Help!
Liz
Hi Liz,
If you’re planning a trip to Mt Titlis, Lucerne would definitely be a better base and starting point: https://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne. There are also direct trains to Bern and Brienz from Lucerne, so very convenient.
Referring to your planned Lake Brienz trip – the piano scene (from Crash Landing On You) was shot in Iseltwald and the fictional music school was shot in Giessbach. If you wish to see both locations, my suggestion for this trip would be to take the 10.40 boat from Brienz to Giessbach (arrive 10.51).Then take the 12.51 boat from Giessbach to Iseltwald. This will give you enough time to have lunch at Grand Hotel Giessbach (there’s also a takeaway kiosk on site) and do the short hike from the hotel to the waterfall. From Iseltwald you can either take the bus to Interlaken Ost then train to Lucerne, or take the boat back to Brienz and then train to Lucerne.
Regards,
Anna
Yes, I suspected your hotel might be closer to Interlaken West. It is a common misconception that Interlaken Ost is the main station in Interlaken. However that is just for railway operational reasons. West is the ‘town centre’ station.
I think that’s a good plan. Titlis and Jungfraujoch are both a bit ‘theme park’ style these days. You don’t really get the effect of being ‘by yourself in the ice cold on top of a mountain peak ‘ as you did when I was young. I think it’s sad personally but that’s the ‘grumpy old man’ part of me coming out.
There is quite a ground swell of opinion that – for the price – Jungfraujoch is not worth it. In any case I always recommend to people that Gornergrat is much better than Jungfraujoch. On the Gornergrat railway you get much more open views as unlike the Jungfrau railway which is inside the mountain a lot of the way. The top of the Gornergrat is refreshingly ‘simple’ – crisp air, great views of Switzerland’s highest mountain (not the Matterhorn…) and a cafe restaurant.
So, overall I think Titlis and Gornergrat is a good pairing
Try not to think of Bern from Luzern as ‘backtracking’. In the central part of Switzerland day trips and circular tours can be achieved in quite short times as places aren’t all that far from each other.
There are two railway routes between the Bern and Luzern. The old ‘direct line’ is the one through the scenic Emmental (as in the cheese), via Langnau.
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2022/440.pdf
This is a country route so takes 90 minutes, but the ride is part of the day’s sightseeing. The other route is the inter city route via Zofingen – this is the upgraded route that includes part of the Swiss high speed line (part of the overall strategy to upgrade lines so that all main centres are about 1 hours’ travel apart from each other. Trains on this route (Luzern – Bern – Geneva service) take 1 hour :
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2022/455.pdf
Thank you. I think you’ve helped me decide — I’m going to skip Jungfraujoch which was my very original plan anyway. It seems so stressful. I think I’d rather stay at Lucerne as my base and have 2 days worth of chances to go to Mt Titlis, rather than just having 1 day chance to see Mt Titlis and just 1 day chance to do Jungfraujoch. I was definitely planning to do Gornegrat, which is my main reason to go to Zermatt. Just hoping weather will cooperate.
And you’re right, I shouldn’t get “hung up” on the backtracking to go to Bern if time permits. I will take a look at the routes you suggested.
I appreciate your help!
Indeed. Very good planning I would say. If the weather for Titlis is looking iffy, the Bern option is perfect as it could be fine and sunny at lower altitude on a day when the mountains are in cloud.
The best way to do a Bern day trip from Luzern is the scenic Emmental route outbound in the morning when you are fresh, returning the fast route when you can just relax in the fast train
I was so lucky last October to be able to squeeze in a night in Bern on an otherwise ‘elder family support’ mid-pandemic car trip
Bern is a lovely city – don’t miss it!
Hi Liz,
you mentioned staying in Lucerne – if you still looking for accommodation, have a look at these recommended hotels and rentals: http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/hotels and http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/rentals.
I hope you’ll find a nice one.
Make sure to check the weather forecast before your mountain trip. The forecasts are somewhat reliable for 2 to 3 days ahead of time. It’s also worth checking the webcams on the mountains on your travel day. I like the app of MeteoSwiss, it has great animation for clouds too (also for rain and temperature). I always check it in the early morning, if I am planning to go on a mountain trip. It is good to know, that usually it is more clear in the morning than in the afternoon.
Take care,
Ildiko
I was already able to find a hotel at Lucerne for 4 nights — Hotel Continental. Hope it’s a good choice coz I noticed it wasn’t in the recommended hotels. I need a triple so not as easy to find than just double.
Thanks for the app suggestion. I will download it now before I forget!
off topic…what do y’all think of the pocket wi-fi that I can rent from travelerswifi.com.
Hi Liz G,
Hotel Continental in Lucerne seems to be a good choice too, according to https://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Continental_Park.htm.
We’ve received great feedback about Travelers Wifi, I can highly recommend it. You can read about it here: http://www.myswissalps.com/simcard.
Ildiko
I also always use Meteo Swiss / Meteo Schweiz, and the graphics are simple to understand.
The only amendment I would make is to Ildiko’s comment about morning weather being clearer than afternoon. Yes this often applies in settled weather, but if a low pressure system has just passed through, the weather might be dull in the morning but clear up nicely in the afternoon, equally you might have mist or fog in the morning which burns off by afternoon.
Sorry, I can’t find the app in my Appsstore. I use an iPhone. What is the exact name of the app?
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