Mürren itinerary help and weather alternative

Hi everyone,

I am travelling through Europe for a couple of weeks and am spending a few days in Switzerland.

Here are the things that I have booked already and cannot change:

- arrive in Basel train station at 7:00 in the morning on Wednesday 1 July- spend three nights in Mürren- leave Switzerland from Zurich train station at 1930 on Saturday 4 July

I calculated that getting from Basel to Mürren, Mürren to Zurich, and with a trip to Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn, the cheapest option would be to get a half fare card at around 320 CHF total. The Bernese Oberland Regional pass came in at around 390 CHF, so I could probably an extra couple trips and still be under.

I have bought the half fare card, but not the actual trips to/from Mürren yet. I can't check into my hotel until 14:00 so I figured maybe it is best to see what the weather is like. It will cost a little bit more to buy the tickets on the day I arrive in Switzerland and not the Supersaver, but maybe it is worth walking around Basel and Bern for a couple hours on the way? Or is it best to just get to the mountains right away?

Also, I have read that it isn't worth going to Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn if it is cloudy, so what would be a good alternative? Going down to Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen? Is it possible to get to either of those by foot? I have never really hiked in the mountains before, the closest was in Iceland where I went to the top off a small volcano, but that was only about 45 minutes or so. However, I would like to hike if possible, i.e. if the worst is just being exhausted and not actually being dangerous.

Ideally I would like to get to Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn on the day I arrive in Switzerland and spend the other two days hiking and other sight seeing. And then hopefully spend a few hours in Zurich on the 4th so if anyone has ideas for a few hours in Basel/Bern/Zurich that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide. Sorry if my questions are a bit too generic or open ended!

Welcome to MySwissAlps, blimproute!

You could manage to visit both the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn on your arrival day, but it would be a bit too much in my opinion. Visiting just one of them will be fine, and very rewarding if skies are clear - you'll have beautiful views in both cases. If weather forecasts are favorable for your arrival day, then yes, I'd definitely travel right towards Mürren if I were you. You can store your luggage in a locker at one of the larger stations and visit a mountain top or do some hiking, before heading for your hotel in Mürren.

A visit to Basel and/or Bern is a great alternative for your arrival day in case of bad weather. And exploring Zurich on your departure day is recommended too. Information on sightseeing in these cities can be found through these links:

• Basel
• Bern
• Zurich

Tips for hikes in the Bernese Oberland can be found here. If you don't have hiking experience, you can select 'Easy' under 'Trail difficulty' and set the maximum duration at 1 or 2 hours. Bad weather alternatives are the Ballenberg museum, boat rides over Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, the Trümmelbach or Reichenbach Falls, the Aareschlucht, and so on.

You don't have to buy your tickets for trips within Switzerland in advance. Just wait until you're there, watch weather forecasts and plan accordingly, and then buy your tickets. Supersaver tickets should only be bought if you know exactly which journey you'll be making and at what time.

I hope this helps you out!

Thanks for the response Annika!

Do you mean it would be too much to visit Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn on the same day or too much to visit both at all? I.e. it would be the same experience and not worth going to both? I guess since I bought the half fare card, it was under the assumption I would be visiting both (and Schilthorn seems rather close to Mürren as well). What is the best time of day to visit either mountain?

Also what would be considered good weather to go up? Just not raining? Or cloudy would also hinder the views?

Another question but would it be preferably to hike around or use transit to various regions throughout the day and return to Mürren at the end, or are there things to do in Mürren itself?

Hi blimproute!

Both Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn on one day would be too much in my opinion. But if weather is fine during your stay, of course you could visit both on different days. Make sure to pick moments on which skies are clear though. Clouds may block the views, and if it's densely clouded, going up would be a waste of your money. You can best watch weather forecasts closely to determine at what time of the day you want to get up. On typical summer days, skies tend to be clear in the early mornings, with clouds gradually growing in as the day continues.

Mürren offers beautiful views, but you'll have to leave the town to explore the (wider) region. Day trips are listed here.

Thanks for the link Annika!

A bit of a dumb question, but I can't find Mürren as one of the towns listed in the day trips? Should I just pick any town from the Jungfrau region? Should I just get to Interlaken and see from there?

Hi blimproute,

Well, Mürren is not a day trip in itself, although it's a very nice place to wander around and have lunch for example. If you go to Mürren your goal would usually be to visit a viewing point like the Schilthorn or do some hiking, like Grütschalp to Mürren.

Ah okay. Sorry I meant that my hotel is in Mürren so I would be there every day. :-)

Thank you for the Grütschalp suggestion!

Hi Blimproute-

This map may help you with the lay of the land.

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=swisstopo&lang=e n&X=163700.06&Y=637768 .02&zoom=4&bgLayer=ch. swisstopo.pixelkarte-farbe