One day visit to Jungfraujoch

Hi.

We would like to visit Jungfraujoch in July for a one day, one off trip. There are two adults, a16 year old, 14 year old and a 10 year old. We are staying in Interlaken, so I think the best way would be to take a train from Interlaken Ost all the way and then return late afternoon.

can someone tell me the cheapest way to organise such a trip? I had a go on the website and it came out at £510. I can't really spend that on a train trip for one day, although I appreciate it is probably more than a train trip!

thanks for any help

Hi cuissage,

Indeed you would take the train from Interlaken Ost. A detailed route plan can be found here.

Have you planned any other trips by public transport during your stay? This includes other trains, buses, boat trips (Lake Thun, Lake Brienz), cable cars, funiculars, etc. In that case Swiss Half Fare Cards quickly becomes economically viable. If it's really only this trip, a Good Morning Ticket or Good Afternoon Ticket, as discussed here, saves money for the adults and 16 year old. The two younger children can travel along with a Junior travelcard.

Hi. Thanks. We will only have one day in Switzerland on this occasion, so I think we do have to see the Jungfraujoch as our only trip. I have looked at the Good Morning Ticket. Do you think it is a good idea to take the car to Kleine Schiedegg and then buy the Good Morning Ticket for 95CHF? We are based in Interlaken that morning. Thanks

Hi cuissage,

Make sure to only do this if the weather is fine. It's too expensive to go up there and only see the inside of a cloud, so to speak.

Most of the Jungfrau region is car free (see here). By car, you can't go further than Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen. This is the first section of the trip, and doing it by car won't save you time and not much money either: just CHF 10 per adult, but you also have to park which costs money too. I think it's much more relaxed to just do the whole trip by train.

Kind regards,

Arno

Hi.Thanks for the reply. Can I ask a question that requires your subjective opinion? If we are only in Switzerland for one full day this time, do you recommend using that day to take the children up the Jungfraujoch railway? I ask because it is expensive but so obviously a great thing to do. However, I worry slightly that I will have driven from England the day before and will be preparing to drive to Italy the day after. Will it likely to be better for everyone to have rest day in Interlaken, exploring the town and scenery etc, or would you advise me to take them up Jungfraujoch anyway on that single day? I suppose I am asking you to tell me just how amazing is the Jungfraujoch - or should I save that experience for a future occasion when/if we might have more time to spend in Switzerland? Thank you

Hi cuissage,

Well, a visit to the Jungfraujoch is indeed amazing, see here for what to expect. It's perfect for that day, but only if the sky is clear so that you can be sure of getting the good views. Just take things slow and don't do anything else that day, apart from enjoying an ice cream (Mövenpick!) in Wengen or Kleine Scheidegg, for example. If the weather does not allow for the trip, then save it for another occasion and do a boat trip on Lake Thun/Lake Brienz, or something else in the valley. Or visit Bern if you like exploring beautiful cities.

Note that Interlaken itself is not particularly pretty. It's a perfect place for a rest day, but don't expect to see the best of the Alps if you stay in town. I would only stay in town if I was exhausted from the ride and wanted a full day of rest to prepare for the next drive.

I hope this helps with your planning!