Paris to Basel to Interlaken (base)

Hi,

Below is my itinerary:

Day 1: Paris - Basel - Interlaken (base). Reach Interlaken at 1800 and check in hotel. May I know what are the activities that we can do at such late hour? Can we go up harder Kulm for dinner? Is it too late to take a cruise?

Day 2: Junfrau Day tour. Where can I find the train timetable? Can we ski? Any ski equipment rental facilities?Thought of stopping in Wengen and Lautherbrunne on the way back. Is it a good idea? May I know the cost please?

Day 3: Cable car to Schilthorn? Im still not sure on what to do..

I though of buying Swiss Half Price Card so I only need to pay CHF90.90. Op top of that, I will be able to save 50% for train from basel to Interlaken (CHF 55 to CHF 27.50 after 50%) . Correct me if Im wrong. Can I purchase the Swiss Half Price Card at Basel station at 1600 on Saturday?

Thank you.

Hi livteh, welcome to the forum!

18h00 is too late for most excursions (including Harder Kulm) and regular boat services. But on some days, there are special boat trips with dinner and/or music at night. Please find details on the BLS website. I can also recommend dinner at the panoramic restaurant of hotel Metropole.

The timetable for the Jungfrau can be found on the website of the Jungfrau Railways. When will you be traveling? The ski slopes will generally not be open until November/early December. There are some "snow related activities" on top of the Jungfrau though, all year round. Please refer to www.jungfrau.ch. As for skiing at the regular slopes: I'm sure you can rent ski equipment in Interlaken. You may want to ask at your hotel. One store I know of is located in Wilderswil near Interlaken. You can best e-mail them for information if you want to book in advance.

As for day 3: The Schilthorn is beautiful, but so is a cog train ride at Schynige Platte or the Brienzer Rothorn (you need to check the timetables to see whether they operate when you're traveling). Please see the day trip tips.

The Swiss Half Fare Card be either be purchased online or in Basel. Please find the opening hours of the rail station at sbb.ch, but I don't think it should be a problem at 16h00.

Enjoy your stay!

Thanks for your reply.

As for 3rd day trip, I have decided to visit Schilthorn. May I know, how do I get there from Interlaken?

With my Half Price Swiss Card, Do I get 50% discount on entrance ticket to schilthorn?

Hi livteh! You can plan your trips using the Swiss timetable, by filling out Interlaken Ost as your departure station and Schilthorn as your destination. You'll first have to get to Lauterbrunnen by train, then switch to a short funicular ride up to Grütschalp. A train to Mürren leaves from there, and at Mürren you can enter the cable car to Schilthorn. An alternative is to travel to Stechelberg from Lauterbrunnen (by bus) and get on the cable car to Mürren there.

Yes, the Swiss Half Fare Card grants a 50% discount on this trip. By the way, by clicking the link 'Overview of the network on which the Swiss Half Fare Card is valid' at the Swiss Half Fare Card page, you'll get to a map showing all routes at which you'll receive this 50% discount.

Good luck preparing for your trip!

May I know, is ride up to Schilthorn similar to Mt Jungfrau? Shall I try the cog train ride to Schynige platte since I'll be doing the Jungfrau trip on the first day.

I really hope that during our stay from 9th Oct to 12th Oct, the weather will be sunny. What if it's a rainy days? Any activities that you can suggest?

I'll be coming from Paris to basel via mulhouse ville and our transit time is only 19 min. It is sufficient to change train in such a short time? If we happen to miss train from mulhouse to basel, can we catch the next train instead? Do we need to go to the office and let the officer know or can we just hop on another train?

Hello Livteh,

No, the ride up to Schilthorn is not similar to Mt. Jungfrau (Jungfraujoch). To reach the top of the Schilthorn with its revolving restaurant you have to take a cable car. In good weather conditions you will have a roundabout view of the Bernese Alps which is very impressive. To reach the Jungfraujoch you will have to take a cogwheel train. At Jungfraujoch you can overlook e.g. the Aletsch glacier and this is very beautiful too. If the weather is good enough you won't regret visiting Jungfraujoch.

The ride up to Schynige Platte (also a cogwheel train) is magnificent too. At Schynige Platte there are more possibilities to hike.

If the weather isn't so good you may consider visiting the St. Beatus caves. Maybe you can find other possibilities looking at the Day Trips in the Bernese Oberland.

19 Minutes to change trains at Muhouse-Ville should be more than enough under normal conditions. If you don't have reservations for a train leaving at a specific time, there is nothing wrong in just hopping on the next train in case you miss your planned connection. And if necessary, you can always ask the railway personel. Train connections between Mulhouse-Ville and Basel SBB can be found using the Timetable of Switzerland

Have a very pleasant stay in Switzerland!

Thanks for the reply.

Is there any way to find out the weather condition from 9th oct- 12th Oct?

It's a bit early to check weather forecasts for 9-12 October, the best you can do is check right before you leave. Information about weather can be found on SF1 Meteo, Meteoschweiz or WeatherOnline.

Have a nice trip!