Tips for 5-day visit Interlaken/Zurich in October

  • Finie79
    Participant
    5 posts
    11 September 2022 at 3:27:16 #828314

    Hello all,

    I am glad that I found this forum. Need a quick suggestion for my upcoming trip to Switzerland from 18 to 22 October. I will spend 3 nights in Interlaken (19-21 Oct) and 1 night in Zurich (22 Oct). Travel pass: Swiss Half Fare Card + Top of Europe

    Day 1: I will be travelling from Villach to Zurich via Euronight train at 1130pm from Villach and continue the journey to Interlaken. Which means, I will only have from 2pm onwards for my day.

    Itinerary options: 1. Harder Kulm, Lake Brienz, Iseltwald, strolling interlaken town, 2. Harder Kulm, Lake Blausee –> is this possible?

    Day 2: Jungfraujoch, Grindlewald First

    Day 3: Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mannlichen

    Day 4: Interlaken to Zurich in the morning and continue strolling in Zurich town.

    Day 5: Zurich to Munich via train and flight at 4pm to Malaysia.

    Any suggestion for a better itinerary? For the 3 days, I would like to get the best of Interlaken, Jungfrau & Bernese Oberland area.

    Appreciate the advise 🙂

    Thanks in advance -finie79

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    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    11 September 2022 at 7:30:59 #946728

    Hello finie79, thanks for joining MySwissAlps!

    Nice that you’ll be visiting Switzerland in October. The autumn colours can be splendid! Good that you’ve found the right passes for your trip. Recommended purchase options for the Swiss Half Fare Card are at https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard/price. As for your itinerary:

    Day 1:

    • Will you be traveling with lots of luggage? If not, you could travel as follows after arrival at Zurich: Zurich-Lucerne-Brünig Pass-Brienz. Then take a boat from Brienz to Interlaken. This way you’ll incorporate your boat trip in your journey Zurich-Interlaken. After that, settle in your hotel in Interlaken and visit Harder Kulm.
    • If you prefer to make trips after your 2pm arrival in Interlaken, you could still make a boat trip at Lake Brienz and take a train back to Interlaken. Then visit Harder Kulm. The funicular operates in the evening as well, so no need to rush: https://www.myswissalps.com/harderkulm/gettingthere.
    • You can check boat timetables through the link at https://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakebrienz/gettingthere.
    • Visiting the Blausee would also be doable after a 2pm arrival, but it’s farther away then Lake Brienz. You can use the timetable to find details for each of your journeys. Then you can check traveling times and see what you’re comfortable with. This page explains how to use it: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable.

    Day 2:

    Day 3:

    • You could make a round trip as follows: Interlaken-Lauterbrunnen-Wengen-cable car up to Männlichen-gondolas down to Grindelwald-Zweilütschinen-Interlaken. Please see https://www.myswissalps.com/mannlichen/gettingthere. Alternatively, you could visit Mürren and Schilthorn. That will give a different perspective and view from what you’ve seen on day 2. If you’re interested, you can check https://www.myswissalps.com/schilthorn for details.

    Day 4:

    • If you’ve traveled via Lucerne and the Brünig Pass as suggested on day 1, you can now take a different route back to Zurich: via Thun and Bern. From Bern, you can either head straight to Zurich (recommended if you want to have as much time in the city as possible), or catch the scenic local train to Lucerne via the Emmen valley and then go to Zurich. Enter “Trubschachen” as via-station in the timetable if you want to find details about this option: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable.
    • Tips for Zurich can be found at http://www.myswissalps.com/zurich. And you may like this city walk: http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/zurich.

    I hope this helps you plan your trip. Let us know if you have more questions!

    Finie79
    Participant
    5 posts
    17 September 2022 at 4:03:10 #946729

    Hello Arno,

    Thanks a lot for your great tips!

    Day 1: I just realized that the apartment check-in time is at 4pm. If that is the case, it would be a good suggestion to take a boat ride from Brienz to Interlaken. Once I reach Interlaken, is it still possible to visit Blausee & then Harder Kulm? Also, if I understand correctly, if I buy a Swiss Half Fare Card with a Day Pass, all my rides from Zurich to Interlaken (train & boat ride) will be free. Is it correct?

    Day 2: Is this possible as well with a short hiking (looking for some easy trail and <1 hour)?

    Day 3: Unfortunately, the cable car to Murren will be on maintenance during my visit. Will stick with Interlaken – Lauterbrunnen – Wengen – Mannlichen.

    Day 4: To travel from Interlaken to Zurich, should I buy the individual ticket or get another Day Pass?

    Thanks for the great help.

    regards,

    sharifah (finie79)

    Anna
    Moderator
    6276 posts
    17 September 2022 at 6:22:14 #946730

    Hi sharifah,

    Day 1: The boat trip from Brienz to Interlaken Ost takes about 1.5 hour. Assuming you arrive in Brienz after 2pm and are also planning to stop in Iseltwald during your boat trip, you might have time for Harder Kulm next but a trip to Blausee would probably make your day quite rushed (Interlaken Ost to Blausee takes about an hour). Yes, a Swiss Half Fare Card Day Pass is valid on the train and boat. The only tickets you need are the discounted mountain excursion ticket to Harder Kulm. And also admission ticket for Blausee if you end up going. With the Swiss Half Fare Card, you can also purchase a cheaper Saver Day Pass if you book early online.

    Day 2: Yes, it’s possible to combine a trip to Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald First in one day. You can find details on how to plan a round trip to Jungfraujoch here: www,myswissalps.com/jungfraujoch/gettingthere. On Grindelwald First, you can do the short First Cliff Walk, and if you have time perhaps hike to Bachalpsee.

    Day 4: With a Swiss Half Fare Card, you might be able to purchase a Saver Day Pass, which is more flexible and practical and allows you to break your journey freely when you are travelling from Interlaken to Zurich.

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