Where to stay at low season end of April?

I'll be traveling to Switzerland from Austria end of April. This is my first time traveling. There's a few places that i would love to visit.

Zurich

Interlaken

Luzern

Jungfraujoch

Zermatt

I have been advised not to stay in Interlaken town as it's just like any other town and it's a transit town. I was advised to stay at places like Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, etc. I would love to stay at those mountain villages and i love the view. Others have cautioned me that it's very low peak season where most hotels and restaurants and cable car/coghweel railway are closed. They advised to stay over in Interlaken as its a town and most shops are open even during low season

Can anyone suggest a place i can make base ?? I'll be in Switzerland for a week till 1st week of May

Welcome kenlee6!

If you are willing to travel a lot you can do day trips to Luzern, Zermatt and Jungfraujoch from Interlaken. You could first visit Zurich after Austria and then proceed to Interlaken the next day. Also you can visit Luzern on the way from Zurich to Interlaken if you just want to visit the old town center.

Whether to stay in Interlaken or one of the smaller villages is a personal choice. Interlaken is larger so more activity in terms of shops and hotels. Also it offers good train connections. It is not in the mountains and there's not a lot to see in the town itself. So it you prefer the Alpine feeling and views you'd better pick one of the other towns. It will be quiet but people do live there so not everything will be closed. Grindelwald is the largest of the smaller towns, so that might be a good choice.

I moved your thread to a different forum because your questions are about towns, not accommodation. Feel free to post to the accommodation forum once you have picked towns and need help finding a hotel.

Kind regards,

Arno

Hi Kenlee6 -

Do you hope to do any hiking?

Slowpoke

Hi slowpoke.

I don't mind going for a hike. But was told that end of April might be dangerous as the snows are starting to melt and very muddy.

Kindly advise

Arno, Sorry I posted in the wrong forum. No wonder I was searching for my thread and when I didn't see it I thought I didn't send in my thread which is why I posted twice. Apologies.

If I travel from Interlaken to Zermatt day trip with 5-6h traveling time I'm afraid I won't be able to see much. Yea I like the Alpine scenery. I think I'll listen to you and stick to Grindelwald. And maybe visit Jungfraujoch from there.

<<"I don't mind going for a hike. But was told that end of April might be dangerous as the snows are starting to melt and very muddy.">>

Completely true near the Jungfrau at 2000 meters elevation.

Mostly, not true, near Luzern, for example, or in the farm country east of Burgdorf (the Emmental.)

That aspect of the weather and changing seasons is heavily dependent on altitude. If you particularly want to do some hiking, consider trails around Lake Luzern, although some shady spots at higher altitudes near there could have snow left.

I asked specifically because of the issue you mention, to be sure that you were aware of it.

Slowpoke

Hi kenlee6,

No problem! Zermatt is 2h15 from Interlaken. Add another hour or more to reach a viewing point in the mountains. It would indeed be a long day, and there's plenty of wonderful scenery close to Interlaken as well. The Interlaken page I linked to in a previous post provides suggestions. As long as you stick to lower trails, like Slowpoke explained, you can hike as well.

How about a trip to jungfraujoch in April?? Will things run as usual there during this period??

Hi Kenlee6 -

The cograil runs all year round, between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, with the side branch at Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch.

www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch/gettingther e

Check out specific dates on the timetable:

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

And, although many of the lifts will not be running, these maps will give you an idea of where they are and you can use the timetable to check them out:

www.swissholidayco.com /Public/Assets/User/fi les/Map-of-Jungfrauregion1.jpg

map.search.ch/?x=-23340m&y=-27916m&z=64&poi=bergba hn,zug

In the latter map I have uses the menu for Traffic, under Points of Interest, to highlight the mountain transport and railway routes.

Slowpoke

It says here that to travel to Jungfraujoch, from the Grindelwald station, first travel to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch by rail, the aerial cableway stations of First, Männlichen and Pfingstegg

www.jungfrau.ch/en/tou rism/travel-information/timetable/ grindelwald/

From the timetable, the period of 29 April-7th May which i am there is not listed. Does that mean there's no trains during that period??

Hi kenlee6,

The aerial cableways are not related to the Jungfraujoch. There are only trains to the Jungfraujoch, and they operate all year round, except in case of extreme weather. Please see the first two links Slowpoke gave you.

Thanks a lot Annika for the clarification and the prompt reply