Aug 15, 2015 - 3:02 PM
So we have just returned from our visit to Switzerland. I took my 2 boys (aged 9 and 11) Interrailing, we travelled from Amsterdam to Venice in a week, with a 3 night stop in Interlaken. Our train from Basel was, as we discovered would be standard for Swiss trains, exactly on time.
As we journeyed through Switzerland the scenery was amazing, and the boys were really interested to see the landscape change. We arrived at Interlaken Ost, where we made a quick stop at the co-op to stock up as we were staying at a campsite on the edge of lake Thun. Everything was very easy, and we soon arrived at our beautiful campsite. The lake is spectacularly blue, flanked by the mountains, and was warm enough to swim comfortably in.
The one trip we really wanted to make was to go up to the Jungfraujoch. As we only had 2 full days to do this, we decided to risk the weather and buy tickets in advance as we were told tickets were selling out daily. We took the boat into Interlaken West, where we bought tickets using a half fare pass so that the children were free. With the pass and a discount from the campsite, the total for the 3 of us to travel to the top was 105 Swiss Francs. I strongly recommend doing advanced research to get the cheapest fares, otherwise you could end up paying an awful lot of money for this trip.
I was concerned about the weather turning in the afternoon and the boys were really excited to go up to the top, so we decided we would get the 7.05am train from Interlaken Ost. In hindsight we could have bought a cheaper 'Good morning' pass for this train but I wanted to keep things flexible. It was well worth getting up early, as the later trains were really full and the mountain was starting to get really busy as we were coming down. Anyway, what a trip, it was everything we had imagined, we all loved it. The glacier is breathtakingly beautiful. We took the Lautebrunnen route on the way up, and on the way down took the other way and stopped off at Grindelwald. The view of the north face of the Eiger from the train is not to be missed.
More swimming in the lake when we got back, and suddenly our days had been filled. I had planned to do another trip or two, with a cable car ride, but when it came to it just soaking up the atmosphere of the lake and the mountains was enough for me and the boys. We're already planning a longer stay next year where we can fit more in. Our overall experience of Switzerland was overwhelmingly positive, the people are so friendly, the scenery spectacular, and the public transport incredibly reliable. It's pretty pricey but worth every penny.
