Getting to Interlaken
Interlaken (564 m) sits between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. All routes into the Bernese Oberland funnel through it. The town has two main stations: Interlaken West (for Lake Thun and western approaches) and Interlaken Ost (for the Bernese Oberland Railway to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen).
By rail from Swiss cities
| Route | Duration | Frequency | Approx. full fare (2nd class) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich HB → Interlaken Ost | 1h 50min | Hourly | CHF 67 |
| Bern → Interlaken Ost | 50 min | Hourly+ | CHF 30 |
| Geneva → Interlaken Ost | 2h 45min | Hourly | CHF 82 |
| Basel → Interlaken Ost | 2h 10min | Hourly | CHF 56 |
All services are operated by SBB or BLS. Connections are reliable — Swiss trains famously run on time, and timed connections to mountain railways and PostBuses are guaranteed. The SBB app covers all Swiss transport in a single timetable and allows ticket purchase. (sbb.ch)
With a Half-Fare Card (CHF 150 for one month), all fares above are halved. Zurich to Interlaken becomes CHF 34. Bern becomes CHF 15. The card pays for itself on the first or second journey.
By air
| Airport | Transfer to Interlaken | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich (ZRH) | 2h by train | Main international hub; most intercontinental connections |
| Geneva (GVA) | 3h by train | Via Bern; good for arrivals from UK, France, Southern Europe |
| Basel-Mulhouse (BSL/MLH) | 2.5h by train | Budget airline hub (easyJet, Wizz Air) |
| Bern-Belp (BRN) | 1h by train/bus | Limited flights; mostly European budget carriers |
Practical recommendation. Zurich (ZRH) is the most efficient arrival point for most intercontinental flights. The direct IC train to Interlaken Ost departs from the airport station (Zurich Flughafen) approximately every hour. Buy the ticket through the SBB app before landing.
From Interlaken into the mountains
From Interlaken Ost, the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) splits into two branches:
East branch → Grindelwald. Direct train, approximately 35 minutes. The new Grindelwald Terminal (opened 2020) serves as the integrated hub for the Eiger Express gondola and Männlichen gondola. This is the primary access point for the Eiger Trail, Jungfraujoch, First/Bachalpsee, and the Eiger-side hiking network.
West branch → Lauterbrunnen. Direct train, approximately 20 minutes. From Lauterbrunnen, onward connections to:
- Wengen (Wengernalp Railway, 15 min) — car-free village on the sunny terrace above the valley
- Kleine Scheidegg (Wengernalp Railway, 45 min) — Eiger viewpoint and Jungfrau Railway departure
- Mürren (cable car to Grütschalp + mountain train, 20 min) — car-free village at 1,638 m
- Stechelberg (PostBus, 10 min) — base for Schilthorn cable car and Lauterbrunnen valley walks
- Gimmelwald (cable car from Stechelberg, 5 min) — tiny car-free village between Stechelberg and Mürren
Other destinations from Interlaken:
- Harder Kulm — funicular from near Interlaken Ost (8 min, CHF 18-24 return)
- Schynige Platte — rack railway from Wilderswil (50 min), one stop west of Interlaken Ost
- Kandersteg — BLS train via Spiez (30 min from Interlaken), for Oeschinensee and Via Alpina
- Meiringen — Zentralbahn train (30 min from Interlaken Ost), for Reichenbach Falls and Via Alpina start
Frequencies are high in summer (every 20-30 minutes for the main branches) and connections are timed. Miss a train at Interlaken Ost and the next one departs within 30 minutes.
Car-free villages
Three of the Bernese Oberland's most important hiking bases are car-free — no road access, no parking, no vehicles:
Mürren (1,638 m). Access by cable car from Stechelberg (via Gimmelwald) or by cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp plus mountain train. Mürren is the base for the Schilthorn cable car and Piz Gloria, the Allmendhubel Flower Trail, the North Face Trail to Gimmelwald, and access to the Via Alpina Stage C11 via the Sefinen valley. The village has hotels, restaurants, a Coop supermarket, and an atmosphere of quiet elevation that the car-accessible towns lack.
Wengen (1,274 m). Access by Wengernalp Railway from Lauterbrunnen (15 min). Wengen sits on the sunny terrace above the Lauterbrunnen valley with direct views of the Jungfrau group. It is the midway point on the railway to Kleine Scheidegg and a comfortable base for Eiger-side hikes. Hotels from budget to luxury; several restaurants.
Gimmelwald (1,367 m). Access by cable car from Stechelberg. A tiny farming village below Mürren with no commercial development beyond a few guesthouses and the Mountain Hostel (a backpacker institution). Gimmelwald is the quiet alternative to everywhere else — fewer than 100 permanent residents, no tourist infrastructure to speak of, and the best sunset views in the valley.
Why this matters for hikers. Car-free villages are quieter, cleaner, and more pleasant to stay in than car-accessible towns. The trade-off is logistics — you are dependent on cable car and train schedules, particularly for early-morning and late-evening movements. Check last-departure times for the Stechelberg-Mürren cable car and the Lauterbrunnen-Wengen railway before committing to evening plans.
Swiss Travel Pass vs Half-Fare Card
The two main transport passes serve different strategies. The analysis below assumes a 7-day Bernese Oberland-focused trip.
Swiss Travel Pass (2026)
| Duration | Price (2nd class) |
|---|---|
| 3 days | ~CHF 254 |
| 8 days | ~CHF 449 |
| 15 days | ~CHF 449+ |
- Unlimited base-network trains, buses, and boats
- 50% off most mountain railways (but the Jungfraujoch is not free — you still pay 75% of full fare, approximately CHF 176 from Interlaken)
- Some mountain railways fully included (Rigi, Stanserhorn — not in the Bernese Oberland)
- Free entry to 500+ museums
- Swiss Family Card: children under 16 travel free with a parent holding a valid pass
Source: swiss-pass.ch.
Half-Fare Card (2026)
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 month | CHF 150 |
- 50% off all trains, buses, boats, and mountain railways/cable cars
- Works with the Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, and every other installation
- Combinable with the Berner Oberland Pass at the reduced rate
Source: sbb.ch.
Berner Oberland Regional Pass (2026)
| Duration | Full price | With Half-Fare Card |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | CHF 240 | ~CHF 170 |
| 6 days | CHF 350+ | CHF 254 |
| 10 days | CHF 450+ | ~CHF 320 |
| 12 days | CHF 507 | ~CHF 360 |
- Covers all trains, buses, and boats in the Bernese Oberland
- 25+ mountain railways and cable cars fully included (First gondola, Männlichen, Harder Kulm, Schynige Platte, Oeschinensee gondola, etc.)
- GoldenPass Express (Interlaken to Montreux) included
- 50% off excursions not fully covered (Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn from Stechelberg)
- Children 6-15: flat CHF 30 regardless of duration
Source: swissfamilyfun.com, myswissalps.com.
The verdict
| Scenario | Half-Fare + BO Pass (CHF 404) | Swiss Travel Pass 8-day (CHF 449) |
|---|---|---|
| All base transit in BO | Included | Included |
| First gondola | Free (BO Pass) | 50% off |
| Männlichen gondola | Free (BO Pass) | 50% off |
| Schynige Platte Railway | Free (BO Pass) | 50% off |
| Jungfraujoch | 50% off (~CHF 117) | 25% off (~CHF 176) |
| Schilthorn | ~50% off (~CHF 54) | 50% off (~CHF 57) |
| Harder Kulm | Free (BO Pass) | 50% off |
The Half-Fare Card + Berner Oberland Pass combination (CHF 404 total) covers more mountain transports for free and provides equal or better discounts on the major excursions. It is the optimal choice for any trip focused on the Bernese Oberland. The Swiss Travel Pass is better only when significant time is spent outside the region (Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva) on the same trip.
Driving and parking
A car is useful for reaching Interlaken from less rail-connected areas but becomes a liability inside the Bernese Oberland.
Parking in Interlaken. Available but expensive (CHF 15-30/day). Multi-storey car parks near both stations.
Parking in Lauterbrunnen. Limited and fills early in summer. Covered parking costs CHF 15-20/day. The practical advice: park in Interlaken and take the train (20 min).
Grindelwald Terminal. The new integrated transport hub (2020) has a large parking garage. This is the most convenient park-and-ride option for the Eiger/Jungfrau side. Parking costs approximately CHF 15-20/day.
Car-free zones. Mürren, Wengen, and Gimmelwald have no road access. Stechelberg has a small car park at the Schilthorn cable car base. If your hiking base is in a car-free village, a car is useless and you are paying parking fees in the valley below for a vehicle you cannot reach.
Recommendation. Unless you are driving from a nearby European origin and plan to explore areas outside the rail network, a car adds cost and stress without improving mobility. The Swiss rail system is dense enough that a car provides no meaningful advantage in the Bernese Oberland. Park at Zurich Airport, take the train, and use the BO Pass.
Practical transport tips
The SBB app. Download it. It covers all Swiss transport — SBB trains, BLS trains, PostBuses, boats, and some cable cars — in a single timetable. Buy tickets through the app for discounted fares. Seat reservations (where needed) are handled in-app.
Jungfraujoch seat reservation. Mandatory May-October 2026 (CHF 10/person). Book through jungfrau.ch or the SBB app. On peak summer days, slots fill — book 1-3 days ahead in July-August.
Mobile coverage. Swisscom coverage is excellent in valleys and at all major cable car stations. Signal drops in deep valleys (parts of Lauterbrunnen) and on high-altitude trails away from infrastructure. Download offline maps (SwissTopo app, free) and your transport tickets before going offline.
Currency. CHF only. Cards (Visa/Mastercard) accepted almost everywhere in valleys. Mountain restaurants and SAC huts may be cash-only. ATMs (Bancomats) in all towns. Some tourist businesses in Interlaken accept EUR but give change in CHF at poor rates.
Tipping. Service charge is included in all Swiss prices by law. Tipping is not expected. Rounding up 5-10% is common for good restaurant service.
Sources
- SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) — sbb.ch
- Swiss Travel Pass — swiss-pass.ch
- SwissFamilyFun, "Bernese Oberland Pass 2026" — swissfamilyfun.com
- MySwissAlps, "Berner Oberland Pass 2026" — myswissalps.com
- FindingAlexx, "Swiss Travel Pass vs Half Fare Card 2026" — findingalexx.com
- Jungfrau Railways — jungfrau.ch
- Schilthorn cable car — schilthorn.ch
- SwissTopo — swisstopo.admin.ch
- MySwitzerland, Bernese Oberland — myswitzerland.com
- Wikipedia, Interlaken — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlaken