Base out of Wengen?

It will be interesting to read all the recommendations. In my opinion, Lauterbrunnen is more central to what you would like to see. I do know that both Murren and Wengen are quite charming, but, although not up high in the mountains, Lauterbrunnen Valley is quite stunning. Do a google search of Lauterbrunnen Valley images. It has been a setting for at least a couple movies.

It is my understanding that Wengen is perched more up in the mountains, and that Lauterbrunnen is in the valley. I was thinking we might enjoy being higher up...hmm.. thinking.

My main concern is spending alot of time having in transit between the areas around Wengen/Lauterbrunnen and those closer to Interlaken. If it is just a quick jaunt, then we may want to stay in one hotel for convenience. However, if the transit time between the two is long, then we may opt to spend a few days in Wengen/Lauterbrunnen and then go on to another hotel near Interlaken. Can anyone advise me on the transit time?

I would not stay in Interlaken. We always stay in Lauterbrunnen (well, 4 out of 5 times; once in Muerren) for the very reason that we can get to either side of the valley or to Interlaknen most easily. It is central and pretty in it’s own right. We have an apartment we rent that looks right at the waterfall and up the valley to snow covered mountains.

It is 20 minutes by train from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken. Check https://www.sbb.ch/en for all transit times including mountain lifts. I can tell you it is a very long slog from Wengen to the Schilthorn, just as it is a long haul from Muerren to the Jungfraujoch.

We have stayed in Wengen three times and loved it. I would rather stay there than Lauterbrunnen, as I prefer the stunning views. It adds an extra step if you want to travel to the valley, Interlaken,or Murren, but saves you a step if you want to travel further up the mountain or across to Grindelwald and First. You really can’t go wrong no matter what you choose, but Wengen would clearly be my choice to base.

Lauterbrunnen is a lovely small town / village. The area with the stores is about two blocks long. It is very convenient for travel up to Schilthorn, to Jungfrau, to Grindelwald, and down to Interlaken where you board the boats for the lake cruises. From there you can walk up the road less than a mile to a lovely waterfall.

Of all the places that you mention on visiting, except for Wengen itself, Lauterbrunnen is closer to them all. It is also the transportation hub for that region.

Although Interlaken LOOKS like a place you'd want to visit (based on the map) , there's not much there. Likewise, I have a feeling that once you are in Wengen or Laut., you won't be inclined to take a day trip to Spiez or Bern. Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, and Grindelwald are FAR superior. Here's where Google image is your friend, and you can see for yourself. Or, click on my name and you'll find a link to our dozen favorite hikes in the region with maps and pics. Also, under 'Tips' are the times and rough prices for transportation.

As for travel times, trains and cable cars between Wengen/Laut/Murren run roughly every 30 min, with about a 20 min trip from one to another. The Swiss also do a good job of timing transfers, so if you are going Wengen to Murren, don't linger at the Laut. station. Buy your tickets for the complete trip (such as Wengen->Laut->Murren and return) so you don't have to buy a new ticket for each leg. The tickets are good all day.

I suggest booking one place in Wengen (or Murren) for the entire week. If I recall correctly, it takes about 35 to 40 mins to go from Wengen to Interlaken, but taking the trains in the area is actually enjoyable. Wengen is lovely and while it may be an extra 15 mins down to Lauterbrunnen by train, conversely, you are 15 minutes closer to the Mannlichen trail, Grindelwald and on to First than if you stayed in Lauterbrunnen. I have passed through and hiked in and around Lauterbrunnen and it is also lovely, but I would much rather be up the mountain in Wengen (or Murren) than in the valley IMO. As a bonus, Wengen has plenty of restaurant options for evening meals.

CM,

Given the places you want to visit, staying in Lauterbrunnen would be a better option as it's more central and the transportation hub for that area. Interlaken is not a good choice in terms of transportation, as it's farther from most of the places you want to see. Staying in Wengen means extra time and cost to reach each of the other places on your list. To put it in perspective, the trip from Wengen to Interlaken Ost is 50 minutes each way, while the trip from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost is 21 minutes each way. You'd be making that trip for your tours of Lake Thun / Brienz and trips to Spiez and Bern.

If you really want to stay up on a mountain, Mürren would be a better choice as it's closer to Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn.

Depending on how much time you want to spend in each one, you can see Gimmelwald, Mürren and the Schilthorn in one day. Do you have a clear idea on how to get to each place? You may want to check out the various Swiss passes, as they will save you some money on the expensive mountain lifts. You may find this helpful - https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes .

When is this trip taking place? Be sure to budget adequately for Switzerland, as it's an expensive country to visit.

Choose either Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, or Murren - you won't be disappointed in any of them.

I too say stay in Wengen the whole time. It is close enough to the other places especially if you using a pass or half fare card. Yes, Wengen is perched on a mountain side and is car free.

Just as a reminder: the boat tour of Lake Brienz leaves from just outside Interlaken Ost rail station & the one for Lake Thun leaves from just outside Interlaken West station. The Lake Brienz tour takes about 2 1/2 hours R/T but the Lake Thun tour is much longer if you stay on the boat (4 1/2-5 hrs. R/T) so I usually take that boat to Thun (about 2 1/2 hrs.) & then take the train back to Interlaken (move quick from the boat to the train station across the street once the boat docks!). I like the Swiss Pass for getting around the Berner Oberland for the convenience of not having to get tickets for every stage of travel plus I am usually headed to Basel at the end to connect with the TGV to Paris & the pass covers that trip (as well as from Zurich-Interlaken). I personally base in Murren (Hotel Alpina-great views of the mountains & the Lauterbrunnen valley) but Wengen & Lauterbrunnen are equally fine choices. Also, I think Bern is a much underappreciated city & a day trip there is highly recommended (also covered by the Swiss Pass). What time of year are you going? Have a great trip!

As I pointed out, Lauterbrunnen is more central for what you want to do. However, you are there for a relatively long period of time so it may not be as big of an issue that it will take longer to get to places you want to see. So if your heart is set on Wengen or Murren, go for it. Another factor to consider is whether you will be paying for each transportation leg or if you will have some kind of pass option (there are a few) that will make these trips "free" or at a discount.

Lauterbrunnen is indeed more central, but it does not offer the views that Wengen and Mürren do. The additional travel time from Wengen ( or Mürren) to Lauterbrunnen is so small (17-19 minutes) as to be insignificant in terms of a daytrip, especially when weighed against the better views and hiking opportunities in the mountain villages. The short journey is itself a sightseeing opportunity and quite enjoyable, especially the clifftop train ride plus cable are down from Mürren, or better yet the thrilling cablecar from Gimmelwald down to Stechelberg ( where you catch a bus to Lauterbrunnen). Plus, the two mountain villages are car-free ( except for a few delivery and farm vehicles) and very pleasant for strolling.

With a week, we have divided our time between Wengen and Mürren, or spent the whole week in Mürren. We enjoyed both approaches. If you do decide to split the week, make your mid-week transfer daybone of your lakeboat days. Take your luggage down to Lauterbrunnen and stow the bags in a locker there, then pick them up on the way back. ( If by chance there is jot enough locker space at Lauterbrunnen, you can take the excess luggage on to Interlaken Öst where there are lots more lockers).

If you decide to stay put in one place, I will just point out that two of your planned sights, namely Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn, are on the Mürren side so that would be a more convenient base.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I appreciate all the insights you have offered.

I like Murren much more than Wengen (too touristy for me). Murren is beyond amazing, 5,000’ up and enveloped by the Alps. Wengen is up high but out in the open, you see the Alps (of course) but you’re not enveloped by the Alps like Murren is. I’d stay in Murren the whole time. It’s not difficult, and actually fun, to take the cable car down to Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor. And from Murren, you can take the cable car up to the Schilthorn, which i like much better than the Jungfrau. For me, Lauterbrunnen is dark, full of cars and people. After traveling so far to be there, I’d rather be up in the Alps, not looking up at them.
We’ve stayed in Murren twice for 4 nights each visit and wished we had more time. We went way out of our way to stay there a 2nd time because we love it so much.

CM - It sounds like you're more interested in sightseeing than hiking. If so, I'd spend at most two nights in Interlaken and the rest of the time in Wengen or Murren. A key factor is if you'll have a car. With a car, you can get from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken in about 15-20 minutes, so I'd stay in Wengen or Murren for the whole trip. Without a car, I'd consider a couple of nights in Interlaken to be closer to the boat trips on the lakes that you want to take. The trains are very good, but I'd prefer not going back and forth multiple times. Also, my wife and I found Thun to be very interesting and reachable by boat.

Even if you're not into hiking, I'd strongly recommend the hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. It only takes about an hour, and it is Rick Steves' "favorite easy alpine hike." I concur. You can reach it by taking the gondola from Wengen to Mannlichen. The hike is slightly downhill on a wide path -- and the views are incredibly fantastic (on a clear day). You'll see some 80-year-olds with walking sticks and families with young children enjoying the hike.

If you decide to do it, plan to have lunch on the sun terrace/deck of Restaurant Grindelwaldblick (at the end of the hike near Kleine Scheidegg). Then take the train back to Wengen. Plan for at least four hours including lunch and transportation.

Thanks Bill. I am putting that hike on my list. I appreciate it! Thanks also to all the other posters who also have offered some valuable tips.

I tried to be sort of balanced in my assessment of Wengen vs. Muerren, but have to confess that I totally agree with Susan. We love Muerren and keep returning. The views of the Jungfrau massif across the valley are especially stunning from the far end of the village.

Thanks Lola.

As far as “hiking” goes, the beauty of the Murren side / location (i can’t speak to other areas) is that you don’t have to be a hiker. The many groomed trails, the great signage, the lifts / cable cars up to higher elevations, makes it very easy to just be a walker - not a hiker - there. The gorgeous scenic beauty, the beautiful meadows with wildflowers, the sound of cow bells in the distance, the creek running through... all are amazing for walks. We encountered maybe one or two people (during summer) and felt like we had the Alps to ourselves. Felt like we were in a Riccola commercial, lol.
You don’t even need hiking boots, i only wore my Birkenstock sandals and had no problems.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Murren every spring for the last several years. Murren is amazing as is the whole area. We did stay in Wengen one year and wished the entire time that we were in Murren.

Hi Tim, will you share why you felt that way about staying in Murren rather than Wengen?

I'll throw in my $.02. It's really hard to determine the differences between two places like Murren and Wengen from a guidebook, even my favorite Rick Steves. When you're there, you see and experience the essence of each place -- and of course each person has their own preferences and things that are important to them. To me, both are truly amazing places to visit with fantastic views.

Murren is a small village and Wengen is a larger village. Murren gets my nod for hiking and intimacy. Wengen gets the nod for a larger variety of hotels, restaurants, galleries, sights to see, and somewhat easier travel back to Lauterbrunnen. If hiking is a high priority, Murren is definitely best.

In general, I think Murren is somewhere between Gimmelwald and Wengen. Wengen is somewhere between Murren and Grindelwald. If that makes any sense?

We just got back from a short ski trip in Fiescheralp, Switzerland. We were going to stay on the Valley floor as we found a hotel near the train station for $130 a night. After further thought, we decided to splurge and stay at hotel at the top of the tram and ski area base for $250/night. We are so glad we did. The views of the Alps were just specatacular. Stay on the mountain!

We will be spending 2 nights in Mürren and 1 night on Lake Thunersee in April so have done a lot of research. (Our dog would not forgive us if we didn’t spend 1 night on a lake so he can swim.)

The Swiss transportation system is incredible and convenient. Download the app called Post Bus.
Here’s link to website, but App us easier. post bus.ch
The app includes all Swiss transportation: buses, trams, gondolas, ferries, trains, etc. so you can enter Point A to B and see the suggested route/transportation and frequency.

The Interlaken Ferries don’t seem to pull up in the post bus app (but could be because they are slower and more expensive. Here’s the link to the Ferry Schedule interlaken Ferry Schedule 2019

Murren is a small village with lots of locals. It is not as developed as Wengen in terms of souvineer shops and restaurants,etc. although Murren does have those things, too. Just not as many.

Murren is more residential while Wengen is a bit more touristy.