Berber Oberland summit choice

They are both great. would probably pick jungfrau as it is very unique. Combine it with hike from mannlichen to Klein scheidegg.

It cost 67 swiss francs to reach Schilthorn from Lauterbrunnen going thru Grutschalp and Murren.

90 swiss francs to reach Jungfrau from Lauterbrunner going thru Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg. Those costs are one way but it gives you the idea of the difference. 23 frances.

In general you double the one way cost to get the round trip price. If you have a rail pass or swiss pass you get a discount or if you are a senior or youth you can get a discount.
I have done both of these trips and like them both. Schilthorn doesn't take as much time to do if that helps you decide. It would allow more time to hike or visit the falls. Also, the Jungfrau is very high and some people get altitude sickness but the icecaves are fun and one can even ski or rent a sled. If you do the Jungfrau allow time to line up to get back down. It took me awhile to get a train back due to long lines. That's not an issue for the Schilthorn. Hope this helps.

Actually, the Schilthorn round-trip is not double the one-way fare. ( the Jungfraubahn is). Here is a chart showing the one-way and RT fares on both from Lauterbrunnen:

http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/tourism/travel-information/tickets-rates/lauterbrunnen/fares-for-individual-travellers/

Schilthorn, 57.40 CHF one-way, 98.60 RT going via Grutschalp both ways. It is 107 is you return via Gimmelwald and Stechelberg.

Jungfraujoch, 89.60 one-way, 176.20 RT. So it is considerably more expensive.

Neither offers a discount for seniors or youth (young adults) Children under 16 can go free on a Family card if the parent has a Swiss Pass.

Which is better? That is highly subjective. On the Schilthorn ride ( which I have not done but family member have), you are in a cablecar dangling high (very high)! above the ground. The cable car is similar to ones you may have ridden at Snowbird or Whistler (peak to peak) if you are a skier. You end at the peak where there is the revolving restaurant but there is not much else to do but admire the view.

The Jungfraubahn is a 2-hour railway ride. The train can be very crowded with tour groups. Forty-five minutes are spent in a dark tunnel going through the Eiger. They stop once ( or twice? i don't remember) so you can look out the "windows" carved in the North face of the Eiger. ( These windows are lit up at night and you can see them from Grindelwald if you stay there). At the top, you will find several dining options in the building ( all crowded and expensive). You can visit the ice palace carved in the glacier ( very cool, in every meaning of the word.) Or you can go outside on the snow for better views and various forms of snow play, or take a walk out to the Mönchshütte. You may also see climbers heading up the Jungfrau. You are not on the peak at the Jungfraujoch; you are in a saddle below. The Jungfrau rises above you, and below, the Konkordiaplatz slants downward to become the Aletschgletscher, Europe's longest glacier. It is an impressive sight, but less so if you are a skier and have been other such places. Personally, I wouldn't go unless I had a pass of some type to reduce the cost.

Seeing the Rick Steves badge next to the RS staffer's comments gives instant credibility to the answer. That is difficult when the answer provided is inaccurate in some way, particularly when the questioner is used to relying on the Books as providing all the Answers.

In this case the prices provided by our volunteer member, Lola, in the following answer are correct; as is the comment about the lack of senior discounts.

When peoples' life savings are involved, accuracy counts.

One observation - you may find that the weather makes the decision for you about which mountain to ascend.

Before starting up to either the Schilthorn or the Jungfraujoch you should check the webcams for each location. The day we went to the Schilthorn the views were excellent, but the Jungfraujoch was totally covered in clouds. If you look at the linked picture - the Jungfraujoch is basically in the middle of the clouds to the right of the picture (to the right of the Eiger). The people at our B&B who took the trip to the Jungfraujoch that morning told us that all they got to see was the inside of the clouds.

I'm sure that sometimes it's the other way around - the Schilthorn is socked in and the Jungfraujoch has beautiful views. Best to check on each view before starting.

Nigel - LOL!

Thanks for your responses. They answered my question perfectly!

The responses from Lola and Nigel are ( as always ) exact . I would only add this ; If you do the Jungfrau trip ( which in my opinion should not be missed ) you can see the other perspective ( Schilthorn View ) by going to Murren and taking the short walk to the AllmendhubelBahn , which for a low cost will take you to a relatively high vantage point from which the view of the major trio is rising imperiously before you . A very dramatic and stunning way to have your cake , and eat it !!

Re Steven's comments on the Allmendhubel: one can also walk up to the top--it is a delightful, albeit it fairly steep, walk through meadows filled with either cows or wildflowers. (Not both because the cows either eat or trample the flowers when they graze the meadows). You can loop back to Mürren by another path that beings you in above the railroad tracks from Grutschalp.

The advice to check the webcams for weather before deciding which to do is prudent. Make sure you are checking the right one---my sister looked and thought it looked good and went up only to find themselves in a cloud. Turns out they checked the wrong one ( they don't read German and I was off on a hike).

And since it take two hours to get up the Jungfrau, weather can change after you check. We decided to go up on a "partly cloudy" day as we were moving from Mürren to Grindelwald anyway. We arrived at the top in a blizzard.