We (4 people age 30) will be travelling to Switzerland in late April next year. I saw that Lauterbrunnen accommodation is quite expensive compared to Grindelwald... is it worthwhile to stay in Grindelwald? We would like to also visit Murren on a daytrip and travel the area. RS doesnt mention Grindelwald in his book. Any help or tips will be much appreciated.
Thanks
N
From Interlaken Ost RS takes the train to Lauterbrunnen, but that train splits in half on the way. Half goes to Lauterbrunnen and the other half goes to Grindelwald. Grindelwald isn't a bad place, but it is a bit removed from Murren. Lauterbrunnen to Murren is 20 minutes. Grindelwald to Murren is 1 hr 9 min
Kids your age should stay at the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald which is right next to Murren. Its 45 SF per night and a total blast.
I've never stayed in Grindelwald but I have elsewhere in and around the Berner Oberland, so this may be helpful.
The good:- during ski season Grindelwald is as good an almost anywhere, better than many.
The bad:- late April is just about the worst possible time - I'm sorry to say - for visiting much of the Berner Oberland.
Late April is between seasons, too late for skiing - but you will likely have lots more success at your other base of Chamonix - and too early for hiking. There will either be still snow at lower altitudes in which case you will walk in slush - or if the winter is a bad as the one just past there may be lying snow - or if the snow has retreated from the lower altitudes the farmers will be muck spreading the fields. By muck, I mean all the cow manure that has built up over the winter, diluted with urine and water and put into tanker trailer, towed behind a tractor and power sprayed over the fields to fertilize them ready for the spring grass crop. It has a particular perfume which permeates everything. Maybe in Grindelwald you may be far enough away - or not - that it doesn't bother you at night.
Or maybe you and your party are from a farming area at home and will just breathe it in and congratulate yourselves on finding Swiss farming at its best. Your profile doesn't indicate city or country, or anything so we don't even know what country your party of 4 is from.
Also bad:- April is the month that usually one or more of the cable cars or trains undergoes annual maintenance to you may have to consider alternate routes if you are affected.
Also bad:- April is when a fair proportion of restaurants and businesses take their between seasons holiday.
Good:- Grindelwald and Interlaken are likely to be the least affected by April closures, unlike Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and Mürren.
We spent five days in Grindelwald and were very happy with our choice. We felt that we could almost reach out and touch the Eiger. Good transportation options. We thought it was perfect as did our friends. We visited Interlsken, Lauterbrunnen, Murren and Wengen. The only place we would never stay was Lauterbrunnen as it felt dark down in the valley.
We never saw one tour bus in Grindelwald. It had the same vibe we find in the summer in US ski resorts, lots to do, see and enjoy.
If the 4 of you are close friends, you might consider renting a trailer together near Lauterbrunnen.
Check out the rates at:
I've camped there, and it's a nice place.
Grindelwald is not the most central place for touring that area, so it wouldn't be my choice for a "home base". It has more of a "posh resort" ambiance, and not as nice as some of the other places (IMO).
Lauterbrunnen is the most convenient and central location, and also the transportation hub for the area. I found the rates at the Hotel Oberland to be reasonable (for Switzerland) and the room very comfortable. They have a great restaurant! If you want really low cost accommodations in Lauterbrunnen, you could perhaps stay in the Valley Hostel. You could also have a look at the Horner Pub & Hotel. I've never stayed there, so can't provide first hand commentary on the rooms.
As you're planning to visit Mürren, you could also stay there. It's also a reasonably good "home base" location, and only about 20 minutes to Lauterbrunnen. There are a range of accommodations available. One that gets consistently good ratings from forum members is the Chalet Fontana.
There's probably a good reason RS doesn't mention Grindelwald in the book.
Grindelwald is a bit more touristy and feels less authentic in its main areas than other towns, and I believe that's why it doesn't get a lot of attention in the guide book (I think I remember commentary about it being tacky). We didn't mind it as a stop for shopping -- I finally found my watch there -- but we agreed that we wouldn't have wanted to stay there. Murren was our choice from the RS recommendations, and even after touring the area, the only other town I would've considered would've been Wengen. But I preferred Murren because it's higher, closer to the mountains, easy to get to other locations, and offered a lot of dining options. We stayed at the Hotel Bellevue, which is run by a couple that clearly works hard to make it a great stay (the decor is more hunting themed, in case that's a deterrent).
