Hi,
I'm in lauterbrunnen now with my boyfriend for my birthday weekend. We are staying here for three nights. Today, pouring rain, tomorrow sunny with some clouds, Saturday pouring rain all day. With only one sunny day I don't know how to orginize my time here. The girl at the hotel desk said it has rained every day for the past two months almost. I looked into the weather for Lucerne Bern and Zurich for Saturday and it also says rain. I want to walk around murren and gimmelwald tomorrow while it's sunny but my boyfriend wants to see top of europe. Can we combine both in one day? What should we do Saturday. Starting to feel sad about the start of this trip because unlike Rome and London the trip is kind of based off the weather.
Posted by
Ithaca, NY, USA
671 posts
If you have one sunny day, take the cable car to the top of the Schilthorn in the morning. It is the most breathtaking thing I have ever experienced -- you will not be sorry!!!!!!! Later, you can take the cable car back down as far as Murren and stroll around the town. I suspect most hiking will be out of the question if it has been raining for that long. Good luck!
Posted by
Hickory, NC USA
437 posts
If you want to do the Jungfraujoch, do the early morning ticket - it's cheaper and less crowded then anyway and you have to come back down by 1pm, which will leave you time to walk around Muerren and Gimmelwald in the afternoon. It doesn't have to be all day up there, but it will keep you from sleeping in.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8451 posts
for your one sunny day, go up the Schilthorn, walk around Mürren. No question. Fo the trip up to Jungfraujoch you spend 1 1/2 hours in a dark tunnel going up the mountain, and another 1 1/2 hours again to get back down. So thats much of a whole day just in transit. That's a waste of time especially if it ends up cloudy on top and you can't see a thing. The Schilthorn is much more worth it in time and money.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
700 posts
Agree that you should do the Schilthorn. have been to Jungfrau (Top of Europe) twice and Schilthorn once - Schilthorn is just as spectacular and more fun. Everyone wants to cross Top of Europe off bucket list BUT in my opinion Schilthorn is nicer.
you take the cable car up from Lauterbruennen, then connect to train from cable car station to Murren. I walked from Murren back to the next stop on that train line - took about 1 1/2 hr going slow. Just a suggestion. Restaurant at Schilthorn is nice and not as expensive as I thought.
Lucerne is lovely - I didnt get to any museums but I have been there in light rain and still enjoyed the strolls downtown
Posted by
OP
Boston, MA USA
69 posts
UPDATE: thank you so much everyone for the suggestions. As it turned out, the weather cleared around 2 and turned into sunshine. We spent the whole afternoon visiting Wengen having a blast. I think tomorrow we will take the. Schifthorn instead of the Jungfrau. I guess it just goes to show you don't know mountain weather.
Posted by
Grand Rapids, MI
768 posts
If it looks like the Schilthorn may be in the clouds tomorrow, you can take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen, then cable car up from Wengen to Mannlichen. The 1.5 hr walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg (where you can get a return train) is the most panoramic in the region. (Google image Mannlichen!)
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11330 posts
We have spent the last 8 nights in mountainous regions of France and Switzerland. Every day looked like a bummer until today (sunny Friday in Lugano!) but almost every day was actually better than the forecast and salvageable as long as we got up-and=out early. We get up at 0600 and check the weather and decide our plan. It is also a good idea to stay, as you are, for 3 nights (or more) in case there is a terrible day. We encountered a group in Chamonix that only had one day/two nights there and they saw nothing but spent a lot of Euros on lifts in the fog. If they'd stayed one more night.... Luckily you had/are having a day-and-a-half of good weather. May Saturday be better than forecast!