During our Switzerland trip we plan to stay in Grindelwald and will be taking a day trip on the Interlaken express from Interlaken to Lucerne. We hope to travel directly to Lucerne, spend a few hours exploring the city and then head back toward Interlaken, making stops in Brienz and riding the boat to Geissbach Falls and then back to Interlaken. I'd like some feedback on the best way to do the second leg of our trip. Do we exit the train in Brienz, take the boat to Geissbach, explore and then take the boat back to Interalken or is there another recommended travel route? If we have time and we are blessed with clear skies, we may stick around for sunset at Harder Kulm before heading back to Grindelwald. Does this seem feasible if we get an early start? Thanks for your feedback!
Posted by
USA
346 posts
I think this is overly ambitious. The train to/from Luzern takes 2 hours each way, so right off the bat, that's 4 hours of your day. I would spend the entire day in Luzern, taking a scenic roundtrip boat ride on Lake Luzern to Vitznau, with stunning views. I would consider going up to Mt Pilatus if time allowed. in addition to seeing "The Lion Monument" and "Chapel Bridge" and the Old Town, we loved the Rosengart Museum in Luzern. I would leave Brienz and the boat ride up to Geissbach Falls for another day.
Posted by
Switzerland
250 posts
Traveling from Grindelwald to Luzern takes about 2.5 hours one way, so it’s a bit of a journey — but definitely doable as a day trip. Just because you won’t be able to see everything doesn’t mean you can’t have a truly enjoyable day!
You can certainly stop at Brienz and visit Giessbach Falls on your way back. You can catch the boat directly from Brienz, and on your outward journey, you’ll already notice how close the boat dock is to the train station.
For your return, enter Luzern – Giessbach See in the SBB app to check the schedule. The route takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes. Be sure to plan your departure from Giessbach to Interlaken carefully so you don’t miss the final boat of the day.
And if you still have some energy left after all that, you can add the visit to Harder Kulm. You’ll be passing through Interlaken Ost anyway, so you can decide then — either take the train back to Grindelwald or walk over to the Harder Kulm funicular station.
The great thing is, you can decide each leg of the journey as you go. If you find yourself loving Luzern and just want to stay and explore, go for it! That’s the benefit of not having to pre-purchase tickets — you’re free to follow your mood. Just plan your options ahead of time, save possible train and boat connections in the SBB app, and enjoy the adventure!
Posted by
Nashville, TN
988 posts
Going from Grindelwald to Luzern + adding in Brienz, Giessbach Falls & Harder Kulm is way too much for 1 day. What's your full itinerary? There may be a better way to fit in some of what you want to do.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for your responses. Yes Harder Kulm is definitely a reach, for sure on this day! But we were thinking by the time we arrive back in the area it might be close to 9:30 sunset, so left it on the table as a possibility.
Unfortunately, we will be combining our Switzerland adventure with other destinations (Bayeaux and Paris) previous to arriving so we only have 5 nights in Grindelwald. Other days rough itinerary include....
Day 1 travel from Paris to Geneva to Grindelwald - arrive in time to settle in and get food, maybe walk around the city
Day 2 - Grindelwald First and Glacier Gorge
Day 3 - Jungfraujoch morning, descend via Kleine Scheidegg to Mannlichen for Royal Walk
Day 4 - Interlaken - Luzern journey in question
Day 5 - Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren
Day 6 - Depart