My son and I will be traveling through Switzerland in June. We are flying into Zurich and wanted to spend a few days in Switzerland before going to Italy. We are thinking about Interlaken or Grindelwald, but would like opinions on which one is better for first timers. We are interested in outdoor activities or possible day trips from either location. Or, if there are other places that are better to stay, we are open to ideas.
Posted by
11569 posts
Interlacken is a transit hub. Grindelwald is a stunning Alpine town with incredible views of the Eiger. Good choices of places to stay and find, shop. We spent a week there andd loved every minute. Choose Grindelwald, no contest!
Posted by
Minneapolis
77 posts
Interlaken is a nice city and a good location for a longer stays to explore other valleys. For a 2 day stay, I would also choose Grindelwald. Easy access to the popular attractions.
Posted by
East Coast USA
65 posts
We just spent a week in Grindelwald. It is a small, cute village surrounded by mountains. There are many quaint hotels and restaurants, none too overly expensive. Many people use this town as the base for skiing in Winter or hiking in Summer.
We also went to Interlaken, a much larger and more sophisticated city on the lake, with many elegant hotels and lots of shopping.
Interlaken and Grindelwald are less than a half hour train ride from each other.
There are many activities in the surrounding area, depending on your energy and level of fitness, and of course, budget. You can check out Grindelwald First for ziplining, or Jungfraujoch for great mountain views, or some of the other smaller towns nearby, like Murren.
Have fun planning!
Posted by
4 posts
Definitely Grindelwald or might I even suggest - Wengen! Its absolutely beautiful and well connected! It is a small charming car-free town with stunning views! So peaceful and well placed. You can easily go to Mannlichen and Grindelwald from there and also Lauterbrunnen is just 20 mins away! Kleine Schdeig is just above it - so easy access to Jungfrau also if you wish to go there!
So yea I would say Grindelwald or Wengen for sure!