interlaken ost - gimmelwald and back

1) You never have to buy Swiss rail or bus tickets online. There is no discount for advance purchase, and tickets are valid on any train. Just buy at the station on the day from the ticket machine or manned counter.

2) You can buy a return ticket if you are coming back the same day. There is no price advantage, it just saves you buying a second ticket. As you are coming back on a later date, just buy one-way tickets.

3) One ticket all the way.

4) Yes, half fare card is valid. You can confirm that from the validity map here: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/sbb/de/pdf/freizeit-ferien/ferien-kurztrips-schweiz/internationale-gaeste/sts-geltungsbereich.pdf
Go to www.sbb.ch and look up Interlaken Ost to Gimmelwald, enter a date and time and it will show you times and prices. Price is CHF 3.80 single or CHF 7.60 return with a half fare card.

Swiss trains and buses are a lot simpler to use than you think.

How are you getting to Interlaken Ost?

You can buy the ticket from any Swiss railway station, either by machine or at the window.

My experience is that all the staff selling tickets at Interlaken Ost speak sufficient English, some more than others; you have to take a number from the number machine and the queues can build up at Interlaken Ost. If you are arriving at Interlaken Ost by train, either from Luzern or from the west, you can buy your ticket before you get on your incoming train or during a long connection if you have one..

Thanks Chris, Nigel.

I will be travel to interlaken from luzern. So i can buy gimmelwald ticket from luzern train station ?

absolutely

Ian, if you are travelling from Luzern to Gimmelwald in one day, just buy one ticket from Luzern to Gimmelwald when you arrive at Luzern station. That will cost CHF 19.80 with a half price card (see www.sbb.ch ).
And the same on the way back, if you are not ending your journey at Interlaken, buy one ticket from Gimmelwald to wherever you are actually going.

This is simpler than you are making it. If you want to get from A to B, just look up A to B in www.sbb.ch and that will give you one price for one ticket. You do not need separate tickets if you change trains nor if your change railway companies.

Ian,

A few further thoughts to add.....

The easiest solution will be to buy tickets for your entire journey in Lucerne, and those will include all modes of transport.

When you arrive at Interlaken Ost (which is the second stop), look for the blue & yellow Berner Oberlandbahn. Be sure to check the digital display on the side of the car to ensure that car will be going to Lauterbrunnen (some trains split at Zweilütschinen).

When you arrive in Lauterbrunnen, walk across the street and board the Post Bus (it will probably be waiting - bright yellow, you can't miss it). That will take you to the Cable Car station at Stechelberg. When you arrive there, walk up the stairs and board the cable car.

The trip from Interlaken Ost to Gimmelwald will take about 55 minutes.

Going from Luzern to Interlaken Ost use the route via Brunig Pass (narrow gauge and on the rack as it climbs over the mountains - very scenic). There are several stops along the way including Meiringen - famous for a certain waterfall related event with Sherlock Holmes (you can go to the exact point). Arriving in that direction Interlaken Ost is the first Interlaken station, and the last one on that train.

Then just follow Ken's instructions up the hill.

Nigel,

Thanks for that tip, as I may be travelling much the same route later this year. I've travelled the other route to Interlaken numerous times so a new scenic route would be a nice treat. As a Sherlock Holmes fan I'd also like to see the falls.

Ken,

A short walk from Meiringen station (or one stop on a teeny tiny train) is the lower end of an old funicular which goes half way up Reichenbach Falls. Fabulous view. Also hokey cutouts where you can take a selfie of yourself as either protagonist. You can walk the rest of the way up.

Just over the road is the bigger tourist draw, one of the entrances to the Aareschlucht which is the gorge of the Aare river which forms both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and flows through Bern where people not afraid of the coldness of glacier water float downstream.

Nigel,

Thanks for the additional information. I'll do a bit of further research and work out a plan for that day.

When you say it's a "short walk" from Mieringen station, how short is it?

You probably walk faster than I. It would take me 15 or 20 minutes, Google says 15. Along the side of minor roads, all flat.

Nigel,

Thanks again for the info. I'll probably use the teeny tiny train as that would also be an interesting experience. I'll start working out the details later tonight.

I'm sorry if this is considered hijacking this post.... But I had a question that goes along with this subject. (I'm glad you asked this, Ian, because I had some of the same questions!) If you buy a round trip ticket from Interlaken Ost to Gimmelwald, and you want to visit Mürren, can you use one round-trip ticket and just hop on/off to do that? Or should we buy a round trip ticket to Mürren, get off there and explore, and then purchase a round trip ticket from Mürren to Gimmelwald? I hope all that makes sense!

Amy,
A) The disadvantage of hijacking somebody else's post is you don't get e-mails when people answer.
B) There is no price advantage for return (round trip tickets). If you are staying overnight just by single tickets.
C) Transport in this area is a 3-dimensional affair. See map here: http://shop.jungfrau.ch/skin/frontend/enterprise/jungfrau/images/bergbahn/map-zoom2.jpg
From Lauterbrunnen you go UP to Grütschalp and ACROSS to Mürren, or along the valley bottom (bus) to Stechelberg, then UP to Gimmelwald and Mürren. If this is a day trip, I would suggest buying a ticket to Mürren (which is valid on either route). Go via Grütschalp, then walk DOWN to Gimmelwald (easy and spectacular downhill walk), then get the cable car and bus back via Lauterbrunnen.

Thanks all for the reply and suggestion.

i have another odd question - is there any broadcast in the train where it will tell the next station ?

iankch, Yes, there is usually an announcement on the train, "next stop xxx", "This train will shortly be arriving at xxx, end station, please make sure you take all your luggage with you". This is either a recorded announcement or made by the guard or driver. More modern trains have computerised indicators as well.
But, this will be the local language (German, French or Italian depending on where you are in Switzerland). At some major stations they also announce in English, after the announcements in German and French. I guess the announcements for Interlaken Ost is also in English because of the tourist numbers, but I can't remember.
They sometimes announce the platform numbers at major junctions: "Your connecting trains are 10:35 for Zürich, platform 5, 10:37 for Olten, Luzern platform 7 etc.". This is really useful, but I can't remember if I have ever heard this in English.

Thanks, Chris! I love that map! That answer was simple and I'm slowly but surely starting to understand the area and how to get place to place...

If the announcements are only in German, listen for the words nächste halt (next stop). Some cars have a digital display board which shows the stops.