Whats the difference. Im coming from paris to lauterbrunnen. i know that i have to go from paris to basel. In basel i will purchase my swiss pass and go from basel to interlaken but is it ost? or west? whats easier for me to get to lauterbrunnen? i have the same question since i will be leaving from Lauterbrunnen to venice. i will be going from Lauterbrunnen to interlaken but is it west? or ost? and from interlaken to milan > milan to venice ?
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Traveling to/from Lauterbrunnen, you always connect at Interlaken Ost. You don't need to specify this station; the schedule results will tell you that when you search using the start and end points of your route. How to Look Up Train Schedules Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it. See also the transport maps and descriptions in Rick's book chapter about Berner Oberland.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3099 posts
The train to Lauterbrunnen departs from Interlaken Ost. To go to Milan, you return from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost. Then you have two choices. you can train weat ( throughnInterlaken Ost) to Spiez, and change there for a train to Milan. Or you can go east, via Brienz to Lucerne, change there for a train to Arth-Goldau, and catch the Zurich to Milan Intercity train there. The Spiez route is generally faster but the Lucerne route is more scenic. SPiez route goes through two long tunnels under the Alps.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Interlaken Ost is the main station, and where you change for other lines.
Trains from Basel - Bern - Thun - Spiez stop first at Interlaken West, but stay sitting down, the train then goes on to Interlaken Ost and terminates there.
Trains on the other two routes into and out of Interlaken (Lauterbrunnen / Grindelwald route and Brienz / Luzern route). Start / terminate at Interlaken Ost and only stop at this station.
When you get to Interlaken Ost just follow the signs (and crowds) for trains to Lauterbrunnen / Grindelwald. Make sure you get on the correct half of the train, as it divides en route, one half of the train going to Grindelwald and the other to Lauterbrunnen. The carriages are labelled.
The best route to Milan is: Lauterbrunnen - Interlaken Ost - Spiez - Brig (may have to change here) - Milan.
Lookup times and prices and platform numbers in http://sbb.ch.
Sample times Lauterbrunnen to Milan:
Lauterbrunnen depart 12:33, Interlaken Ost arrive 12:54
Interlaken Ost depart 13:00 Spiez arrive 13:21
Spiez depart 14:05, Milano Centrale arrive 16:35
Posted by
OP
nyc baby
72 posts
you guys are best cleared it up right away