Interlaken Ost to Interlaken West

You can take a 3 min train ride from OST to West.

I thought so! Couldn't understand why Google maps wouldn't show that. Thanks, guys. Just downloaded the SBB app. I'm so excited about this trip! :)

Coming from Milano you would normally change trains in Spiez, from where all trains top both at Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost. So all you do is get out of the train one stop earlier.

To plan train trips use www.sbb.ch, not google maps. On www.sbb.ch you can even enter street addresses and hotel names as destinations, and it will pick the best stop for you. So you would just look up (and book) "Milano" to "Interlaken West" in your case.

From Milan, WengenK has provided the best solution.

I would use the city bus or train depending on the time I got to Interlaken West to go to Interlaken Ost. The bus transportation is included the guest card from where you are staying. I used both Google maps and the SBB app for bus schedules. There is an information center in Interlaken West station.

It isn't clear which route you are using from Milan, and therefor what route Google maps is showing you that ends at Interlaken Ost, when you need to get to Interlaken West.

There are always choices in Switzerland and your request demonstrates that well.

Among others, there are two main train routes linking together your beginning and ending points.

The simplest and usually fastest route is a direct train through the Simplon Tunnel to Spiez where you change to a train to Interlaken. There are a couple of intermediate stations on the way from Spiez but most trains don't stop at those, just the all stops local train. So the very first stop you train towards Interlaken will make is Interlaken West, which is really the main stop for "downtown" Interlaken, and your stop, and then the train goes on 3 minutes to its final stop at Interlaken Ost, where connections up to the mountains can be made. The distance between the rails under the train is called the gauge. Standard gauge which is 4 feet 8 1/2 inches (1435mm) is used over most tracks in North America, and is the gauge that Milan > Spiez > Interlaken Ost runs on. Beyond Interlaken Ost and up to the mountains is done on Narrow Gauge which is 1000mm (3 feet 3 and 3/8 inches) and these trains are also fitted with what is called in America a Cogwheel which fits into a third rail and provides traction on very steep and winding track.

The other route is Milan to Lucerne (Luzern) where you change to a Narrow Gauge train to Interlaken Ost where the narrow gauge rails end. You then change to a standard gauge train for the 3 minute trip to Interlaken West. While this is significantly more complicated it is much more beautiful route which follows part of Lake Lucerne and then after Luzern gets on the rack to climb up and over mountains on the way to the Brünig Pass with beautiful views all around. After the pass it descends to the altitude of the lakes around Interlaken, but first goes to Meiringen (Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame/notoriety) and past Brienz where the "Black Forest" wood carving actually happened and still happens, and along the full length of Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) into Interlaken. Usually the segment between Milan and Luzern is mostly in a new deep tunnel, but after an incident in the tunnel trains have been slowed down and moved onto the old route which winds through mountains on the way north. So a problem on the rails has given an extra bonus.

Of course it is your choice of which route best meets your needs, wants and desires.