Lauterbrunnen area (with baby)

All I can say is if that is your short list for five days you are way over extended on your plans with a baby. I would suggest parking at the large parking garage as you enter the village of Lauterbrunnen at the train station then cross the road to the cable car station that goes up to Grutschalp and take the small train from Grutschalp over to Muerren - sit on the left side of the train for the best views of the Eiger, Jungfrau and Moench - this trip is very short and the views are spectacular if it is a sunny day. Once in Muerren you can walk across the village with a stroller on paved path and then take the cable car down to Gimmelwald and Stechelberg and then the bus back to Lauterbrunnen. This short trip from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp to Muerren to Gimmelwald to Stechelberg and back to Lauterbrunnen is vey easy with a baby and the scenery is fantastic. Before you head back to Lauterbrunnen by bus from the cable car station in Stechelberg you might want to make a side trip to Hotel Stechelberg for a meal - well worth going to for lunch or dinner and can walk there on paved road with stroller or take the bus then bus from there back to Lauterbrunnen car park at railroad station.

On the way back from Stechelberg you can stop at Trummelbach Falls - it is worth seeing.

I would not do the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg walk with a baby - just too far and path is uneven in places. The above itinerary is better for views of the mountains and with a baby makes a lot of sense

Wengen has some nice shops and views are of opposite side of valley from Eiger. Wengen is very walkable and easy with a stroller for the baby.

I do not recommend Isenfluh and especially not walking back to Lauterbrunnen from there. Also do not recommend Grindelwald or Schynige Platte. Schynige Platte is a long slow train ride. Grindelwald is the center of many, many tourists with lots of money and not much different than Interlaken.

I recommend that the first day you are in the Interlaken area that is sunny that you immediately head for the mountains - don't wait, as the weather changes frequently. You may also want to go up to the Schilthorn, as the views from there are spectacular as well, but this is something you may want to do on another day and have what they call the James Bond Breakfast. Very nice views and good breakfast with champagne.

Enjoy your trip and if I can answer any questions please let me know. My wife and I have been going to Lauterbrunnen Valley almost every year for the past 25 years.

A Berner Oberland pass (sold there) would be very convenient and flexible since it fully covers all your planned routes, but costs 230 francs per adult for 4 consecutive days or 290 francs for 6 consecutive days. But you would "miss out" on the discounts it offers for the higher elevations. Compare some individual fares online or on the schematic map in that chapter of Rick's book.

We've traveled to the Berner Oberland several times with our little ones who are now 1 and 3. On our first trip, our youngest was 5 months old.

We had a car the last two trips and stayed in Beatenberg (just so you know it's largely newer development, not one of the quaint little towns like Murren or Gimmelwald). It has a sensational view of the big mountain peaks and the lakes and there are quite a few apartments and hotels available for rent. There are hikes and cable cars from Beatenberg, but we haven't done any of them yet.

My single biggest piece of advice would be to spend what you need to to get a place to stay that has a balcony and a great view. You just can't predict how your trip will go with a little one and if you end up having to spend more time in the hotel than you planned you want to make sure you are still getting to see those great views! That said, we have done a lot or sightseeing with them, too!

We did the walk from Murren to Grutschalp with a stroller and a toddler with no trouble. The trail is relatively flat and wide with great views of the big mountains. There are benches here and there to stop when you need a break or if baby gets hungry.

On our last trip I had researched the Mannlichen - Kleine Scheidegg walk as one that would be okay for a stroller but the weather didn't cooperate so we didn't get to do it so Wes' advice on this one may be more valuable. It make s a big difference whether you have an umbrella stroller or a stroller with larger, inflatable tires. We take a larger one and can go lots of places an umbrella a stroller can't.

Another trip I would recommend with a baby is the Brienzer-Rothorn Bahn. It is an hour steam train ride up to the top where there are facilities and services. The day we went it was cloudy in the valley but the views of the mountain peaks above the clouds were stunning. The train's staff were very helpful with our stroller and our then 6-month old had no troubles with the trip or the altitude.

If you want any other thoughts or advice, let me know. We love traveling with our little ones. They force us to slow down and see the places we visit in a different way.

@ wes,

firstly thanks for your detailed reply. I would also have a baby carrier with me for some of the walks not possible with a stroller. so would you still rule out the Mannlichen - Kleine Scheidegg trail? ive read so much about it and it seems superb.
also for the best stretch of scenery on this one..would you recommend it starting from the mannlichen side or the scheidegg side? i dont mind just doing a bit of the trail to see the views from it.

@chris,

thanks for your inputs. i read about the trail from Murren to Grutschalp and its good to know i can use a stroller. i might take it as using a baby carrier all the time can be taxing.

I was going to suggest a baby carrier, we didn't take one on our first trip but have ever since. It will give you so much more flexibility to go off the beaten path. I would do the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trip in that case!

For hiking you might consider a Girasol baby wrap - they are pretty cool. Basically it is a long scarf type thing that you wrap around you and baby like a sling - you have to see the pictures - hard to describe. It is a hands free way to carry baby close to your body. It is also called "baby wearing". I have a friend who has one and still uses it on her 9 month old. I guess they are good up to toddlers. It would pack easily too.

thanks chris from canada. yes im hoping the weather supports our day there.

thanks chris from Jersey. we had no idea the falls are slippery. will watch out. thanks for the other input as well.

thanks christi,

i already got myself a baby carier. plus i live in india and dont have girasol here in the shops.

We're in the area at the moment, and I thought I should warn you that children under 3 years old are apparently not permitted at the Trummelbach falls. There aren't any signs warning you about this, even at the ticket desk. We only learnt this after waiting in line with our 16 month old for 20 minutes. I visited the falls as a 13 year old many many years ago and would say that they are worth a visit, but you may need to take it in turns to go in. There is no entrance fee and therefore no age restriction at the Staubbach falls- we carried our daughter (who is 21lbs) up to the top fairly easily. It is very slippery though so watch out.

We visited Schynige Platte- there is very little at the top that is stroller friendly (the paths are very steep), but the train journey is beautiful. It can get very crowded at peak times.

A baby carrier makes travel with an infant so much easier. My son "wore" his 8-month infant all over Ireland two years ago. They did not take a stroller and were happy with that choice. Lugging the infant car seat around was enough gear hauling for them.

For the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg walk, I would suggest you start from Wengen and ride the cablecar straight up to Männlichen to start your walk. This way you are facing the Jungfrau and Eiger and walking toward them. It is a very easy walk, even with an infant in a baby carrier, and I suspect you will want to do the whole walk to Kleine Scheidegg. There is a nice restaurant with a deck and view over the Grindelwald side on the left! about ten minutes before you arrive at KS ( which can be very crowded with people waiting for the Jungfrau train). It is nice place to stop for lunch or refreshment.

If you decide not to do the whole walk, just turn around at any point and return to Männlichen. If you would like to see Grindelwald, this is a good time, as you can ride a gondola down to Grindelwald instead of the cablecar down to Wengen. Be advised, however, that the gondola moves slowly, and takes almost 30 minutes to reach the base station. The cars hold six people each ( with seats) but they do not fill them up. You might very well have one to yourselves, so it would be a good opportunity to feed and care for the baby in private.