Greetings!
Will be spending one night in Lauterbrunnen and two in Gimmelwald.
Also desire to travel up to Schilthorn from Gimmelwald. Since I am
in this area for just three days, are there any worthwhile cards or
passes to purchase for cable car and travel up to Gimmelwald and
later Schilthorn? Thanks!
TC
A Swiss half fare card costs 120 chf per person. It will only pay for itself if you have more than 240 chf worth of travel involved, which Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald to Schilthorn and back is not. But if you decide to travel by train from Zurich airport then on to Innsbruck per your other post, it might.
I do wonder why you would move hotels within this region. Choice of Swiss rail ticket or pass will also depend on whether you follow suggestions (on your other question) about taking more trains instead of driving the first part of the trip.
Access to Lauterbrunnen from Gimmelwald is pretty easy. Short ride on the Schilthornbahn (cable car) and short ride on the postal bus. So, why not get right to Gimmelwald and stay there 3 nights? We had the Swiss rail pass which made the Schilthornbahn free up to Muerren including Gimmelwald and reduces the fare from Muerren to Schilthorn. It does not count toward days so you can use the pass each day you are there and still have the days you paid for available for train trips before and after your stay in the Berner Oberland. The pass also reduces the costs for the Jungfraubahn on the other side of the valley. The RS recommended hike from Mannlichen to Klein Scheidegg is wonderful.
Thank you for your suggestions. Switching towns and hotels
was due to hotel availability, cost, and wanting to spend time in both
places. I will look at the suggestions of the rail passes. I will digest
what you all have graciously shared.
Not having been in the Lauterbrunnen/Gimmelwald region before,
so I am paying a cable car fee to go from the Lauterbrunnen area
to Gimmelwald, and then another fee to travel from Gimmelwald
up to Schilthorn. Am I correct? They way the transport is done
was not clear to me with the different stops and routes that can
be taken? Thanks!
Tom
Riverview, FL
Yes, without a pass (expensive!) you need to pay for transport to all these places. There is the cable car, which requires a bus from Lauterbrunnen train station: http://www.schilthorn.ch/
There is an alternate way to Gimmelwald from Lauterbrunnen. Take the gondola cable way at the Lauterbrunnen train station and at the top, there is a train (the BLM) that takes you to Muerren about 2 miles away, then either walk down to Gimmelwald, or ride down on the Schilthorn cable car.
If you have Half Fare Cards, you pay half price for these.
If you have a car, there is a parking lot at Stechelberg, the base of the Schilthornbahn (7 chf/day), and a parking garage at Lauterbrunnen train station (more).
Can anybody give me an idea of the fees to travel in the Gimmewald/Luaterbrunnen area? I assume there is a bus or train pass one can buy. We will probably be in the area for 2-3 nights. Also, what does a train ticket from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen cost?
josh,
Use the http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html website to determine costs for any of the trips you plan on taking in that area. The site covers everything from trains and Post Buses to Cable Cars. One other point to note is that there are two routes to reach Gimmelwald. The most direct from Lauterbrunnen is to take the Post Bus to Stechelberg and then the Schilthornbahn to Gimmelwald (which is the first stop). The other route travels through Mürren via the BLM Cable car and mountain railway, and then down via the Schilthornbahn.
On the topic of Passes, it's difficult to say which one would be most appropriate without knowing each of the trips you plan on taking in that area. A lot of number crunching will be involved to figure that out. You might find that a http://www.regiopass-berneroberland.ch/offer-2014/ will work well or perhaps a half price card that provides a discount. You might find it helpful to check https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes for lots of good information.
Actually, my wife and I were in the Berner Oberland a week ago. We stayed in Lauterbrunnen for two nights and Mürren for 4 nights. We came by train from Innsbruck and arrived in Lauterbrunnen around 7:30 pm, and used the first full day to go up to Wengan and hike around up there. We also hiked up to Staubach Falls. The next morning we went up to Trümmelbach Falls before heading up to Mürren. After that we never went back to the valley except after going Para Gliding.
We went back into Lauterbrunnen (had to claim my free beer after Para Gliding) we took the Gondola up to Grütschalp. The Gondola operator challenged my use of the Swiss Pass, saying that I was not eligible for a free ride, but merely a half price ride. I don't know if I convinced him that the pass was good for lifts for the one month duration of the pass, but he let us go ahead for free.
Switzerland IS expensive, but, in my opinion, not overly so. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and Swiss Hospitality at hotels and restaurants is without peer. It's an expensive country, but I never felt ripped off.
Chris,
I noted you ask about Birg and a platform. Is this enroute to Schilthorn?
Is this the platform that juts out and gives a view or is that above?
Tom
