Lauterbrunnen stay to access both sides of the valley

We like Lauterbrunnen as a base because it is easy to take the various transportation options (trains, cable cars, buses) to the scenic locations you want to visit. A car is useless. Parking is difficult and expensive and if you have a car it will just sit in a parking garage or lot the entire time you are there.

You would take a train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen then on to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch. You would take a cable car, a tiny cliff side train, and two cable cars to get to the Schilthorn (or a bus/cable car combo as there are two options to get there) passing through Mürren.

To get to Grindelwald/First you would take a train to Grindelwald then a cable car to First OR you can take a train to Wengen, a cable car to Mannlichen, and another cable car to Grindelwald and on to First by yet another cable car.

As Maureen said, you need to study a map and I would direct you to this source https://www.berneroberlandpass.ch/all-in-1-ticket/ to consider the Berner Oberland Regional Pass. On this page is the downloadable map of the transportation system https://www.berneroberlandpass.ch/karten/. Rick Steves’ guide book explains the transportation extremely well but it is hard to envision such a system until you get there and see how beautifully it works.

We have a car because we are traveling mostly in Italy for 3-4 weeks
Lauterbrunnen seems as though it a good base for us
Looking at passes it seems as though the Jungfrau pass covers all we need except the last leg to Jungfraujoch. Grindelwald First , Schilthorn , Wengen and Murren.
Am I correct?
Thanks in Advance
Safe Travels

Last I knew, the Jungfrau Pass did NOT include the cable car from Stechelberg to Mürren. Check carefully if you want to do that route. I don’t think the Jungfrau Pass covers the bus in the valley either. But I have not checked. I don’t buy it because I want the BO Reg Pass benefits beyond the immediate area.

We have a car because we are traveling mostly in Italy for 3-4 weeks

Are you returning to Italy to return the car?

Are you aware of the vignette you need to purchase to drive In Switzerland?

Yes. Bought one in December when visiting the Basel Xmas Mkt
Thanks

Also we will only be using a pass for Lauterbrunnen up the mountainsides

As I read it theJungfrau pass includes the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp and the train from there to Murren

The Berner Oberland pass is more comprehensive than the Jungfrau Pass. The BO Pass cover Stechelberg to Murren, as well as local buses. The Jungfrau Pass does not include those.

This map might be helpful to get a perspective on where these places are located. Check out the panoramic map: https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/maps-bernese-oberland/

From Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald, you could take a very scenic train ride up to Wengen, then a gondola to Mannlichen, then a different gondola to Grindelwald Terminal, then the train to Grindelwald. Then walk thru town to the First station . Then take another gondola up to First. Spectacular views. This takes a bit longer than taking the train around the mountain, but the journey is part of the adventure.

I would do either Jungfraujoch OR Schilthorn. Check the webcams and go only if it is clear. It’s an expensive waste of time on a cloudy day.

Download the SBB app for train/gondola info. You’ll be using it a ton. We had a car for the same reasons (part of a longer road trip). We parked in Lauterbrunnen’s garage and never used the car for 6 days. You need a train pass for the gondolas anyway, so there’s really no reason to drive. We stayed in Wengen and prefer it to Lauterbrunnen for the amazing views and lack of cars.