Murren and surrounding areas

Several observations.

1) You won't be driving to Muerren since it is 'way up there' on the side of a mountain.
2) There are places to stay in Muerren, but depending on when you will be visiting many of them may be closed. The village of Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor is where you might stay or leave the car - or perhaps at the Stechelberg Cable Car station.
3) The weather is going to be the determining factor in the accessibility of the many wonderful things in the area when you visit. So a visit that is as length-locked as yours is has a significant risk factor involved.

On our visit in late May we took the cables cars up to the Schilthorn and visited Gimmelwald and Muerren along the way - walking from Muerren down to Gimmelwald. The cable car ride was wonderful (30 minutes or so?), the Schilthorn was wonderful, the villages and the walks were wonderful, etc. You can't go wrong doing any of it . However we were unable to do the trip the first day we arrived because of high winds that shut down the cable cars. We had to wait until the following day.

We also visited the Trummelbach falls which was less wonderful, but very impressive - on the day the weather kept us grounded.

And of course you could try the trains to the Jungfraujoch (the highest spot in Europe) - that's more or less an all day affair though.

Good Luck!

Cars cannot reach Mürren (note spelling). It is at the top of a nearly vertical valley side and there are no roads to get there. That is one of its attractions.You have to park at the bottom of the valleay and get a cable car and / or train up. You pay for parking.
But, it is beautiful. And it is a good base to get cable cars up the local mountains, and generally explore the area.

Even if you have only a day and a half Mürren is a place you should experience. No shopping malls or neon flashing signs...just peacefulness and incredible beauty. There are two ways up 1) from Lauterbrunnen (gondola, train) and 2) from Stechelberg (dramatic gondola ride)

Just go.

Frank,

It would help to have some further information. For example.....

• I may have missed it, but when is this trip taking place?
• Where will you be renting and returning the car?
• Are you aware of the need for the Highway Tax Vignette in Switzerland and Austria (you may be passing through there)?
• Will you be taking an International Driver's Permit?

As the others have mentioned, you won't be driving in Mürren, so will have to use pay parking in either Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg. Which location to use will depend on which route you want to use to reach Mürren.

The cost of accommodations may depend on the time of year (ie: high season or low season). One possibility for accommodations would be an apartment at Chalet Fontana.

You'll find that Switzerland is expensive so be sure to budget accordingly.

If you're really tight for time, at the risk of causing an international incident, I'd suggest you could drive through the Lauterbrunnen valley to the base of the tram and then back. It's a beautiful valley (similar to Yosemite) but you wouldn't actually go up to any mountains or cliffs.

I want to thank you all for the very useful information. I am sure I can make better decisions now. Ken, in answer to your questions I am going to be there the middle of June. I am renting a car in Frankfurt and will have an international license. Can you tell me where I am able to purchase highway tax vignette? Can you or someone verify that Lauterbrunnen would be a convenient location to have good accessibility to Gondola and Train? I think I am going to extend stay for two nights hoping that at least one of the two days is good for sightseeing.

Frank,

Here's some information on the Swiss Highway Tax Vignette.....

http://www.myswissalps.com/motorwayvignette

Yes, Lauterbrunnen would be a great "home base" location, as the rail station there is the transportation hub for the valley. From there you can reach either side, with Mürren, Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn on one side and Wengen, Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch on the other side. Some hotels in Lauterbrunnen provide parking and as I recall there's also a pay lot close to the rail station.

You may want to buy at least a Swiss Half Fare Card to ameliorate the costs of the lifts in that area. There are other pass options but you'll have to do the number crunching to see which one best fits your situation.

Lauterbrunnen is indeed a good place for connection to trains/gondolas etc. There is a large multi story parking garage there, too. You'll be there in the middle of June which is a much better time to have a chance for good weather.

As a fellow West Virginian, I heartily recommend this trip to the Lauterbrunnen valley. Two days there is a better idea, as the weather does determine if you should make the cable car trip up to the top. One day may be crystal clear skies with unlimited views, but the next day the clouds may settle in and obscure the mountain tops. An idea you may like is to take the lift up to the Schilthorn early in the morning and have breakfast at the restaurant there, then hike down to either Gimmelwald or Murren. There are many trails in this area, all with spectacular scenery. If you have the time and would enjoy a beautiful hike, this is one of the best.

You asked about a place to stay for $300.00 or less. I would, at this point, try Booking.com and see what pops up. It's easy to filter and then you can decide of you want to contact any place directly. I would suggest an apartment, but with only two nights, you will not meet the minimum rental period requirement.