Hello! My wife and I (and an unexpected stowaway- she's pregnant again!) are going to spend 7 nights in the Bernese Oberland for our 10th anniversary. It's our first time in Switzerland we're really keen to just take in the Alps. We have four nights in Mürren and three nights in Frutigen. From Frutigen, I have plans for a couple excursions. Are there things we should plan to do in Mürren besides go hiking and maybe go up to the Schilthorn one day? I'm trying to do the math on whether a Travel Pass or Half-Fare card will be best and I haven't really thought much about how much we will/should leave Mürren on anything besides trails. Any recommendations? Thanks!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I had four nights in Mürren in September 2014, and here were my major activities each day.
Day 1 (half day): Allmendhubel
Day 2: Schilthorn
Day 3: Jungfraujoch
Day 4: Lauterbrunnen valley walk and Trümmelbach Falls.
I also walked around Mürren and Gimmelwald, and on one of the days (can't remember which) I went to Interlaken just to check it out (curious about whether it really was better to stay in Mürren - it sure is!). I had a great time, and especially appreciated that my 4 nights allowed me to choose the better weather days for each activity (my last full day was cloudy, so it was perfect for the valley walk).
I was also in Luzern for 3 nights and Lausanne for 3 nights, so I got a 15 day Swiss Pass. However, I know the passes have changed since my trip. Remember that the Half Fare card is easy to figure - if your definite trips add up to more than twice its price, you can't lose. However, if the cost will be close, the Pass is more convenient. With a Half Fare card, you have to buy tickets every time. With a pass, you only have to buy tickets to items not fully covered (anything above Mürren or Wengen); for everything else, you just flash the pass.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8375 posts
We loved our time in Murren and I am sure you will also. We spent two days hiking and walking around the area. We would take the furnicular up and hike around and then back to town or to the railway.
A third day we took the cable car down to Stechelberg and took the bus from the station to Trummelbach Falls. We enjoyed the falls and walked the short distance to Lauterbrunnen on the beautiful valley walking paths. You could take the bus after the falls as well if you weren't feeling up to doing much walking.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11315 posts
So much to do there; Four nights is a good start!
We always buy a Berner Oberland Regional Pass to use on the lifts and trains. I've gone to the trouble to list out everything we want to do and build a spreadsheet to see if a half-fare card is better or a good value in addition to the BO Reg Pass, and if we are traveling a lot throughout Switzerland we get both. If you are flying into say Zurich, taking a train to Interlaken, then on to Frutigen, the half-fare card may make sense and you will also get a discount on the BO Regional Pass. The BO pass kicks in starting at Interlaken.
My analysis has led me away from the Travel Card as it is very pricey and still only covers the lifts at half-price.
Posted by
OP
North Carolina
16 posts
Thanks for the advice! Sounds like there are easily available side trips that should factor into the equations. I looked into the BO regional pass but I couldn't figure out how the math justifies it since I have to get all the way to Interlaken from Geneva. Even with some extra travel to and around Frutigen, I still come out ahead with only a half fare card. The convenience of the travel pass is fairly tempting though.