Murren or Lauterbrunen with luggage?

Stay in Lauterbrunnen. It will be easier to get to and from the places you want compared to Murren.

We are big fans of the area and have visited several times. We have stayed in both Muerren and Lauterbrunnen but favor Lauterbrunnen as our base because it is easier to get to locations on both sides of the valley. Eating out is expensive so you might be happy to cook at least one dinner in an apartment.

I feel Lauterbrunen is logistically easier and it's not exactly an eyesore either! I find the Lauterbrunnen valley to be stunningly beautiful and there are shops and restaurants. Nothing would stop you from spending most of your nonsleeping time in Murren or Wengen if you decide those areas are prettier/nicer. Google for photos of Lauterbrunnen valley! I suggest using the Coop stores for some savings over restaurant meals which are extremely expensive. Also, carry a refillable water bottle.

Lauterbrunnen is in the valley bottom, at the end of the road. Mürren is up the valley side, the same side as Schilthorn.
Wengen is similarly up the other valley side, below the Jungfrau.
Mürren has more mountain views than Lauterbrunnen, as you look across the valley. It is quieter as no cars. Walk around on foot, or train down to Lauterbrunnen, or cable car up to the summit of Schilthorn.
Lauterbrunnen is bigger, and has access up both sides of the valley. From Mürren to get across the valley you need to go down to Lauterbrunnen and back up the other side.

I would say it is personal preference, quiet mountain quiet idyll or valley bottom bustle.

I would not say luggage is a problem, all 3 are easy to get to by train (+ cable car for Mürren), luggage same as always with a train, you carry it yourself.

So is there an easy direct train from Lauterbrunen to Murren?

No, at Lauterbrunnen train station you cross the street to catch a cable car or gondola to Grutschalp.
At Gruschalp you then take the train that terminates in Murren.
This takes 20 minutes.

But I agree with Chris that your bag should not be an issue; not unless you were to arrive and find a large group of other travelers coming from Interlaken on their way to the top of the Schilthorn boarding the cable car as well. It was crowded like that when I was there. It just will take you more steps to get to your lodging.

Stay in Murren! :-) I say that because how many times does one actually get to spend time in a car-free alpine village perched at 1638m???

From Lauterbrunnen take your luggage with you from the train platform through the tunnel to the other side where the gondola is located. There are elevators from the tunnel up to the gondola if you don't want to use the stairs. Then there is an escalator from the floor up to the gondola loading platform. The escalator is reversable so if it's not running in the direction you want (up) then just ask the attendant to change it.

The gondola will take you up to Grutschalp which involves taking about 20 level steps over to the little train. From there the train will slowly wind its way to the Murren station. Murren is HEAVEN!

You'll have to either roll your luggage with you to your hotel or you can ask your hotel for luggage help from the station. The Eiger Hotel and Eiger Guesthouse are directly across from the Murren station if you're worried about rolling your luggage too far.

Mürren and Lauterbrunnen are easily accessed via the excellent public transit network, so about the same in terms of travelling with luggage. How much luggage are you taking?

As the others have mentioned, Lauterbrunnen is a quick train ride from Interlaken Ost and then a walk to your lodgings, while Mürren requires a cable car ride and a short trip on the mountain railway. It's all very easy.

"is there an easy direct train from Lauterbrunen to Murren?" - "Turn-up-and-go" is the phrase I keep using to try and describe the Swiss train service (I am never quite sure I manage to convey the concept).
This also applies to this area. There is a train every 30 minutes to Lauterbrunnen. You then cross the road to the cable car, which goes up the valley side, and a little train is waiting to take you along the cliff-top to Mürren.
Treat it as you would a lift (elevator) to get up and down a tall building, that level of "no thinking needed".

You can see the whole trip in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1NdWipvTCo

As was said already, Mürren is a car-free alpine village that is unlike any place we've ever visited. For 3 nights, I would stay there over Lauterbrunnen because it is incredibly special to spend 3 nights on the side of an alpine mountain with no cars whatsoever.

Also, you turn in your luggage at the gondola - there's a cart that's attached to the bottom of it, and that is then attached to the little train into Mürren. So once you cross the street from the train station to the gondola station, your luggage isn't your problem until you get to Mürren. At that point, it's essentially the same as if you stayed in Lauterbrunnen - you'll either cart your own luggage to your lodging or get help from your hotel (some of them have golf cart-type vehicles for such purposes).

Here is a video of the train between Murren & Grutschalp. At 10:20 in the video you will see the system that takes the storage container from the train & attaches it to the gondola that is heading down to Lauterbrunnen. At the same time, it is removing the storage container of baggage from the gondola & then attaches it to the train that will be heading to Murren. The Gondola & Trains are timed to arrive around the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYKh3JJgf8w

I will be staying in Murren myself for 4 nights at the end of May.
Enjoy your trip.

As everyone has noted and I will repeat - bags are NO problem and would never keep me from staying in Murren. I didn't understand the whole idea either until we traveled here last year and it was a breeze.

We did not get over to Wengen and Kleine Schedegg last year and plan to hike there next year. But we would still stay in Murren - we were blown away by the quietness and cowbells and striking scenery.

As you travel from Murren to Wengen you will be gobsmacked at the beauty !! And forget that you could have saved a few minutes of travel....duh.....

We stayed in Murren last August. While planning our trip, the whole transfer from train, to gondola, to cogwheel train, had me worried. It was super easy - and exciting! Everything is well marked, and for the most part, you just follow the crowd! The hotels in Murren are well marked with street signs. We stayed at the Hotel Bellevue, and will stay there again if we make it back to Murren. I would never trade the experience of staying up high in the Alps - something you would never get in the valley. Even though we didn't spend a lot of time in our hotel room, waking up to the sun in the Alps is breathtaking. And as everyone else has said, luggage is no more of a problem in Murren than anywhere else. The day we went up to the Schilthorn, we also took the cable down to Gimmelwald, again, super easy.

With the specific hotels I stayed at, Mürren was actually easier with luggage than Lauterbrunnen was.

For Mürren, I stayed at the Hotel Edelweiss. I took the cable car to the train as described above. At the Mürren BLM station, it seems like you have to go up stairs - but you don't. Instead of heading toward the stairs, head the opposite way, and go outside the station. There's a ramp up to town.

Then, you're on a paved path that's almost flat. The Hotel Edelweiss is along this path and has an elevator. It also has one of those utility vehicles, so I could have arranged for them to pick me up at the station, but I didn't know that, and never needed this assistance.

With Lauterbrunnen, on the other hand, I had to go up a steeper path to get to the door of my hotel (the Hotel Silberhorn), and the hotel didn't have an elevator, so I had to carry my bags up to my room.

I agree that you shouldn't let luggage determine where you stay. Mürren is more atmospheric, Lauterbrunnen is more convenient for both sides of the valley - you can't lose either way.

It is interesting to read the information and the comments. One question. Between Maureen and Wengen, which place would you recommend to stay? Thanks!

For us, Muerren every time.