Murren or Lauterbrunnen

Murren is a much nicer stay than Lauterbrunnen, because you are up in the mountains, without cars. Lauterbrunnen is deep in the valley (shaded by the mountains) and has a lot of road and train traffic.

But Lauterbrunnen is a transit hub, and Murren and Kleine Scheidegg are on on opposite sides of the valley, so any journey from one to the other requires changing in Lauterbrunnen.

To answer your specific question, the additional time to get from Murren to Lauterbrunnen is about an hour. Either take:

• the valley floor route: Schilthornbahn (cable car) to Stechelberg, and then bus to Lauterbrunnen; or
• the valley rim route: BLM (narrow gauge train) to Grutschalp, and then cable car to Lauterbrunnen

While Mürren has somewhat better scenery, I usually prefer to stay in Lauterbrunnen as it's the transit hub so it's the most efficient for getting to either side of the valley. I figure I'm out touring in the day anyway so I don't place as much emphasis on the scenery of the place I'm using as a home base. I'm typically only in the hotel to sleep and have breakfast, and the scenery in Lauterbrunnen is also nice. The Panoramic Map on this website will provide a good view of the various locations - https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/maps-bernese-oberland/ .

If you're going to Kleine Scheidegg, I assume that you plan to visit the Jungfraujoch? Be sure to check the webcams for current weather before you embark on that trip, as you won't see much at the top if it's shrouded in fog.

I prefer Lauterbrunnen. You are at the center of the transport hub, allowing you more time visiting other parts of the region rather than the hour it would take to go from Mürren to Lauterbrunnen and have that access. Yes, there is car and bus traffic in the valley but it is easily manageable. The views from the valley are as spectacular as from the rim, just different. There are several great hiking paths that originate in Lauterbrunnen as well. One man's opinion.

It’s 22 minutes from murren down to Lauterbrunnen via the train and cable car. Not an hour. You should always check times on the SBB app to make sure you are getting accurate information.

My preference for the area is to stay in Wengen. The train from Lauterbrunnen to wengen is 12 minutes.

Wengen and Murren are in the Alps; Lauterbrunen is in the shadows of the Alps. You may also want to check on the construction in Murren around the gondola, ( I think) for a completion date. Folks have reported it's quite noisy.
Safe travels!

Lauterbrunnen is the place to stay if you want to see some of the other sights in the area. If you stay in Murren, you begin and end each day with a trip pwn to the valley to get transportation to go any where.. That's time and money wasted. Also there is a recent post (5/24) about the loud ongoing construction work at the Schilthorn station (south end of town) in Murren. That being said, a few years ago we spent one night in a valley side room at the Hotel Alpina near the train station at the north end of town. The view from our tiny balcony was just fantastic ... 2000 feet straight down to the valley floor and straight across looking at the Eiger, Monch an Jungfrau.

Bottom line, think about spending most=t of your time based out of Lauterbrunnen, and one night in Murren if you can find a valley side room.

We really enjoy the car-free aspect of the mountain villages and stay there, rather than in Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor, with all the cars.

If your major goal is to visit Kleine Scheidegg, then stay in Wengen, which is even closer than Lauterbrunnen.

It’s 22 minutes from murren down to Lauterbrunnen via the train and cable car. Not an hour.

Perhaps true if you are (a) staying immediately adjacent to the Murren station; (b) arrive immediately as a train is leaving; and (c) have a zero minute connection in Lauterbrunnen. Otherwise, in my experience, much more like an hour before you are on a train out of Lauterbrunnen to KS.

Even taking the cable car down to Stechelberg, you then have to rely on the bus and when it arrives. 22 minutes is possible, but I rely more on an imperfect world.

We are arriving by train from Paris at Lauterbrunnen on June 19, 2023 at 16:25. We plan to take the cable car to Grutschalp arriving 16:42. We then intend to take the Grutschalp - Murren BLM arriving in Murren at 16:58. We need to be at our vacation rental in Murren by 19:00. We understand there is construction on the Grutschalp - Murren BLM. Will this construction delay our arrival in Murren? Should we be able to arrive at our vacation rental (which is about 850 meters walking distance from the train station) by our 19:00 check in if we walk at a normal speed (10 minute to walk 850 meters)?

Keith — The construction has nothing to do with the Grutschalp/Murren train. You’ll be fine with those times. Give your luggage to the cable car employee down in Lauterbrunnen (veer right before the escalator) and then pick it up off the train trailer in Murren.

Why don’t you consider Wengen? Similar feel to Murren and gorgeous views in the mountain, and on the correct side of the valley.