Parking Strategies in the Berner Oberland

Kevin,

Saving money? I'm not sure that's possible in Switzerland.

Your easiest parking option is Lauterbrunnen, and it's an easy trip on the Wengernalp cog railway up the hill to Wengen. Here's some information on the car park.....

https://www.jungfrau.ch/shop/en_old/parking/fees

I've never used the car park as I always prefer to use the excellent train system.

Free parking is never easy in Switzerland, and especially so in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Unlike Ken I have driven (as part of my annual road trip from England) many times into the area and parked at both of the logical parking areas.

Street parking is only for short stays, usually 30 minutes, not free and extremely rare.

No cars can go up to the car-free villages, including Wengen, not even for deliveries or dropping of passengers. The only way between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen is by train.

The easiest option is the big multistory car park next to Lauterbrunnen station. Under cover, pay by the hour and day as Ken has linked. Walk out of the car park into the station and straight onto the train to Wengen.

Or you can park at the end of the valley in a very large open carpark which serves the hang gliders and cable car up to Gimmelwald and up the Schilthorn. It is marginally cheaper, fully exposed and you need a ride on a Postbus back to Lauterbrunnen to get the train up to Wengen.

Does your hotel offer any parking discount? Most don't.

You could park in Interlaken and take the train to Lauterbrunnen. Street parking there is very expensive and rare, and mostly short term - gets harder every year - or there are expensive carparks near both Interlaken stations.

The road up to Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken is steep, windy and very busy. Nearly as scenic as the train which it parallels.

Is there any reason you really need the car? The BO is a fantastic place, and it's best traversed by the extensive network of trains, funiculars, gondolas, etc. Actually the ONLY way to get to lots of the destinations you'll be seeing is the via that extensive network.

You'll still be buying train tix to travel around there while you continue to pay for the rental and continue to pay to park. But if you were traveling around Switzerland w/o the car the train pass you purchased to travel around would also cover MANY of those BO trains, funiculars, gondolas.

Need the car because where making a big loop from Zurich to Salzburg down to the Adriatic and back to Switzerland with stops along the way. Suggestions?

Maybe you should relocate to Lauterbrunnen. You can drive directly to your hotel which I'm guessing probably offers free parking for its guests.

Same answer as in your Munich thread... you're taking a car into a place with very few parking options. Expect to pay heavily for the priviledge, unless, as noted, you can relocate to a hotel in Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald that offers free or reduced price parking.

We want to be up on the mountain rather than in the valley.

It looks like Lauterbrunnen has a carpark. It runs 14 CF per day.

Kevink: Alternate Itinerary:
Zurich->Murren (train)
Murren->Venice/Adriatic (Train)
Venice->Munich (Air Dolomiti Direct Flight)
Munich->Salzburg (Train) with super cheap Bayern Ticket

I take the Air Dolomiti direct flights between Munich and Venice all of the time...very good airline. I also travel the train route Venice->Murren every year.

Need the car because where making a big loop from Zurich to Salzburg down to the Adriatic and back to Switzerland with stops along the way. Suggestions?

As you're renting the car in Switzerland and driving into Austria, be sure to buy the Highway Tax Vignette as soon as you reach Austria as hefty fines may result if you're caught without it. Fines are often collected on the spot!

Also, where in the Adriatic will you be visiting? The rental firms may have restrictions on which countries their vehicles can be taken into.

Thanks for the continued suggestions! Hertz cars can go into all the countries on our itinerary. Appreciate the heads up on the parking and tolls/fines.