Train question / Interlaken Ost or West

Posted by christa on 07/13/17 11:45 PM

Hi! Newbie here, asking another newbie question!

I got onto trainline.eu to get a train ticket from Paris to Interlaken Ost (and then would, I guess ... take the BOB? to Lauterbrunnen). I went ahead and purchased the ticket, but it ended up being only from Paris to Geneve Corafin station. (Newbie mistake, I guess?) And now, I'm trainline.eu and trying to get a ticket from Geneve Corafin to Interlaken Ost and I'm having no luck. Have I made a royal error somewhere?! I'm very stuck and a super newbie to this stuff! I did find on Rail Europe that there's a train from Geneva Corafin to Interlaken West. It's a bit more expensive, but it will actually allow for me to purchase it. ADVICE, please, for this newbie?! And if I was to book the train from Geneve Corafin to Interlaken West, do I then just stay on the train a bit longer and it would drop me off at Interlaken Ost? Thank you SO MUCH to anyone who can help me!

Posted by Laura

Rick Steves' Europe

07/14/17 12:14 AM

16895 posts

You really don't need to book this train connection now. I refer you back to my links on the last thread. But yes, with that ticket, you can stay on the train to get off either one of the Interlaken stations.

Posted by christa OP

07/14/17 12:15 AM

65 posts

Thank you so much, Laura! OK, so I can stay on the train to Interlaken Ost. Excellent, thank you so much!

Posted by Chris F

Basel, Switzerland

07/14/17 09:35 AM

8889 posts

Chris, If you want to go to Lauterbrunnen, then you need a ticket to Lauterbrunnen, not Interlaken.
AFAIK Trainline still does not sell Swiss rail tickets.

There is no price advantage to buying Swiss tickets in advance, there are no advance discounts and no reservations. You can buy your ticket from Geneva to Lauterbrunnnen at Geneva, though this may mean you will miss the first train and need to get another one 30 or 60 minutes later.
You can also buy tickets in advance on the Swiss Railways website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/

But, your bigger mistake is you are going the long way around. To get from Paris via Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, the quickest way is via Basel, not via Geneva. If you had put Paris to Lauterbrunnen into one of the rail search engines (DB, SBB), it would have shown you that route. I am not sure you can fix that now.

I did find on Rail Europe that there's a train from Geneva Corafin to Interlaken West

Every Swiss rail line, and ever station, has at least one train per hour in both directions. Yes, there is always a train from anywhere in Switzerland to anywhere.

Posted by Continental

New York, NY

07/14/17 05:08 PM

4071 posts

You will need to switch to the Lauterbrünnen train at Interlaken Ost. The train to Lauterbrünnen does not connect with Interlaken West.

Posted by christa OP

07/14/17 08:09 PM

65 posts

Thank you all so much!

LAURA: Thank you for the clarity about the East/West stations. I really appreciate it!

Posted by christa OP

07/14/17 08:10 PM

65 posts

Thank you, CONTINENTAL and CHRIS F!

Posted by Shoe

Grand Rapids, MI

07/14/17 10:16 PM

768 posts

If you do end up at the Geneva train station (CORNAVIN), they have a fantastic group of Swiss train agents who can help you with any travel questions involving trains, for free. It's in a large glassed-in room in the center of the station where you take a number to wait for the next agent. They speak great English and will help you choose the best route/best deal.
Also on that same floor is a well-stocked Migros store where you can buy food for your trip.