My husband and I will be leaving Prague on a Friday and our reservation in Murren starts on Sunday. We wanted a little city time before heading to the mountains for three days of hiking. Any suggestions? Most people on this forum say stay away from Interlaken. Do we head to another town close to Murren, stay in Zurich, Munich or Lucern before heading to Murren? Didn't know how much train we wanted in one day, hence the possible stay in one of the bigger cities before heading to the mountains, but I'm open. Depending on itinerary will determine the Swiss Rail pass or the Bernese Oberland.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33818 posts
I've never been wowed by Zurich,and talking with an old work colleague over the weekend who was posted there for two years neither was he.
Luzern will get you onto the (huge) lakefront with steamers going every which way - very beautiful - with a lovely small town feel for a larger city.
Bern is the national capital and also has somewhat of a smaller town feel but pleasant. A bit busier than Luzern.
Personally I prefer Luzern.
Interlaken is like Fort Collins in some ways.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Lucerne sounds like a great option for you. Interlaken is best used as a transport hub rather than a vacation destination.
Posted by
Buchs SG, Switzerland
60 posts
I recommend against Munich. A) you're adding a ton of travelling and B) you're not doing that city justice with a little over a day. My GF and I spend a week there this spring and we barely scratched the surface.
Zurich I also find kind of meh. I know people who live(d) there and think it's a wonderful place but I never got the fascination. There's definitely stuff to see but IMHO there are better options.
Bern. Like the others said: capital city but still a relatively small feel to it. Nice old town.
Lucerne. Beautiful old town and a ton of other stuff in and around the city to see. Probably the city I know best as I've been there recently.
Thun and Spiez. I'm not really an expert on Swiss towns but I've heard these recommended as alternatives to Interlaken. I know they both have an old castle.
If in doubt you can't really go wrong with Lucerne. You definitely won't have a problem spending your two days there.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Seems like so many people throw around the name "Interlaken" when they talk about visiting the Swiss Alps. Problem is - Interlaken is NOT in the Swiss Alps. It's a gateway town to change trains and then 20 minutes later you're in the Lauterbrunnen Valley with the towering alps all around you.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
748 posts
I vote for Lucerne - lovely city - lots to do but also can just do a little and enjoy the scenery. Also train to Murren is I think a bit shorter than if you were coming from Bern.