Visit Eiger mountain without breaking budget?

Posted by c0utta (Adelaide, Australia) on 06/05/16 08:37 AM

My darling wife has expressed an interest in our family (4, with two children 12 & 15) travelling by car from Verchaix, France to view the Eiger mountain and travel on the Jungfrau railway system in early July.

She has mentioned staying at Interlaken in hostel accommodation, but is the best option? If our aim was to travel the Jungfrau, what would others recommend as far as towns and accommodation for the 4 of us? The rail options also seem to be confusing and expensive (I do understand it's the most expensive transportation system in the world) but I can't find a definitive answer as to the whether the children travel for free with an adult.

I have read as many RS posts as I can find, but can't get a clear picture on how we would achieve her goal.

Help! Please...

Posted by Nigel

Northamptonshire, England

06/05/16 10:26 AM

32921 posts

If she still has any space, try Denise in Mürren. She offers a nice, yet simple and reasonably priced, rooms in a small hotel, and - especially good for your family size - a couple of apartments. Look at Chalet Fontana at http://www.ferntree.ch/chalet/fontana_summer.htm which is her own webpage, or at some of the reviews at the Tripadvisor page at https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/HotelReview-g188084-d199023-Reviews-ChaletFontana-MurrenJungfrauRegionBerneseOberlandCantonof_Bern.html

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

06/05/16 11:18 AM

20254 posts

view the Eiger mountain and travel on the Jungfrau railway system in early July.

What do you mean by this? You can view the Eiger if you stay in Grindelwald, reachable by car. It is right at the base of the mountain. If you want to view it from up close, you can travel by train to Kleine Scheidegg, about half way up, by the Berner Oberland Bahn. If you want to view it from the Jungfraujoch Observatory, aka The Top of Europe, you travel further up on the Jungfraujochbahn. Now that is expensive.

In general, children 6 to 16 travel at half price. The round trip adult fare to the Jungfraujoch is about 186 CHF. So the price for 2 adults and 2 children would be 554 CHF. But if one of the adults purchases a 30 day Half Fare Card for 120 CHF, they can also get a free Family Card, so their children travel free. So the price would be about 399 CHF, (186+93+120).

To go only as far as Kleine Scheidegg, the round trip adult ticket is 60 CHF, so again, 2 adults and 2 children would be 180 CHF.

Posted by Tim

Knoxville, TN, USA

06/05/16 12:40 PM

7209 posts

The Free Swiss Family Card is a super bargain if you're planning to take kids to the expensive Jungfrau. Interlaken is an ok place to stay as far as transport. It's also quite dull and boring because you COULD stay right in the alps in Murren, Wengen or Lauterbrunnen. I would agree with staying at Denise's Chalet Fontana if possible. Otherwise look at the Hotel Staubbach in Lauterbrunnnen.