Hello again:
As I get closer to my trip I have ever more questions: I would like to visit the Jungfraujoch . If we don’t do it now, there will not be another opportunity. We are an 80 year old couple, pretty fit with not great knees (me) and not great balance (him – uses a walking stick). I think I am clear on what transportation is operating during our May 9-13 stay in Wengen. The plan would be to take the Wengernalpbahn train (cogwheel) to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraubahn train from Kleine Scheidegg to the top. Reverse on the way down. I keep reading that it is best to make reservations. I also read that the weather is very iffy, and we should go when it is clear. This makes it hard to reserve more than a day or so ahead. Additionally, if I make reservations now, I will not purchase my Half Fare Card until late April. (We will be in Switzerland May 2-15). I want to apply my Half Fare Card for this trip. But I have read that to use it from Wengen to Jungfraujoch we must purchase tickets as we go. Finally, (maybe the key question) because we will be in much warmer – even hot areas (in France and Italy) before going to Switzerland and we will be carrying all of our luggage over the 35 day trip, if I cannot find jackets to rent for a few days we will have warm layers, but probably not enough to be outdoors for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Will it be worth the trip to spend the vast majority of the time looking at views from the inside of trains, restaurants and whatever visitor centers are there? Please address any or all of these concerns if you can. Please let me know if I have made errors in assumptions or have been unclear. Thank you in advance. Susan
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Wengen
3704 posts
First of all: You do not need to reserve far in advance. Reserving your slot a day or two beforehand when you are here is just fine.
May 9-13 is rather early for Wengen though. You are just before the summer season starts, so the place will be quiet.
You do not need to have the HFC in your possession to buy tickets, you just indicate that you have it when purchasing. It is only checked on the train if you actually have it. And yes, you can just buy the tickets here.
As to dressing: Wear layers. I often wear the same clothes in winter as I would in spring, I just add a layer of thermal underwear. That would not take up a lot in your luggage. That, with a jumper and a rain jacket will be fine for the Jungfraujoch in May. Important is to have good shoes, and get a pair of hiking poles each. (You can rent those here). My parents are in their 80ies as well, my dad has balance issues, and they do visit us still. I also had an 88 old man from Australia visit me. I gave him a pair of hiking poles and he said that this was just the thing he needed to be able to enjoy the place. He is now walking more back at home as well :-)