Interlaken area

Why wait? Definitely stay in the mountains. We like the small, quaint, car-free town of Muerren and have stayed at the Hotel Alpina several times. This hotel is literally on the side of a cliff overlooking the valley and with views of the Alps. Ask for a balcony room. The hotel is a bit worn, however, the views are awesome and the breakfast buffet is great. Have a great trip!

Rick waxes poetic about Gimmelwald...and for good reason. It's rustic and beautiful. Nothing "touristy" about it. Just a beautiful, unspoiled mountain village. In Gimmelwald, try: http://www.esthersguesthouse.ch/home_engl.html
Not luxurious, but clean (in that typical Swiss way) and comfortable. On a 2nd trip to the region, we stayed in Grindelwald, which, IMHO, is much more charming than busy and commercial Interlaken (I enjoyed strolling around Interlaken but was glad I did not stay there). The name of the place we stayed at escapes me, but I'll try to look it up and recall. Overall, I agree w/ the post above; Interlaken's a good gate-way, but I personally would recommend staying in a place like Gimmelwald, Grindelwald, Murren, etc.; gives you much more of than Alpine experience we all associate w/ Switzerland. Enjoy!

Thanks for the info. This being our first trip to the area, we were not sure of getting up and dowm from the mountian resorts.

Eddie, def get Rick's Switzerland Guidebook. His guidebooks are the BEST, hands down. And his guide to Switzerland is no exception. He covers getting around, getting from location to location, how to navigate the mountains, etc. He makes it all really easy and user friendly. Read it well before your trip and you'll be ahead of the game when you get there. And then, of course, having it with you as you travel, for quick/handy reference, will help a lot, too.

Eddie, I would also highly recommend staying in the mountains in the Lauterbrunnen Valley (outside of Interlaken). As mentioned in another reply, it would be a really good idea to pick up a copy of the Switzerland Guidebook. There's LOTS of information there (including Hotels) that will help to plan your touring. If you want to stay in a beautiful, quintessential Swiss village in the mountains, I'd suggest Mürren. If you want something a bit more "rustic", you could consider Gimmewald. If you'd prefer something down in the valley, Lauterbrunnen is a good choice. The transportation to any of these locations is very easy, as might be expected with Swiss efficiency. When you plan your rail trip, use Interlaken Ost as your destination (there are two stations in Interlaken). When you arrive at the station, buy tickets to whichever destination you picked (tickets will cover all modes of travel). From there you'll transfer to the small local Berner Oberland train (carriages are blue & yellow as I recall), which will take you to Lauterbrunnen. If you're going to Gimmelwald or Mürren, walk across the street and board the Post Bus (bright yellow, you can't miss it). That will take you to Stechelberg, where you'll transfer to the Cable Car. The first section is steep, but spectacular. Be sure your Camera is ready! The first stop is Gimmelwald. If you're going to Mürren, walk across the platform and board the next Cable Car, and you'll be there in about five minutes. What time of year are you travelling? Note that the Cable Cars usually shut down for maintenance for a week or so in the spring. Happy travels!

Hi Eddie, I have visited the Interlaken almost every summer since backpacking 2001. (I am quite addicted). Until last year, I stayed in Interlaken, using it as my hub since I also love to explore the lakes of Thun and Brienz, bike around the lakes and valley, and enjoy a couple of day trips to the mountains. If your visit is focused on the mountains and hiking, definitely try staying in the mountain area. Last year, I spent three days in Interlaken and 2 days in Murren. We stayed in the Eiger Swiss Q which is wonderful quality, but also super expensive. Plenty of other nice and affordable options up there as well Wow! So amazing to wake up in the mountain tops. This year, I am going to be staying in another car free village on the other side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Wengen. An advantage of staying in these places is that you can hike from your doorstep and you don't have to spend a lot of your day traveling to the mountains. Interlaken is super touristy, but it also has everything you might want as a first time visitor. So, even if you stay in the mountains, it might be nice for a visit at some point (but not necessary). It is a quaint, pleasant feel to walk around, people watch. I also love to swim in the lakes (a bus or bike ride away). Also great to take a ferry ride. Many people stay down here and daytrip to the mountains, so it depends on the experience you want. What a superb region to visit. Have fun planning and enjoy your trip!

Eddie, last summer we spent 4 nights in Murren. At the same time my dentist and his wife were staying in Wengen across the valley. They came over a we hike together one day. They said they preferred Murren over Wengen. Of our 3 weeks in Europe Murren was our favorite. A wonderful area to hike. No....a spectacular area to hike. You would be out hiking and only seldom see other people. The trails are well marked. We stayed at a B&B but I can't remember the name. It is the one in the RS book that states if you cant find the owner go the shop next door. It also was awesome and we would go there again. Have a great trip.

I agree wit Denise about the Hotel Alpina in Murren. We had a balcony room there and the view from the balcony was just fantastic. If you can't get in the Alpina, there are a couple other hotels that are on the edge of the valley. They cost a few dollars more but it's a million dollar view not to be missed for what is really a mere pittance in terms of the total cost of the trip. On the other hand staying in the valley gives you more latitude for seeing some of the other sites in the area and taking a lake cruise on Lake Brienz. A couple days in each location would make a nice balance. I definitely would not stay in Interlaken. Every day you will have to leave the staggering beauty of the mountains to go back to what is just a nice town.

Have stayed on the cliff-side rooms at Hotel Alpina in Murren and loved it. However, if you want to make things a bit easier, staying in Lauterbrunnen will cut off a bit of time and transportation, and also provides some pretty amazing views as well.

OK I looked up and the B&B name is Chalet Fontana. Rated #2 by trip advisor. There were 5 of us and it was very reasonable. Denise, the owner was also very helpful in helping us plan our hikes out of Murren.

Murren + Balcony room at Hotel Alpina=' successful trip

Exactly! Lakes Thun and Brienz, both accessible from Interlaken, are definitely beautiful and if you decide to spend time on the lakes or in either of the towns it just a short 20 minute train ride from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken. Definitely stay in the mountains. You don't need to be an avid hiker to stay in the villages - the walks through the fields of wildflowers are just stunning. I'm not a "real" hiker, but I've been to this area 4 or 5 times and ALWAYS stay in the villages. It's more stunning than words can describe. Mürren is my favorite, but you can't go wrong in any of the villages. Go Go Go

Thanks to everyone for all the info. We will depart tomorrow and will be staying in Mureen. So thanks again to everyone!!!!!