Junfraujoch Train Trip

Yes, there is a parking garage at Lauterbrunnen station. That will save a few bucks of the train trip, although the parking fee might eat that up. You'll take the Wengneralpbahn to Kleine Scheidegg, then change to the Jungfraujochbahn. Those last 2 trains make up the lion's share of the ticket cost to the top. You can also get there from the Grindelwald side by taking the WAB to KS. Its 176 chf round trip. There are trains every 30 minutes, so I would not worry about advance tickets, just buy them at the station. You'll save about 26 chf from Lauterbrunnen over Interlaken.

Thanks for the great information Sam.

I should add that those prices are per person quoted from the SBB site.

The train up to the Jungfraujoch orginates in the Lauterbrunnen train station. This is a 3-track cog train. Here's a link to a picture I took. http://gyazo.com/0a9799f396dfd1887b3b30cba38683f1 At Kleine Scheidegg, you will change trains to the red and yellow Jungfraubahn train from Kleine Scheidegg up to the Jungfraujoch. The overall journey takes 2hrs to go up and 2hrs to come back down. You can easily take the 20-minute ride from track 2A at the Interlaken Ost train station and avoid the drive and parking. Fare is about 7.40CHF 2nd class one-way. Just be sure to ride in the carriages that don't get separated off and go to Grindelwald. As Sam says, the fare from Lauterbrunnen round trip to/from the Jungfraujoch is 176CHF.

Drew, You've received lots of good information so far! I agree with a previous suggestion that it would be just as easy to take the train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, rather than driving. From Lauterbrunnen you'll take the Wengernalpbahn train to Wengen and then Kleine Scheidegg, where you'll transfer to the distinctive Jungfraubahn train to the Jungfraujoch. One point to mention is that the Sphinx Observatory at the top level of the Jungfraujoch is at almost 12,000 feet. If you have any "altitude issues", keep that in mind. When you arrive there, you'll probably find that you're moving more slowly than usual and even simple things like climbing stairs are more of an effort. Depending on how much you'll be using the trains and lifts in that area, having one of the Swiss or Berner Oberland passes may be beneficial. You could buy your tickets for the Jungfrau trip at Interlaken Ost. One caveat to mention. The Swiss have apparently now adopted the same practice as the Italian rail networks, and are now fining passengers with any irregularities with their tickets. Happy travels!

Thanks to everyone for your responses.

http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/sommer/tourism/places-to-visit/jungfraujoch-top-of-europe/experiences/ has the official information. CHF 176.50 pp from lauterbrunnen to the top of the hill and back. You can get it down to CHF 135 if you go on the first train of the day or a specific later afternoon one. One day is very difficult or only restricting yourself to one specific train is dangerous because the weather at the summit is so fickle. It is worth having a couple of arrows in your quiver and watch the CCTV from the summit before venturing up.

KenI've been to the Lauterbrunnen the last three yrs (this June will be 4) and have done both the Jungfraujoch and trip up to Schilthorn. The Jungfrau trip costs almost twice as much and is uncomfortably crowded (train and the facility on/in the mountain). I'd do the Schilthorn, and specifically the trip RS recommendsgo up by combo of lift and train (gondola from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp, train to Mürren, gondola the rest of the way), see the Piz Glria station atop Schilthorn, maybe eat or snack, then take the gondolas back down to Mürren. Hike from the to Gimmelwald, maybe lunch there, take the lift down to Stechelburg, and either hike or bus back to Lauterbrunnen, stopping at Trümmelbach Falls en route. The views are amazing, the station less crowded, and the whole thing's more pleasant. Either way, have fun.

I think Prof B has a very good point. We have done the Schilthorn twice in July and liked it very much. The trip is flexible since the aerial trams run frequently as does the train from Grutschalp to Murren. The revolving restaurant at Piz Gloria seems to be paced so that leisurely meal lasts a revolution. The views from the Schilthorn and the trams are fantastic. As far as crowding goes I would make it a point not to be taking either trip on a week end in the summer. Sorry to see that you will be staying in Interlaken, it's a nice town but as they say, Lauterbrunnen is just a little piece of heaven. Since you are traveling by car, you might also want to see the Ballenberg outdoor museum, it is really great. Have a great trip

@Prof B, Just to clarify, were you directing your remarks to Drew, the OP? I've done all those trips on several occasions, so am quite familiar with them. I was in the Berner Oberland again last September and traveled to both the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch. Your suggestions to visit the Schilthorn are certainly valid, but I didn't mention that as the OP specifically asked about the Jungfraujoch. Both trips are expensive, but the Jungfrau is the most expensive of the two. I used a Jungfrau Centenary Pass last fall, which "helped" with the cost a bit. If you'll be back in that area in June, hopefully you'll be able to see at least some the Bond World 2013 events. Cheers!

My wife and I did both the Junfraujoch and the Schilthorn last September also. Although the comments about the price of the Schilthorn vs. the Jungfraujoch are valid we would have regretted not doing the Jungfraujoch. The big negative for me personally, were all the tour groups that take that trip. I had to sit on the floor on the train ride down sicne all the seats were filled. However, with that said, once we got to the top we took about an hour hike across a glacier to a hut where we had soup and a big stein of beer for lunch. My wife absolutely loved the hike to the hut and back and the scenery is great. This gets you awasy from the crowds that stay in the main attractions up on top, which were OK. We had a picture perfect day on the Schilthorn and thought it was great also. If you can afford to go to Switerland from the US you might as well experience both if you have time. I would not go up to either if they were clouded in though.

Drew, Nigel's comments about the weather being "fickle" are definitely something to consider. For the trip to the Jungfraujoch, it would be a really good idea to check the weather and webcams if possible before committing to the trip. When I made that trip last September, I was constrained to some extent by the time frame of my Itinerary and also by the validity period of the Pass I was using (the Pass included one "free" trip to the Jungfraujoch so I defnitely wanted to make sure I "got my money's worth"). The weather in both Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg that day was bright and sunny, so I didn't anticipate any problems. However, when I arrived at the Jungfraujoch it was fogged in with a horrific blizzard raging outside, with gale-force winds and just about zero visibility. Hiking across the glacier to a hut for a bowl of soup would have been quite impossible! I briefly tried to venture outside, but even holding onto the rope barriers it was difficult to stay on my feet. As it turned out, that day was in fact the "best" day for me to make that trip as the following day, all trains from Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg were suspended due to high winds. Winds that are strong enough to stop a train will provide some idea on the "fickle" nature of the weather in that area. Cheers!