Parking at Stechelberg and staying in Murren

Wayne,

I think it's a fair question since, I assume, you've never been there. So no, you're not paranoid.

I think once you get there (Lauterbrunnen Valley) you will find yourself chuckling at the thought. I've never heard of Stechelberg as being a high crime area. I'd say if your car is not safe in Stechelberg, it's not safe anywhere.

With that said, obviously don't leave anything in the car you would really miss. Don't give anybody a reason to break into the car, i.e. wads of francs/Euros/$ in plain view. Or leaving a GPS unit, other electronics, and any sports equipment in plain sight.

Matt,
Thanks for the reply. This gives us peace of mind while enjoying Murren and the surrounding area.

As Matt said, if your car is not safe in Stechelberg, it's not safe anywhere. There's not much to Stechelberg--a hotel, cable-car station, and that's about it. Given that you're staying at the Hotel Alpina in Murren, if you have a balcony apartment on the valley side, with a pair of binoculars you'll be able to look down--way, way down--on your car to check on it! ;-) You're in for awesome views from that hotel.

Dwayne,
We are really looking forward to our stay in Murren. Our plan is to have breakfast in Schilthorn. Is this something everyone does? Will it be really crowded or is finding a table in the restaurant going to be a problem? How early should we go? How much time do you think is reasonable to spend on Schilthorn? Is it reasonable to travel to Jungfrau in the early afternoon? Or will it be to cloudy to appreciate the views?

Wayne,

Schilthorn:

I agree that its unlikely you'll have to deal with crowds for breakfast; or more importantly getting a window seat, which is what you want. Since you're in Murren, you'll already be ahead of the game in terms of getting up to the Piz Gloria. Might as well take advantage of the early bird discount for the trip fare too. That'll save you $15 / person. Schilthorn

No doubt, this is a one of a kind experience.

Jungfrau: I assume you're talking about the Top of Europe train. I have not done this for one reason - $$$ . I looked into doing this and I think it was US$ 150/person. We did go over to that side of the valley (Wengen, Kleine Sheidegg), which was great. But after having already done the Schilthorn, my wife and I didn't see ourselves having $300 worth of enjoyment to go all the way to the top, no matter how clear it was.

Jungfraujoch - See Jungfraujoch and Return for the current price.

Hi Wayne
you should have no problem for the 007 breakfast at Shilthorn! Although be aware that as it spins and the higher altitude you may be a bit surprised when you sit down. I was up there a while back early in the AM - almost empty - ran around outside for pictures then inside for an Ovaltine. The three of us all of a sudden got a bit queezey and decided it was time to go! Dont usually have that issue. Could be we just got up there fast and didnt take time to relax worrying about meeting our hiking group shortly after! But take your time and go early!

Hmm. I've never parked there (though I've been to Murren) but I think dismissing the idea of theft isn't very smart. I was told by b and b owners in rural France to never leave ANYTHING in our car when we visited little hilltowns in the countryside--that thieves target anywhere tourists might park. Car break ins are a huge problem here in the US at very remote national forest and national park trailheads. Just because it's quaint and pretty doesn't mean people won't steal. Unless there's something about this lot I don't know--is it completely secure and guarded?--I would never leave baggage in the car.

Actually, according to some B&B owners I talked to in Interlaken, the unsecured parking lot by the Stechelberg gondola station is prime territory for car break-ins. Procede with caution!

There's also a car park in Lauterbrunnen if you don't want to stay in the Stechelberg parking lot. From Lauterbrunnen you take a gondola + a train to get to Muerren whereas from Stechelberg you take just a gondola.