Where to stay/what to do in Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland

Jeff , We were in Lauterbrunnen last October and stayed at the Hotel Silberhorn just a hop up from the Lauterbrunnen station . It was a lovely place and very convenient to both sides of the valley . There is alot to take your time there and I would allow four days if possible , to allow for vagaries in the weather . The kingpin excursion is , of course , the Jungfrau trip ,and it was well worth the time and cost. The funicular ride from Murren to Allmendhubel was also spectacular , with the three mountains towering in front of you when you arrive , and the sound of endless cowbells rising from the meadows and valleys . Again the Silberhorn was everything it was cracked up to be ,and a wonderful breakfast to boot , Enjoy it !!

Jeff, Which part of October will you be there? Towards the end of October, some of the businesses will be winding down or closing to get ready for ski season. There are LOTS of possibilities for things to do in that area. Some to consider..... > Take the Cable Car and mountain railway to Mürren, walk down to Gimmelwald. > Take the Allmend-Hubel Funicular up the hill from Mürren and then walk down (if the weather is good). > Travel to Mürren and then take the Cable Car to the Schilthorn. Enjoy a fine hot meal while watching the panorama of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau pass by the window. Stop for a "Martini shaken not stirred" in the James Bond Bar (they'll be celebrating with James Bond events this year). > Have a look at Trummelbach Falls. > Tour Wengen, Grindelwald or other nearby locations. > Take the trip to the Jungfrau. It's expensive but if you're fortunate to get good weather, the views are spectacular. The top level is at almost 12,000 feet, so if you have any "altitude issues", keep that in mind. I was there last fall and stayed at Hotel Oberland and would highly recommend it. The restaurant at the hotel is fantastic, and very popular with guests from other hotels as well. I did consider Hotel Silberhorn, as it also looks like a good hotel. As Lauterbrunnen is on the valley floor, it doesn't get as much sun as other towns in the area (less at that time of year), but it's still a wonderful place to stay. Happy travels!

We stayed a week in this apartment: http://www.fewomue.ch/ It had a lovely view of Staubach Falls, was clean and had a nice kitchen and balcony. It was right off the main road and was very convenient to the train station. Being able to cook a few meals saved a lot on food expenses.
The other posters have mentioned the highlights of the area. It is wonderful. I really liked Lauterbrunnen because it was so central to all of the higher areas in the region.

Jeff, we also stayed in the Hotel Silberhorn. Ask to stay in their newer annex and ask for a room with a view. You can email them in English and they will respond quickly and in English. We had a wonderful view. The main hotel building is a bit lower and doesn't have quite the views. The hotel restaurant is one of the best in the entire area. You can see their menu at www.silberhorn.com. Great breakfast as well. The hotel is about 400 feet from the railstation.

Our stay last summer in Murren was wonderful. If you are really into hiking, hike up to the Schilthorn. This is about a 5000 foot elevation change and 5-6 miles up to the top. It was an incredible experience.

I hope you are traveling in early October because, as has been said above, a lot of places shut down in the mid to latter part of the month. All of the places listed above are worth seeing. We have stayed in both Murren and Lauterbrunnen, and as cool as the views are from Murren, Lauterbrunnen is a much more practical place to stay. If you are traveling by car, I would add the Ballenberg open air museum which is not too far away(you can look it up on line), it is 80 acres and has a fantastic display of buildings from all over Switzerland and plenty of walking. Last time we stayed at the Hotel Staubach, which is convenient by car, in a valley view room. The room was nice the view was fantastic. We have not been able to stay at the Hotel Oberland but we have eaten there regularly, it is a good value. I would go on line and check out the schedules of any of the hotels that have been mentioned just to make sure they will be open when you are there and get reservations in as things could get very tight if the weather is good like it was in 2011. You might want to go to switzerlandisyours.com, Lauterbrunnen is under the Berner Oberland and they have a very good list of accomcdations etc. Another trip to Lauterbrunnen is item #1 on my permanent bucket list, have a great time.

Have stayed two yrs in a row (June will make 3) at Staubbach, and it's our favorite place to stay in Switz. A little creaky, but great service and views. Books up early.