Brig or Wengen Switzerland......where to stay

Hi Kimberly, Brig is right on your way but not a great place to spend a couple of days, unless you want to do daytrips by train from there. Wengen is lovely and well worth a visit. We like to go there for hiking. But it is a bit out of the way and will add an hour and a half to two hours to your trip to Rome, making it an 8- hour trip. I can suggest two other options in Switzerland that we like as much as (or more than) Wengen. Kandersteg is on the main line just before Brig and 6 hours 13 minutes from Rome. It is a beautiful mountain village full of young people, as the International Scouting Center is there. The lake above town, Oeschinensee, is a spectacular glacial lake, like you would see in the Canadian Rockies. You reach it by cablecar from town, which makes for a nice day. The hotel up there has wonderful ice cream treats (and serves full meals and offers rooms as well). www.oeschinensee.ch The other suggestion is Bettmeralp,,which is near Brig but perched high above the valley in a spectacular position with views all the way to the Matterhorn. You reach it by cablecar which ascends about 4000 feet, so it is quite a thrill. The village is very family-friendly and there is nice walking (among cows if you like) above town. Or you can ride a lift up for views of the Aletschgletscher. We and our kids also enjoy the little mini-golf place, and the community pool if it happens to be too rainy for hiking. www.bettmeralp.ch Bettmeralp is 6 hours from Rome, counting the cablecar descent. That would be my first choice if I were doing this. I would rather not spend 8 hours on a train; 6 hours is doable, expecially since the first part is a scenic cablecar ride.

Anyone have more suggestions for Kimberly?

I have stayed at the Hotel Silberhorn in Wengen. Its a 4-star, so might be a bit pricey, but the location is great, right across the street from the train station. Some members of our group also stayed at the Belevedere, a 3-star about 500 meters from the station and uphill. The Silberhorn has been modernized many times over the years, but the Belevedere still retains its 100 year old character. The exterior has not changed and the interior public spaces still have all the beautiful wood paneling. The guest rooms have been modernized however.

Thanks for all the help!!