Train travel from Chamonix to Murren

Bill, you can see the run on www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm. Put in Chamonix in the From: field and Murren in the To: field. Fill in the date and time. Click on Search Connection. The runs will appear. The run will take 4.5hrs with up to 4 train changes and a last change in Lauterbrunnen to a gondola/cog train. Raileurope won't sell you tickets to Murren. The Swiss website will.

FYI, try for a train run that stops at Interlaken Ost as that is the stop you want. At Interlaken Ost, walk over to track 2A and take the frequent local into Lauterbrunnen. Be careful to sit in a carraige that says LAUTERBRUNNEN on the side. Some cars disconnect half way and go to Grindlewald. The run takes 25 minutes and is very scenic. At Lauterbrunnen, walk across the street to the Lauterbrunnen BLM station (gondola). Take the gondola up to Grutshalp where you will meet the cog train for the short ride into Murren. You'll love it.

Thank you very much

Bill

Dear Larry:

My wife is very uncomfortable with height. She would not go on a suspended vehicle. Is the Interlaken to Murren route surface or suspended?

Thank you for your time

Bill

Bill, I'm not aware of an Interlaken/Murren route. The only way I know to get to Murren is by 1) the gondola/cog train I described above and, 2) another gondola that goes up to Gimmelwald where you transfer to another gondola going to Murren. No train, car or bus transportation. The gondolas have been safe for 100 years or so. She can just close here eyes and scream for about 90 seconds on the gondola. I have acrophobia but I can get through it. If you want to send me a PM, I have pictures that I can email you.

The only way you are going to visit that side of the valley is by gondola. The gondola from Lauterbrunnen is brand new as of about a year ago and does not go nearly so high off the ground as the gondola from Stechelburg to Gimmelwald (from there you take another gondola to Murren).

The other side of the valley uses mostly trains. There are gondolas but they mostly go to hiking/skiing areas. Wengen is a little bigger than Murren and a very nice village to stay in.

From Lauterbrunnen, you take a cog train up to Wengen. If you want to go on up to Klein Schedegg and then up to the Jungfrau, those are also by cog train out of Wengen. They are not on the edge of a cliff so aren't scary.

I will say, if your wife is unhappy with heights, the gondola may not be her cup of tea. I am not afraid of heights, but the swaying made me queasy. I made it, but was white knuckled for the short duration of the ride. Agree that Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp is better than Stechelberg to Gimmelwald.

I'm afraid of heights; like standing on the edge of a steep mountain looking down. However, the gondolas were no problem at all - they were actually fun, and you really must expect to ride some sort of gondola when traversing the alps.