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Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Interlaken
Base here 2–3 nights for the Jungfrau valleys, not for the town itself: Interlaken is a rail hub between two lakes, 20 min from Lauterbrunnen.
Interlaken sits on the neck of land between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost stations about 1.5 km apart. Almost nobody comes for the town: it is the transport base for Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and the Jungfraujoch, and the place where you sleep, eat and book adventure sports. Two nights covers the two valleys; three lets you add a lake or a summit without rushing.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for hiking and lakes; Dec–Mar for snow
- Avoid
- Nov (many hotels and lifts closed), late Oct–early Dec
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–130 excl. bed · Mid CHF 150–220 excl. bed · High CHF 250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 118 · Rega air rescue 1414
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | CHF 4–6 |
| Entrée in a restaurant | CHF 20–30 |
| Cheese fondue for one | CHF 25–35 |
| Beer: draught / supermarket can | CHF 6–8 / CHF 1.50–2.50 |
| Boat, Interlaken West to Thun | CHF 30–40 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZRH · Zurich
- Train to Interlaken Ost via Bern, about 2 h; change at Bern
- BSL · Basel-Mulhouse
- Some trains run direct to Interlaken, about 2 h; others change at Basel SBB
- GVA · Geneva
- Train via Bern, about 3 h
Typical fares
- Interlaken Ost → Lauterbrunnen, BOB
- about CHF 8, 20 min (check)
- Interlaken Ost → Jungfraujoch, return
- about CHF 230, 2 h 15 min each way (check)
- Boat Interlaken West → Thun
- about CHF 35, 2 h (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable: West to Ost along the Höheweg is about 20 min. Buses and local trains are covered by the guest card your hotel gives you. Mountain trains leave from Interlaken Ost (BOB) and Wilderswil; boats for Lake Thun leave near West, for Lake Brienz near Ost. Taxis wait at both stations.
See and do
Known for
- Jungfraujoch and the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO site
- Gateway to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald
- Paragliding and canyoning
- Höhematte lawn and the Höheweg
- Lake Thun and Lake Brienz boats
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lauterbrunnen | BOB train from Interlaken Ost, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Grindelwald | BOB train from Interlaken Ost, about 35 min | About 45 min |
| Wengen | BOB to Lauterbrunnen, then the Wengernalpbahn | About 1 h |
| Mürren | Train to Lauterbrunnen, cable car to Grütschalp, then the mountain train | About 1 h 15 min |
| Thun | Boat from Interlaken West, about 2 h; train about 30 min | About 2 h 15 min by boat |
| Meiringen | Train via Brünig, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Interlaken West / Unterseen
- Old-town lanes, bakeries, the big Coop; 5–10 min walk to the West platforms. Best for a short stay with bags.
- Höheweg (between the stations)
- The hotel and souvenir strip facing the Höhematte lawn; 10–15 min walk to either station.
- Interlaken Ost
- Where the BOB mountain trains leave for Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen; best if you are up the valleys every day.
- Matten
- Hostel cluster (Balmer's, Funny Farm) south-east of the centre; 10–15 min walk to Ost.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGROO-ets-ee |
| Thank you | Merci vielmalMER-see FEEL-mahl |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das?vahs KOS-tet dahs |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kahn ikh mit KAR-teh TSAH-len |
| Where is the train station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?voh ist dair BAHN-hohf |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bittedee REKH-noong BIT-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- Reservations are near-essential in Jul–Aug; not all hotels open year-round.
- The Jungfraujoch ticket is expensive and weather-dependent: check the live webcam before you buy.
- Adventure sports are weather-cancelled often; book with a company that refunds or reschedules.
- Souvenir shops on the Höheweg are the priciest in Switzerland for the same chocolate you can buy at Coop.
Interlaken is a low-crime tourist town; the real risks are altitude and weather on the mountains, fast-moving adventure sports, and pickpockets on the crowded Höheweg in summer.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Interlaken yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jungfraujoch and the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO site
- Gateway to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald
- Paragliding and canyoning
- Höhematte lawn and the Höheweg
- Lake Thun and Lake Brienz boats
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Interlaken Tourism: www.interlaken.ch/en
- Gemeinde Interlaken: www.interlaken-gemeinde.ch
- Jungfrau Railways: www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/
- St Beatus Caves: www.beatushoehlen.swiss/en/
- Wikivoyage: Interlaken, revision 5247509 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247509
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Interlaken
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Interlaken; most countries keep embassies in Bern and consulates-general in Zurich or Geneva. The US has an embassy in Bern (check).
Guest card and mountain-train tickets are checked on board; keep them with you.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/interlaken). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.