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Heading up the Jungfrau... |
The mountain train to the Top of Europe
If you find yourself around Interlaken, why not climb the North Face of the Eiger, traverse the Mönch and scale the Jungfrau to an altitude of over 11,000 feet? By train, of course, on the famous Jungfraubahn, one of Switzerland's most amazing train rides. Completed in 1912, the Jungfrau railway is open all year round and takes you to the most spectacular view of the Alps you can get without being Sir Edmund Hillary. See an account of the journey in pictures.
Practical information
Train times See route map
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The Jungfraubahn operates hourly from 08:00 until mid-afternoon, every day, all year round.
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You can check train times & fares between anywhere in Switzerland and the Jungfraujoch - the station at the top of the Jungfraubahn - using the journey planner at the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) website www.sbb.ch. This is an integrated planner covering all Swiss train, bus & ferry operators. Make sure the fare you check is the no reduction price unless you have a Swiss Half Fare Card.
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There's more information at the Jungfraubahn website, www.jungfrau.ch, including timetable, fares, webcams and weather reports.
How much does it cost?
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Regular fare: A trip on the Jungfraubahn doesn't come cheap: The regular adult fare is around CHF 235 (£199) return from Interlaken Ost or CHF 222 (£188) return from Grindelwald. You can check current prices at www.sbb.ch.
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Swiss Travel Pass: If you are making other Swiss train journeys you may well find that a Swiss Travel Pass is worthwhile, even though you still have to buy a 25% discounted ticket for the last leg from Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen to the Jungfraujoch as explained below - but you'll have to do the maths as it depends what other trips you plan to do. This trip alone doesn't warrant a pass.
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Swiss Half Fare Card: Alternatively, it's also worth considering a 1-month Swiss Half Fare Card as this breaks even just with the cost of one Interlaken to Jungfraujoch round trip plus one other shortish train trip. Once you have a Swiss Half Fare Card, you can buy tickets to Jungfraujoch with a 50% reduction at any station or online at www.sbb.ch.
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Good Morning Ticket: Another way to save money is with a Good Morning ticket, available between early May and late October for CHF 175 (£148) return from Interlaken or CHF 165 (£140) return from Grindelwald. You can buy this if you take the first or second train of the day, leaving Interlaken around 06:35 or 07:05, Kleine Scheidegg around 08:00 or 08:35, descending from the Jungfraujoch by 13:00 at the latest the same day. Incidentally, the Swiss Half Fare card doesn't work with a Good Morning Ticket.
Is it worth it?
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The train to the Jungfraujoch isn't cheap. But it's a ride to the highest station in Europe, on a historic railway dating from 1912. Much of the Jungfraubahn is in tunnel inside the mountain, but the views from the top are spectacular, see the photos below. So yes, I'm glad I did it, though if you're on a tight budget it's not the end of the world if you go somewhere cheaper instead. If you do it, make sure you check the weather first, to make sure it's a clear day.
Is altitude a problem?
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At 11,000 feet the air is thin, so take it easy. Walk slowly, sit down when you need to and don't rush. You can certainly feel it. But unless you have any specific medical problems, it's not something to worry about - you'll be fine, as will your kids.
How to buy tickets
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You don't need to reserve or book in advance for trains to Jungfraujoch, you can just turn up, buy a ticket at the station and go.
In fact, I recommend buying a ticket on the day so you can check the weather before deciding to go - check the webcam on www.jungfrau.ch. You wouldn't want to make an expensive journey to the Jungfraujoch only to find it fogged in.
However, reserving a place on the Jungfrau railway is a good idea, especially in good weather. You can do this on the day or the day before (or earlier, if you insist) for CHF 10 at jungfrau.ch/seatreservation, separately from any ticket.
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If you like, you can buy a round trip ticket between Wengen or Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch online at www.switzerlandtravelcentre.com, just scroll down to Mountain Excursions & select Jungfraujoch. You print out your own ticket, good for any train you like up & down on the day you choose. If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card you can buy tickets with the 50% reduction this way too. Tickets from Interlaken or anywhere else in Switzerland to Grindelwald or Wengen can be bought at the Swiss Railways site www.sbb.ch.
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Good Morning tickets cannot be bought online at www.switzerlandtravelcentre.com or sbb.ch, in theory you should be able to buy it online at www.jungfrau.ch (though blowed if I can find how to do it) but it's easy enough to buy it at the station.
If you have a railpass
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If you have a Eurail pass, Interrail pass or Swiss Travel Pass, these give unlimited travel on Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB), so get you as far as Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen.
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However, they don't give free travel on the Wengernalpbahn from Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen up to Kleine Scheidegg or Jungfraubahn from Kleine Scheidegg up to Jungfraujoch, so you need to buy a ticket for this section. But these passes get you 25% off the regular price.
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You can buy a round trip ticket from Grindelwald, Wengen or Lauterbrunnen to the Jungfrau with Swiss pass or Half Fare Card discount at www.switzerlandtravelcentre.com.
The journey in pictures
Step 1, by mainline train to Interlaken Ost, 567m or 1,860 feet above sea level
Frequent Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) trains run from major Swiss cities to Interlaken Ost. You'll also find direct trains from Germany to Interlaken and one daily train at 18:23 from Paris to Interlaken - although the latter arrives too late for onward travel the same day. Changing trains at Interlaken Ost is easy and takes just a few minutes, walking from one train to the other.
Step 2, by local train to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, at 1,034m or 3,393 feet
Every half hour, a blue-and-yellow narrow-gauge train of the Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) leaves Interlaken Ost with a portion for Grindelwald and another portion for Lauterbrunnen. You can travel either route. Journey time Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen 20 minutes, Interlaken to Grindelwald 34 minutes. If you plan to stay overnight, either Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen are the places to stay, pretty villages up in the mountains - I can recommend the Hotel Alte Post in Grindelwald. As you can see in the photo below right, at Grindelwald the arrival from Interlaken and the onward train to Kleine Scheidegg are on opposite sides of the same platform, so changing trains only takes a few seconds.
Step 3, by local train to Kleine Scheidegg, at 2,061m or 6,762 feet
Every half-hour, a green-and-yellow local train of the Wengernalpbahn links Grindelwald with Kleine Scheidegg and also Lauterbrunnen with Kleine Scheidegg. Journey time 33 minutes from Grindelwald or 43 minutes from Lauterbrunnen.
Step 4, take the Jungfraubahn to the Top of Europe, 3,454m or 11,333 feet above sea level
Every hour from morning until late afternoon, a Jungfraubahn train connects Kleine Scheidegg with Jungfraujoch - the col between the summits of the Mönch and the Jungfrau, known as the Top of Europe.
