allieS

I have set aside 5 nights to stay in Murren, Switzerland on our way through to Italy from Paris. Is this too long? And, should I use some of the nights elsewhere in Switzerland? We are also stopping at Monteux to catch the Golden Pass train.

annhig

hi, allie,

yes, I'd say about 5 nights too long. it's out on rather a spur - far better for a day trip.

ideally stay in Wengen - you can get trains and cable cars to virutally anywhere you want, including Murren, plus lots of trails to explore.

regards, ann

padams421

I agree with annhig. Stay in Wengen, which is more centrally located. You can head off in several directions to Murren, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Jungfrau, etc. Murren is more isolated, and you are at one end of the Berner Oberland area. There's not much in Murren.

bob_brown

If you look at a map of the Berner Oberland, you will see that Mürren is located on the shelf of the Lauterbrunnen Valley at the south end.

From there you can do extensive hiking and visit the top of the Schilthorn, but to do anything else you have to leave by mountain transportation because no public roads lead to the village.

I have visited the area many times during the last 10 years and I always stay in Lauterbrunnen where I am convenient to Mürren, Wengen, Interlaken, Grindelwald, and all of the destinations that can be reached by mountain transportation from those locations.

For example, the train from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald is convenient during the day until about 18:00. From Grindelwald there are several places to go.

From Lauterbrunnen, Wengen is a short train ride up the side of the valley. From there one can take the Luftseilbahn to the crest of the ridge and hike down to various destinations, or take the train on to Kleine Scheidegg which is the change point for passengers headed to the Jungfraujoch.

Wengen I might add is also a car free village on the eastern side of the Lauterbrunnen, more toward the northern end of the valley.

It, too is a picturesque place to stay with great views.

I know several people who have spent two nights in Mürren and then moved over to Wengen for two or three more nights.

I stay a week in Lauterbrunnen in an apartment where I can park and then fan out from my base.

Ronda

We stayed in Murren for 3 nights and it was just lovely. We daytriped out during the day when it was crowded with tourists and had the place to ourselves in the evening. Not a lot to do. From our hotel room we could lay in bed and see the mountains. It rained during the night and we awoke to a view of the mountainside with waterfalls.

We stayed at the Bellevue-Crystal. Check out the reviews on Trip Advisor under Murren Specialty Lodging.

allieS

Thanks everyone!! All very helpful. Bob, I've had a look at apartments in Lauterbrunnen, looks like the way to go. Cheers, Allie

bob_brown

I am scheduled to return to Chalet HORNER for the upteenth time.
The owner is more flexible in negotiating the rental period. Most Swiss apartment owners want a week in high season. At Chalet Horner scheduling is a little more flexible.

However, it fills up in the summer!
You can find the web site with Google.
http://tinyurl.com/ypd2yh

The Lauberhorn unit, which is great for 2, has exactly 5 nights left in July and only 4 nights in August.

The Studio unit is going fast.

The largest unit, the Schilthorn, is sold out for all of August and all but 2 nights in July.

The smallest unit, which is still good for 2, is just about sold out for the entire summer season.
So you if you want an apartment, I hope you are not shut out.

allieS

Thanks Bob, the studio apartment appears to still be available. We are heading there from 10-14 October, the other flats are already booked out. Studio sits well with our budget though. We will have already spent 10 days in the UK and 6 in Paris, so I think we will be keen to make our own food for a night or two.

Thanks again!

bob_brown

I think you will be OK in the Studio. We have used it more than once. The bathroom is a little tight, but the table is large enough for two people to eat comfortably. The refrigerator and cook top are adequate as well in a narrow kitchen area.

The beds are comfortable and the couch is adequate.

I think you will enjoy shopping the markets in Lauterbrunnen. The Co-op is where we buy canned goods and items like paper towels and napkins.
Then we go to the diary store, the Molkerei, for cheese and yogurt. Then there is the stop at the meat market for chicken, pork, and fish. (Beef is $$$) Then on to the bakery.

Unfortunately, there are better bakeries in Switzerland, but they are not close at hand.

If you want to carry and walk a little, there is a big market just across the plaza from the Interlaken Ost train station, which is a 20 minute ride away.

There is also a Co-op store in Wilderswil which we use because it has free parking and a relatively wide selection.

You can do fine in Lauterbrunnen itself. The first 6 visits we found it interesting to see what each shop had to offer. The bakery has expanded what it sells; it is not just baked good now, but includes yogurt and other cold items.

I might add that you will need to segregate your garbage for recycling.

At Chalet Horner, you will need make friends with Chico. We have, and he pays a social call from time to time.

Of course his predecessor, Meg, a Jack Russell terrier, also would come calling.

If you want, I can fill you in on mountain transportation.
In a nutshell, cable lift to Grutschalp, and little train to Mürren, or walk the trail.
Mountain train to Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg.
Train to Grindelwald, BUT check the return schedule. In the summer, the connections get most user UNfriendly after 18:00.

allieS

Thanks Bob, some of your other postings made is sound as though it would be relatively easy to buy food to cook.

Do you think it would be worthwhile to stay one night up in Murren, or just make a couple of trips, one for Schiltorn and one walking up to the village?

I was also thinking about a day trip to Jungfraujoch and doing a few days walking elsewhere in the valley. Maybe a day trip somewhere out of the valley if the weather is not so good on a day or two. Not planning for a car at this point.

We are also going to stop at Montreux on the way from Paris, should I put another night here? or stick with 5 nights in the LV?

I keep changing my mind about what to do!