rivenmyst137

Was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for where to stay (both town and specific hotel) in the Berner Oberland. There are 2 of us in our 20s, we're on a budget but would like something nicer than a hostel. I think 150 CHF/night is about our upper limit. We're looking for a home base from which to wander to various towns (Rick Steve's says to avoid Interlaken). Was kind of looking at Lauterbrunnen but wondering if maybe I'm missing something?

Any advice appreciated.

jdc26

Hi rivenmyst137, I can't give you much recommendations, but I posed the same questions on here yesterday and have settled on Luzern and Wengen. I booked the Des Alpes (sp) in Luzern for 2 nights and still looking for accomodations in Wengen. Currently in talks with Alpenrose (highly recommended here), also looking at Hotel Schoenegg (sent a request). I'm also thinking about another town for 2 nights, but really don't want to move around too much. I believe I can see and do a lot based in Wengen for 7 nights.

When are you going to be in the BO?

Happy travels!

jdc

bettyk

We stayed in Lauterbrunnen a couple of years ago for a few days and thought it was a good base for us. We had a car, but you could also do without as there is good public transportation. We visited Schilthorn (stopped in Murren on the way down) and drove down to Thunersee and stopped in Thun and Spiez.

We stayed at the Hotel Oberland which is right on the main street. I think their doubles now start at CHF 140. They also have a great restaurant. The owner, Mark, is a chef (Australian) and his wife is Swiss. They are very nice.

Anhyway, we enjoyed our stay there and would return.

http://www.hoteloberland.ch/main.php...prices&lang=en

eluckhardt

We stayed in Wengen at the Hotel Alpenruhe. We really enjoyed our brief, but beautiful stay there. The owner picked us up from the train station in her cart and took us up to the hotel.

swandav2000

Hi rivenmyst137,

I personally would not want to stay in Lauterbrunnen, which sits at the base of the cliffs that overhang the village. Every time I pass through town, I get the shivers about staring at those cliff walls all day long --

I would definitely stay in a car-free village higher up, IN the peaks with views that look over to the other peaks. I haven't stayed at this hotel but have put it on my "to-do" list:

http://www.edelweiss-muerren.ch/

You haven't said when you're going, but rates are 85 chf per person until 21 June.

Have fun!

s

bob_brown

Despite my 10 visits to Lauterbrunnen, my experience with hotels and other lodging facilities in the valley are very limited. Since 1998 I have rented an apartment at Chalet Horner. If Mrs. Staeger will accept 4 night rentals, I suggest looking up Chalet Horner on the web and checking availability.

Each flat has a small kitchen and you can prepare you own food at considerable savings.

The valley walls have never bothered me or my wife. In fact, they are rather picturesque.

The next best bet if an apartment is not available to you is to check on the Hotel Crystal.

Nothing in that area, however, is cheap.

Also, I don't agree at all with Rick Steves and his assessment of Interlaken. Afterall, he is the man who raved about Gimmelwald, which is dot on the landscape.

One good feature of Gimmelwald is that you might find a cheap place to stay (relatively speaking)but if you want to explore the whole area, Gimmelwald is perched on the valley shelf and is not easily reached except by cable car from Stechelberg.

The higher up villages of Mürren and Wengen (on opposite sides of the valley) are not cheap either, and they have of the drawback of being accessible primarily by cable car or train which adds to the expense if you have to go and come every day.

Wayne

I would not stay anywhere that is accessible only by cable car or even a slow train, unless my objective is really to "stay" and not go anywhere.

scatcat

I am staying in Wengen in September at Hotel Baeren. I don't know much about it. My room rate for a single is 120sfr and it includes a buffet breakfast and dinner. I'm not real picky other than clean and No bugs. I have never had a room any place in Europe that had any type of bugs. Once in Hawaii I had a nice room that housed a colony of ants. I moved.

rivenmyst137

Thank you all for your replies! That helps. FYI, we will be in the Berner Oberland in mid-May.

Melnq8

I'm currently finishing up a week long stay in Lauterbunnen. We've visited the BO many times before, staying in Wengen, Murren, Grindelwald and Interlaken, but this is our first stay in Lauterbrunnen. It's worked very well for us and I'd definitely stay here again, particularly in the apartment we've rented. It's been very simple to get just about anywhere in the BO from Lauterbrunnen. There's at least hne hostel here which looks nice enough from the outside, but I haven't seen the interior. You really can^t go wrong staying in Lauterbrunnen.