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Swiss Alps Tours › Getting ThereUpdated 2026-09-26

How to Get to the Swiss Alps: Trains to Interlaken and the Valleys

Hours, prices and access verified by the Swiss Alps Tours team — last checked 2026-09-26.

Interlaken Ost is the start line. The trains from Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne end there, and the mountain trains leave from the next platforms. If you are joining a Swiss Alps guided tours, plan to arrive at Interlaken Ost with time to spare. The times below come from the Swiss timetable for a weekday morning in October.

Interlaken Ost is the start line

Interlaken has two stations, West and Ost, four minutes apart by train. Get off at Ost. The Bernese Oberland trains to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald leave from there, and several tours meet at the glass-cube info point outside. The Höheweg, where other tours meet, runs from the station into town.

  1. Arrive at Interlaken Ost: the main-line trains stop here.
  2. Find your meeting point: the station forecourt, or a shop on the Höheweg.
  3. Or ride on: the valley trains leave every half hour.

From Zurich, Geneva, Bern and Lucerne

You do not need a car. Bern is the closest city, 55 minutes away on a direct train. From Zurich and Basel you can ride direct in under two hours. The Luzern-Interlaken Express runs direct from Lucerne over the Brünig Pass in 1 hour 48 minutes. From Geneva, allow three hours with a change.

FromTo Interlaken OstChanges
Bern55 minutesNone
Lucerne1 hour 48 minutesNone, on the Luzern-Interlaken Express
Zurich main station1 hour 57 minutesNone on the direct train
Basel1 hour 58 minutesNone on the direct train
Zurich airport2 hours 13 minutesNone on the direct train
Geneva2 hours 53 minutes1
Geneva airport3 hours 3 minutes1

Your ticket choice matters more than the route. A Swiss Travel Pass covers these trains, and a Half Fare Card halves them. Both are compared on the pass page.

Rather not do the trains yourself?

The Jungfraujoch day from Zurich picks you up in the city and drives you to the lifts, with the summit tickets in the fare.

Check availabilityTours from Zurich

From Zurich or Geneva airport

If you land at Zurich airport, a direct train reaches Interlaken Ost in 2 hours 13 minutes. From Geneva airport, allow about 3 hours with one change. You can be in the mountains by the afternoon, and join a tour the next morning.

Into the valleys

From Interlaken Ost, the valley trains split. One branch runs to Lauterbrunnen in 22 minutes and the other to Grindelwald in 36. Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg are uphill from Lauterbrunnen, and Mürren is across the valley by cable car and train. For the Schilthorn you take the bus from Lauterbrunnen to the cable car at Stechelberg.

From Interlaken Ost toTimeChanges
Lauterbrunnen22 minutesNone
Grindelwald Terminal (Eiger Express)29 minutesNone
Grindelwald36 minutesNone
Wengen37 minutes1, at Lauterbrunnen
Stechelberg (Schilthorn cable car)43 minutes1, bus from Lauterbrunnen
Mürren50 minutes2
Kleine Scheidegg1 hour 4 minutes1
Jungfraujoch1 hour 37 minutes2

The fastest way to the Jungfraujoch goes through Grindelwald Terminal and the Eiger Express. From Interlaken Ost it takes 1 hour 37 minutes with two changes. Remember the seat reservation from May to October: it costs CHF 10 and is compulsory on the Eiger Express.

Engelberg for Titlis

Mount Titlis is not in the Jungfrau region. It rises above Engelberg, south of Lucerne. Lucerne to Engelberg takes 49 minutes with one change, and Zurich to Engelberg 1 hour 52 with two. From Interlaken, the trip takes almost three hours, so do Titlis from Lucerne or Zurich, not from Interlaken.

Milan and the Bernina line

The Bernina line runs from St. Moritz over the pass to Tirano in Italy. The regular train takes 2 hours 12 minutes. From Zurich, St. Moritz is 3 hours 10 minutes away with one change. The Milan day tours start at Porta Garibaldi station and drive you up by coach. Bring your passport or an EU ID, because you cross the border twice.

From 29 October to 13 November 2026, the Bernina Express panoramic trains from Chur run a diversion for engineering works. The regular trains the Milan days ride are not the Bernina Express.

Driving: where the road ends

You can drive to Lauterbrunnen: leave the motorway at Wilderswil and follow the valley road. Trümmelbach Falls lies about 3 km beyond the village. Wengen and Mürren are car-free, though, so the road ends in the valley and the rest is train or cable car. Plan to park once and use the lifts.

Getting-there questions

How long is the train from Zurich to Interlaken?
The direct train from Zurich main station takes 1 hour 57 minutes. Other trains take about the same with one or two changes, so check the one you pick.
Should I get off at Interlaken West or Interlaken Ost?
Interlaken Ost. The valley trains to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald leave from there, and most tours meet there or on the Höheweg nearby.
Can I drive to Wengen or Mürren?
No. Neither village can be reached by public road. Park in Lauterbrunnen and take the train or the cable car up.
How do I get from Milan to the Bernina line?
The Milan day tours drive you there by coach from Porta Garibaldi station. By train from Switzerland, Zurich to St. Moritz takes about 3 hours 10 minutes with one change.

Where these facts come from

Tours that start in your arrival city

Next: pick a base on where to stay, work out the fares on the Swiss Travel Pass page, or compare every tour on Swiss Alps Tours.