Grindelwald vs Lauterbrunnen vs Wengen vs Interlaken: Where to Stay in the Jungfrau Region

By Ramon Stüdeli, who lives in Grindelwald and LucerneLast updated: 31 October 2026

Quick answer: For most first-time visitors, Grindelwald is the best base. The Jungfraujoch, First and Männlichen are right on your doorstep, and you can get there by train or car. Wengen suits travelers who want a quiet, car-free mountain village. Lauterbrunnen is ideal for waterfalls and Mürren, and Interlaken is best for lakes, lots of lodging options and day trips around Switzerland.

Grindelwald or Zermatt? How much does Grindelwald cost? Daily budget

Key facts at a glance

Grindelwald: village below the Eiger North Face, fastest way to the Jungfraujoch (about 45 min from Grindelwald Terminal), its own lifts to First and Männlichen.
Wengen: car-free, at 1,274 m (4,180 ft), reachable only by the Wengernalp Railway. Direct access to Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg.
Lauterbrunnen: the valley of 72 waterfalls, including Staubbach Falls (297 m / 974 ft). Gateway to Wengen, Mürren and the Schilthorn.
Interlaken: between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the Interlaken Ost rail hub. The widest choice of places to stay, but 20 to 40 minutes by train to the mountains every day.
All four are on the rail network from Interlaken Ost. Check on the official websites before you travel which routes your pass covers.

Comparison table

	Grindelwald	Wengen	Lauterbrunnen	Interlaken
Setting	mountain village, 1,034 m, below the Eiger	sunny terrace, 1,274 m, above the Lauterbrunnen Valley	valley floor between cliffs	on flat land between two lakes
Train from Interlaken Ost	Bernese Oberland Railway, about 35 min, direct	about 38 min, change in Lauterbrunnen	about 22 min, direct	–
By car	yes, Grindelwald Terminal parking garage	no, car-free	yes	yes
Jungfraujoch	about 45 min from Grindelwald Terminal (Eiger Express)	via Kleine Scheidegg (26 min), then Jungfrau Railway	via Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg	about 1 hr 30 min from Interlaken Ost
Closest lifts	First (25 min), Männlichen (19 min), Eiger Express	Männlichen (cable car), Kleine Scheidegg	Mürren via Grütschalp, Schilthorn from Stechelberg	Harder Kulm (about 10 min), Schynige Platte from Wilderswil
Views	Eiger North Face right outside your window	over the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Jungfrau	waterfalls and cliffs, less sun on the valley floor	lakes, Jungfrau in the distance
Price level (our take)	mid to high	on the higher side	on the lower side	widest range
Winter	First and Kleine Scheidegg–Männlichen ski areas	Kleine Scheidegg–Männlichen ski area, Lauberhorn races	base for Mürren and Wengen	base, daily train to the ski areas
Best for	first-timers, hikers, families, adventure	peace and quiet, couples, car-free stays	waterfalls, Mürren, smaller budgets	short stays, lakes, day trips, rainy days

Travel times: official timetables and jungfrau.ch, rounded. Check the current timetable on sbb.ch. Price level is our editorial take, not a statistic.

Grindelwald: the mountain base with the most excursions

Grindelwald sits at 1,034 m right below the Eiger North Face. From here you go straight up to First (25 min), to Männlichen (19 min from Grindelwald Terminal) and on the Eiger Express to the Jungfraujoch (about 45 min). The village has two train stations: Grindelwald Terminal for the Eiger Express and Männlichen, and Grindelwald for the First gondola (about a 10-minute walk).

Pros: short trips to the big excursions, great in summer and winter, reachable by car. With the guest card, which you get from one overnight stay, the local bus is free and you get discounts on mountain lifts.

Cons: the village is spread out, so walking between the lifts can take a while.

Wengen: car-free and quiet

Wengen sits at 1,274 m on a sunny terrace above the Lauterbrunnen Valley and can only be reached by the Wengernalp Railway. A cable car goes straight from the village to Männlichen, and the cog railway reaches Kleine Scheidegg in about 26 minutes. In January, Wengen hosts the Lauberhorn ski races (January 15–17, 2027).

Pros: no cars, quiet, views into the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Cons: you always change trains in Lauterbrunnen to get there. To reach Grindelwald or First, you go over Kleine Scheidegg or back down to the valley.

Lauterbrunnen: waterfalls and the way to Mürren

Lauterbrunnen is the valley of 72 waterfalls. According to the municipality, Staubbach Falls drops 297 m, and Trümmelbach Falls thunder inside the mountain (open early April to early November). From Lauterbrunnen, Wengen is about 12 minutes away and Mürren about 18 minutes via Grütschalp. The Schilthorn cable car leaves from Stechelberg.

Pros: central for Wengen, Mürren and the Schilthorn, direct train from Interlaken (about 22 min).

Cons: on the valley floor between high cliffs, you get less sun than up on the terraces. For First and the Eiger Express, you ride back to Zweilütschinen and on to Grindelwald.

Interlaken: the rail hub between the lakes

Interlaken lies between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Trains to Grindelwald (about 35 min) and Lauterbrunnen (about 22 min) leave from Interlaken Ost. In town you have Harder Kulm (1,322 m, funicular about 10 min), boat trips on both lakes and tandem paragliding, with about 35,000 landings a year on the Höhematte meadow.

Pros: the biggest choice of hotels and restaurants, good connections to Bern, Lucerne and Zurich, lots of rainy-day options.

Cons: you are not staying in the mountains. Every trip up starts with a train ride.

Which town is right for you?

You are …	Our pick	Why
a first-timer with 2–4 days	Grindelwald	Jungfraujoch, First and Männlichen with no detours
a family with kids	Grindelwald or Wengen	Grindelwald: Bort playground, Trottibike, Bachalpsee. Wengen: car-free
a couple looking for quiet	Wengen	no cars, terrace setting
into waterfalls and Mürren	Lauterbrunnen	Staubbach, Trümmelbach, Mürren and Schilthorn within reach
staying 1 night or driving a rental car	Interlaken or Grindelwald	both reachable by car
planning day trips to Lucerne or Bern	Interlaken	rail hub, no extra ride down the valley
a skier	Grindelwald or Wengen	right in the ski areas
worried about the weather	Interlaken	lakes, caves and an indoor pool as plan B

Our tip: If you pick just one town and the Jungfraujoch is on your list, choose Grindelwald. With a week, combine two places, for example three nights in Grindelwald and three in Wengen or Lauterbrunnen.

Places to stay in the Jungfrau RegionCompare hotels and holiday flats on the map

FAQ

Is Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen better?

Grindelwald is better for the Jungfraujoch, First and Eiger views. Lauterbrunnen is better for waterfalls, Mürren and the Schilthorn. Both are about 20 to 35 minutes from Interlaken Ost.

Can you drive to Wengen?

No. Wengen is car-free and only reachable by the Wengernalp Railway, for example in about 12 minutes from Lauterbrunnen.

Is it worth staying in Interlaken instead of the mountains?

Yes, if you plan many day trips to other regions or want a big choice of hotels. But you lose time on the train every day you go up the mountains.

How do you get from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen?

By train via Zweilütschinen, or over Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen on the Wengernalp Railway. Check the travel time on sbb.ch.

Which town is best in winter?

Grindelwald and Wengen sit right in the First and Kleine Scheidegg–Männlichen ski areas. Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen are bases you ride up from every day.

Where is it quietest?

Wengen, because it is car-free. Mürren above Lauterbrunnen is car-free too.

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About the author

Ramon Stüdeli is the owner of Grindelwald Experiences. He lives in Grindelwald and Lucerne, brings broad experience from tourism and other industries and has traveled to more than 60 countries.