Swiss weekend - Interlaken, Lucerne or??

[johnfm]

I will have 2 days next weekend in Switzerland, flying into/out of Basel with the other half.

I was thinking hire car Saturday morning and head off to drive Grimsel, Susten and Nufenen passes (weather permitting) and then overnight somewhere nearby - Interlaken or Lucerne maybe.

Any suggestions of where to stay for less than £150-£200 for the night.

Cheers

[HappyMidget]

I stayed here a couple of years ago when on a driving holiday through Europe. Great views out over the city, staff were great and the food was really good. http://www.hotelsonnenberg.ch/en/

Didn't take too long to get to Interlaken through some good mountain passes.

[Gareth1974]

I stayed at the imaginatively named "Hotel Interlaken" whilst staying in Interlaken a couple of years ago. Well located, comfortable, and for Switzerland, cheap.

[W99KSY]

I'd definitely choose Luzern over Interlaken for a night's stay - a lot more to see and do unless you're planning on going up the Jungfraujoch/skydiving etc. You also have the transport museum in Luzern which i've heard is worth a trip should the weather not be great ( https://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en)

No idea on places to stay in either as we don't live too far away - if you're planning on doing a hike in any of those passes happy to give some recommendations

Edited by W99KSY on Wednesday 28th September 11:16

[johnfm]

W99KSY said:

I'd definitely choose Luzern over Interlaken for a night's stay - a lot more to see and do unless you're planning on going up the Jungfraujoch/skydiving etc. You also have the transport museum in Luzern which i've heard is worth a trip should the weather not be great (https://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en)

No idea on places to stay in either as we don't live too far away - if you're planning on doing a hike in any of those passes happy to give some recommendations

Cheers

Lucerne looks a bit more interesting - just depends on how long we spend driving really and the weather. Plan to leave Basel around 9 am Saturday. Should get to Grimsel by 11-ish. Drive around a couple of hours, then head to Interlaken or Lucerne for walk around, dinner and hotel. Need to be back in Basel airport for around 8pm, so will have some of Sunday to explore too.

[W99KSY]

Should be plenty of time - one place worth stopping on the Furka pass is the Rhone Glacier - you can get up close and personal and they usually have an ice tunnel that goes inside (think it costs 5-10chf ish)

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/rhone-glacier-c...

[johnfm]

W99KSY said:

Should be plenty of time - one place worth stopping on the Furka pass is the Rhone Glacier - you can get up close and personal and they usually have an ice tunnel that goes inside (think it costs 5-10chf ish)

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/rhone-glacier-c...

Cheers - that sounds interesting. Might do the Panoramastrasse to the Oberaarsee as well.

[s70rmp]

But Interlaken has a Hooters !

We stopped here twice before some very nice hotels and some very poor hotels that charge a fortune because they can.

Some excellent roads and passes near Interlaken so that would be my choice

oh and did I say it has a Hooters ?!

[Huntsman]

Up the hill from Interlaken is Lauterbrunnen, lovely spot.

[telford_mike]

And up the hill from Lauterbrunnen is Wengen. Almost heaven.

[johnfm]

Keep it coming chaps. Really looking forward to this now.

[Rosscow]

My Dad has just taken my Mum back to the hotel in Lucerne that they went to for their honeymoon 40 years ago:

http://www.hotelseeburg.ch/en/welcome

Said it was as lovely around there as they remember it, but it's eye-wateringly expensive!!

Top tip was to get a Tell-Pass - really cheap hop on-hop off use of the brilliant public transport:

http://www.luzern.com/en/mobility/tell-pass

[johnfm]

Rosscow said:

My Dad has just taken my Mum back to the hotel in Lucerne that they went to for their honeymoon 40 years ago:

http://www.hotelseeburg.ch/en/welcome

Said it was as lovely around there as they remember it, but it's eye-wateringly expensive!!

Top tip was to get a Tell-Pass - really cheap hop on-hop off use of the brilliant public transport:

http://www.luzern.com/en/mobility/tell-pass

Yep I expect Basel (like anywhere I have been in CH) to be staggeringly expensive. Tax is low and wages are high, so they pay a lot of money for services. Restaurant prices are shocking! But is is what it is.

[Robertj21a]

telford_mike said:

And up the hill from Lauterbrunnen is Wengen. Almost heaven.

Both very good, but don't forget Murren (up the mountain on the other side to Wengen). As others have said, don't underestimate how expensive the hotel and food will be......

[Mishima]

We've stayed at the Hotel Derby in Grindelwald a couple of times - rooms at the back are opposite the Eiger and it's right next to the station for trains up to Kleiner Scheidegg/Jungfraujoch and over to Wengen. Beautiful.
Not sure if they have a minimum stay but there's parking and the restaurant's good.

[johnfm]

Definitely doing the Mt Pilatus cablecar and the glacier tunnel.

Some good suggestions here guys. Thanks.

[HappyMidget]

johnfm said:

Definitely doing the Mt Pilatus cablecar and the glacier tunnel.

Some good suggestions here guys. Thanks.

If you stay at the hotel I linked to, you can see it from the top of Mt Pilatus on a clear day

[anonymous-user]

There's a Hooters in Interlaken. Just sayin'

[johnfm]

Looks like Mt Rigi might be a better option than Pilatus. So many options - I think it will be a decent (though expensive) couple of days.

No hooters though. My missus has excellent hooters anyway, so I will just enjoy those.

[j4ckos mate]

I went one weekend trip there myself
We stayed in the hotel des balances right on the lake

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g188064...

The next day we got a small ferry to a place called rigi Kulm
Got off. Got on a funicular and stayed here

https://www.rigikulm.ch/en/l

It's like the overlook hotel


Id also recommend the glacier express train
And the transport museum

Edited by j4ckos mate on Saturday 1st October 19:05