I think by the end of all these Switzerland posts – you are all going to think I should move! haha. Trust me I’ve thought about that too. Well, here we go again, today I share what is possibly our favorite day in Switzerland.
The Jungfrau region is easily accessible from Lauterbrunnen Valley which is where we were staying. But you can also just hop on a train from Lucerne and make it a longer trip. I highly recommend this day trip for people who don’t ski because it gives you high altitude views that only folks who do winter sports might come close to getting. Regardless if you ski or not, this is a must – but since most people come to this region to ski and Thomas and I don’t know how to (after this trip, I have been giving learning serious consideration ) we found this day trip perfect for us.
So what’s the big deal? The Jungfrau region is the highest place you can visit by train in Europe. It is 3454 meters above sea level which is VERY high – let’s just say that its higher than Machu Picchu! The train ride is beautiful and on a clear day, you get the most incredible views. We couldn’t stop taking photos!
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you go:
- Check the weather before you decide to buy tickets. The tickets cost 189 Swiss Francs per person so not very cheap – you might as well make it worth it! We waited until the same day to buy tickets because the weather changes very fast and we wanted to be sure. Tickets don’t really sell out (but always double check ).
- Take the second or third train up, if you can. I don’t love crowds and this is a big attraction so tons of people book it. Thomas and I made sure we were on the 9 AM train to avoid large crowds and boy was I happy we did that! We were able to take pictures without having to wait around for people to move etc. and it was just a better experience.
- Avoid eating at the restaurants inside the Jungfrau stop – they seem very touristy. Instead, wait until you head back and stop at Kleine Scheidegg to eat. We grabbed food at the Eigernordwand restaurant and sat outside – the views were amazing because it faces one of Switzerland’s most famous mountains – the Eiger!
- Make sure you sit on the RIGHT side on the train when heading to up – it has the best views – trust me on this.
- If you are traveling throughout Switzerland by train then it might be worth looking into the Swiss Travel Pass because you get a discount on this tour with it as well.