Interlaken Travel Guide
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Interlaken Mini Travel Guide:
In terms of the typical things, Interlaken doesn’t really offer a lot to do. There isn’t much of a nightlife, you can’t spend days museum hopping, and dining becomes a painful experience when you finally receive the check. But to be fair, you don’t go to Interlaken for the typical. You go to get neck deep in some extreme sports and ride that high only adrenaline can provide. Interlaken is the perfect stop for skydivers, paragliders, canyoners, whitewater rafters, bungee jumpers and solo female travelers.
When To Go
Summer: June – August
Daytime Temps: 64F – 73F (18C-23C)
Nighttime Temps: 48F– 55F (9C-13C)
Fall: September – November
Daytime Temps: 43F – 68F (6C-20C)
Nighttime Temps: 34F – 51F (1C-11C)
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What To Wear
Interlaken tends to be chilly year round. The temperature perks up to 73F (23C) in July but otherwise layers will be your life during your time here. I suggest packing a jacket, sweater and sporting a sturdy pair of boots for hiking and keeping those piggies warm.
Accommodations
Hostels: Prices range from 30CHF to 52CHF per night
**Note: These are the prices for hostels with a rating of 8.0 or higher on Hostelworld.com**
Hotels: Prices for budget hotels run about 36CHF to 88CHF per night
What To Spend
Daily Budget:
80 USD/ 105 AUD/ 105 CAD/ 65 EUR/ 60 GBP
*Assuming you’re on a backpacker’s budget. Making use of public transportation, staying in hostels or other budget accommodations and eating out about once a day. For the daily budgets of other destinations check out Round The World Trip Budget next.*
How To Get Around
Interlaken is pretty small so it’s easy to get around by foot. Hotel guests that want to take public transport can usually receive a free visitor’s card from reception. This will allow you free train and bus rides around town.
To take a day trip out of Interlaken then you’ll want to take advantage of their extensive rail system. You can buy point-to-point tickets or use a rail pass. If you don’t plan on traveling that much around Switzerland then point-to-point tickets are the way to go. If you will be bouncing all over Switzerland then the Swiss Travel Pass could be a good option because the pass grants you unlimited travel on trains, buses, and boats, as well as discounts on cable cars.
What To Do In Interlaken
There many reasons to visit Interlaken, Switzerland. It being gorgeous and looking like something out of a fairy tale is one reason. The fact that you can find the best chocolate you have ever eaten in a corner convenience store is another. But one of the main reasons is all the extreme sports that you can take part in while here. Boating, white river-rafting, canyoning, skydiving, hang-gliding, paragliding and more. Interlaken is worth a stop if you’re brave and want to take part in an adrenaline-inducing, hair-raising, adventure that you can brag about to all the people back home who doubted you.
I personally recommend paragliding for those that have secretly hoped they would be a bird in their next life. You’ll be strapped to the tandem master, who will do all the work while you take in the beauty of Interlaken. The wind carries you gently over the town and lake. After twenty minutes you touch back down and walk off with tons of pictures of an unforgettable experience.
Day Trips Out Of Interlaken
Trummelbach Falls
A twenty-minute train ride, followed by a ten-minute bus ride will see you from Interlaken to Trummelbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen. Trummelbach Falls is an underground waterfall fed by melted glaciers. The falls are an incredible sight and no picture can ever really do it justice. But I’ve tried.
Schilthorn
While you’re in Lauterbrunnen, your next stop should be a mountain village called Murren. Accessible by cable car, a half-hour ride will take to the summit where you will have an incredible 360 view of Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau, the three massive mountains that makeup part of the Swiss Alps. Murren itself is a beautiful village and you’ll enjoy just walking through it and taking in the sights, maybe stopping for a bite along the way in one of their quaint little restaurants.
Safety Tips
In general, Switzerland is a pretty safe place for solo female travelers but of course, no place on Earth is without its issues. Pickpocketing is still a concern so protect your things by carrying an anti-theft bag, a money belt and being alert to your surroundings. For more safety tips, check out this post on safe solo female travel and then read Solo Female Travel Safety Items to find out what to pack to protect yourself and your things.
Travel Tips
- Switzerland is very expensive so plan for a bigger budget in this destination and look to cut costs where you can.
- Stay in hostels to keep your accommodations budget down.
- Carry a refillable water bottle and drink from the tap. No worries, the tap water is safe to drink.
- Use your free visitor’s pass to get around if your hotel offers one.
- Bring your student ID because you will be able to take advantage of discounts.
Happy Travels!