Canonical: https://awaychapter.com/en/stay/switzerland/jungfrau/interlaken-or-grindelwald/ Language: en Content-Signal: search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=yes Description: Compare the BOB train split, where the Eiger Express and First start, late-autumn maintenance closures, station lockers and hotel reception hours before choosing Interlaken or Grindelwald. Author: Away Chapter Content Team Published: 2026-11-12 Updated: 2026-11-12 # Interlaken or Grindelwald? A Jungfrau base by trains and season Compare the BOB train split, where the Eiger Express and First start, late-autumn maintenance closures, station lockers and hotel reception hours before choosing Interlaken or Grindelwald. This article contains affiliate links. Compiled by Away Chapter Content Team Information checked 2026.11.11 Updated 2026.11.12 ## Choose the base where your mountain days begin Count your arrival, departure and mountain days by direction, then compare a hotel at Interlaken Ost with one in Grindelwald village. ### Interlaken Ost ![The hotel exterior with its HOTEL DU LAC sign and the street in front]() #### Hotel Du Lac The official site gives a one-minute walk from Interlaken Ost and a location beside the Lake Brienz boats. It suits trips that mix Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and the lakes, or tight arrival and departure days. Reception is staffed 07:00–21:00. [Check rooms and rates]()[Compare in the guide]() ### Grindelwald village ![The hotel building behind the Grindelwald station canopy and a BOB train]() #### Derby Swiss Quality Hotel The official site places it in Grindelwald village centre at the end of the BOB line. It suits trips with several First rides or many mornings starting in Grindelwald. The Eiger Express leaves from the Terminal one stop back. [Check rooms and rates]()[Compare in the guide]() Check on the Jungfrau Railways website whether Grindelwald Terminal, the Eiger Express and First operate on your dates. Prices, room capacity and beds depend on your dates and party. Check them on the booking screen. ![A Wengernalp Railway train at Grindelwald station below the snow-covered Eiger]() A Wengernalp Railway train at Grindelwald station below the snow-covered Eiger If you are choosing one place to sleep in the Jungfrau Region, start by counting where your mountain days begin. When most of them start on the Grindelwald side, a room in Grindelwald village saves the daily train ride. When the trip mixes Grindelwald, the Lauterbrunnen valley, the lakes, a late arrival or an early departure, a hotel near Interlaken Ost keeps every direction open. One more check can change the answer: if mountain lines close for maintenance on your dates, as Jungfrau Railways scheduled in late autumn 2021, the advantage of sleeping in Grindelwald shrinks, so look at the operating status for your actual dates before you book. ## Count the days that start on the mountain Both places sit on the same Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB), so either base can reach the other. What differs is the journey you repeat every morning and evening. Jungfrau Region Tourism gives 29 minutes from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald Terminal and another five minutes to the terminus in the village. If three or four of your mountain days begin in Grindelwald, that round trip adds up quickly. If one day goes to Grindelwald, the next to Lauterbrunnen and another to the lakes, Interlaken sits before the fork and keeps each day simpler. Treat arrival and departure days separately. Jungfrau Railways says train connections to the airports and to Bern run every half hour. If you step off a long-distance train late in the evening, or must leave for the airport early on your last morning, a hotel near Interlaken Ost removes one change of train compared with a mountain village. If you expect to move a mountain day because of weather, a starting point that reaches both valleys is also easier to replan from. Scroll sideways to see the whole table | Trip pattern | Near Interlaken Ost | Grindelwald village | | --- | --- | --- | | Several Jungfraujoch or First days | BOB ride each time | Start from the village | | Mixed with Lauterbrunnen and lakes | Before the fork, easier | Change again at Zweilütschinen | | Late arrival or early departure | Next to the main-line station | One more BOB connection | | If mountain lines close for maintenance | Easy to switch direction | Village advantage shrinks | ## At Interlaken Ost, board the rear of the train The detail most visitors miss is which end of the train to board. BOB trains leaving Interlaken Ost divide at Zweilütschinen. Jungfrau Region Tourism tells travellers heading to Grindelwald to sit in the rear section and those heading to Lauterbrunnen to sit at the front. If you board the front and stay seated, you will end up in Lauterbrunnen, so check the signs on the platform and on the outside of the carriages. Jungfrau Railways describes the same operation: as a rule two trains run coupled to Zweilütschinen and are separated there. ![Travellers pulling suitcases along a platform at Interlaken Ost]() Travellers pulling suitcases along a platform at Interlaken Ost On its First page, Jungfrau Railways lists a BOB service every 30 minutes from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald. Lauterbrunnen is 20 minutes from Interlaken Ost according to the tourism office. Grindelwald has three stations, Terminal, Grund and the village station (Dorf). Grund lies in the valley below the village and is where trains up to Kleine Scheidegg also depart. When a hotel says it is "near Grindelwald station", check which of the three it means. In this article, Grindelwald village station means the BOB terminus. ## Jungfraujoch and First start from different stations The Jungfraujoch trip starts at Grindelwald Terminal. Jungfrau Railways gives 45 minutes from the Terminal to the Jungfraujoch: 15 minutes on the Eiger Express gondola to the Eiger Glacier and 26 minutes on the Jungfrau Railway; the operator also lists a 5-minute stop at about 3,160 m on the way. The whole journey from Interlaken Ost via the Eiger Express is listed at 1 hour 30 minutes. The operator strongly recommends a paid seat reservation in good weather, so if you plan to move your Jungfraujoch day to the clearest forecast, check the reservation conditions at the same time. ![Grindelwald Terminal seen from an Eiger Express cabin]() Grindelwald Terminal seen from an Eiger Express cabin This is where the exact location of a Grindelwald hotel matters. The Terminal is one stop before the village terminus. If you sleep in the village, you ride the BOB one stop back to reach the Eiger Express. If you come from Interlaken, you simply get off at the Terminal. The First cableway works the other way round: it starts in the middle of the village. Jungfrau Railways tells First visitors not to get off at the Terminal but to continue one more stop, then walk about 10 minutes (its station page says 8) to the valley station, and reach First in 25 minutes by gondola. So sleeping in Grindelwald is not automatically closer to everything. If you will ride up to First several times or want evenings in the village, a hotel near the village station is convenient. If your only Grindelwald-side trip is one Jungfraujoch day, the 29-minute ride from Interlaken to the Terminal may cost less effort than moving your luggage to a second hotel. ## If lines close for maintenance, the Grindelwald case weakens The mountain lines do not run the same way all year. In a 2021 notice, Jungfrau Railways explained that it used the period after the autumn school holidays and before the winter season for maintenance and construction, which brought line closures and service interruptions. That notice is a useful example: while the Eiger Express stopped for maintenance from 1 to 5 November, travellers were sent from Grindelwald and Grindelwald Grund on the Wengernalp Railway via Kleine Scheidegg, and while the Grindelwald side of the Wengernalp Railway closed from 18 to 29 October, they were sent via the Eiger Express. Whether an alternative exists varies from year to year. ![An Eiger Express cabin passing the snowy rock of the Eiger]() An Eiger Express cabin passing the snowy rock of the Eiger When we checked the Grindelwald Terminal station page on 11 and 12 November 2026, it read "Closed — opens 21.11.2026 at 07:30 h"; the page gives no reason. While the Terminal is closed, you cannot start the Eiger Express there, one stop from the village, so a Grindelwald village base loses its Jungfraujoch shortcut, while a base in Interlaken makes it easier to switch the day to the Lauterbrunnen side or the lakes. We could not confirm other lines' maintenance dates from an official source, so check the station and line status for your own dates before you travel. Summer and winter also change the picture. The Jungfrau Railways website lists the Unlimited Jungfrau Summer Pass as valid from 3 April to 29 November 2026, and the First Adventure Package as available from 13 April to 25 October 2026. Some activities, such as the First Flyer, are marked as available in winter too, but if your reason for staying in Grindelwald is a summer-only product, that reason weakens on a winter trip. If skiing or winter hiking is the goal, check that season's operation separately. ## Plan luggage and meals around check-out day Whether you keep one base or split the stay, the hardest day is the one when you move with luggage. Jungfrau Railways lists 101 large and 36 small lockers at Interlaken Ost, but only 20 small lockers at Grindelwald village station and 11 small ones at Grindelwald Grund. Grindelwald Terminal has ski storage plus small and large lockers. If you plan to leave a large suitcase after check-out and still go up a mountain, Interlaken Ost clearly has more room for it. Locker numbers describe capacity, not free space on the day. ![The front of Interlaken Ost station and its forecourt]() The front of Interlaken Ost station and its forecourt If you change hotels, you can look at the SBB luggage service. Jungfrau Railways describes a service that collects luggage from any address in Switzerland and Liechtenstein and delivers it the next day to selected hotels, and the tourism office says luggage can be sent from the airport or a station to your hotel. Because delivery is next-day, it does not suit luggage you need the same evening. We could not read SBB's own page to confirm fees, cut-off times or which hotels qualify, so ask your hotel whether it is included before relying on it. Plan meals in two parts, on the mountain and near your hotel. Jungfrau Railways lists a self-service restaurant, an à la carte restaurant and an Indian self-service restaurant on the Jungfraujoch, so lunch can happen up there. Dinner depends on the base. The Grindelwald hotel below says its restaurants are open all day every day; the Interlaken hotel describes a breakfast buffet and a reception staffed from 7:00 to 21:00. If you are arriving late, arrange how to check in beforehand. ## Interlaken Ost base: Hotel Du Lac Hotel Du Lac is a 35-room hotel at Höheweg 225, 3800 Interlaken. Its official website describes it as a one-minute walk from Interlaken Ost station and directly beside the boats for Lake Brienz. It suits a trip that mixes Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and the lakes, and travellers who want short transfers on arrival and departure days. [Check dates and room conditions on Agoda]() ![The hotel exterior with its HOTEL DU LAC sign and the street in front]() The hotel exterior with its HOTEL DU LAC sign and the street in front The hotel stands on the River Aare and mentions luggage storage and a Swiss continental breakfast buffet. Its rooms are presented in two groups: south-facing rooms with views of the Bernese Alps and Interlaken Ost station, and quiet rooms overlooking the river. If you would rather not face the station and its trains, check the room type when booking. The valley station of the Harderbahn, which reaches Harder Kulm in ten minutes, is also close to Interlaken Ost, which gives you a short outing for a day without a big mountain trip. Check its operating hours for your date. ![The hotel building on the Aare with a lake steamer moored beside it]() The hotel building on the Aare with a lake steamer moored beside it There are trade-offs. With many Grindelwald-side mountain days you will take the BOB every morning, and because reception closes at 21:00, arriving on a late train needs contact in advance. If you travel with children, confirm their ages, any extra-person charges and the bed setup on the booking screen. This article has no fixed dates or party size, so it does not give prices or room capacity. ![A guest room with two chairs and a small table beside the balcony doors]() A guest room with two chairs and a small table beside the balcony doors ## Grindelwald village base: Derby Swiss Quality Hotel Derby Swiss Quality Hotel is at Dorfstrasse 75, 3818 Grindelwald. Its official website places it in the village centre at the end of the BOB narrow-gauge line. For a trip with several rides up to First, or many mornings that start in Grindelwald, it is a base you can walk into straight from the train. [Check dates and room conditions on Agoda]() ![The hotel building behind the Grindelwald station canopy and a BOB train]() The hotel building behind the Grindelwald station canopy and a BOB train The hotel says its restaurants are open all day every day, and it describes a cellar fondue restaurant that opens only in winter. After coming down from the mountain, you have the option of eating in the hotel without another journey; check actual opening hours and whether you need to reserve on the day. The website also mentions Comfort-Plus rooms with more space for families, but actual capacity and number of beds must be checked in the room conditions for your dates. ![Winter exterior with the DERBY HOTEL sign below the snow-covered Eiger]() Winter exterior with the DERBY HOTEL sign below the snow-covered Eiger The downsides are clear. The Eiger Express to the Jungfraujoch leaves from the Terminal one stop back, so you ride the BOB backwards first, and days on the Lauterbrunnen side need a change at Zweilütschinen. If the Terminal or other mountain lines are closed during your stay, the advantage of sleeping in the village shrinks. Grindelwald village station has only 20 small lockers, so ask the hotel in advance whether it can hold your luggage on check-out day. ![A guest room with bed and desk and mountains beyond the balcony window]() A guest room with bed and desk and mountains beyond the balcony window ## Check these in order before you book First, write down each mountain day and the direction it starts. If more than half begin on the Grindelwald side and no maintenance closures fall on your dates, Grindelwald village is the default. If directions are mixed, or arrival and departure are tight, the area around Interlaken Ost is the default. If you split the stay between both, move hotels on a day without a mountain trip, or check the next-day luggage service conditions in advance. Next, check operating status for your dates. Grindelwald Terminal, the Eiger Express and the First cableway can have closure periods depending on the date. If you are going to the Jungfraujoch on a clear day, check the seat reservation conditions too. Finally, confirm the hotel's reception hours, luggage storage, charges by child age and bed setup on the booking screen and in the hotel's own information. If you are also weighing a November night on another Swiss mountain, our guide to [Rigi Kaltbad in November]() applies the same date-first approach to hotel and spa closures and a city base in Lucerne. [Jungfrau Region Tourism arrival information]() · [Jungfraujoch – Jungfrau Railways]() · [Grindelwald-First – Jungfrau Railways]() · [Jungfrau Railways stations and parking]() · [Grindelwald Terminal station status]() · [Jungfrau Railways 2021 maintenance notice]() · [Hotel Du Lac official site]() · [Derby Swiss Quality Hotel official site]() Photo credits · 5 images 1. A Wengernalp Railway train at Grindelwald station below the snow-covered Eiger [Smiley.toerist]() · [CC BY-SA 4.0]() · Resized · Converted 2. Travellers pulling suitcases along a platform at Interlaken Ost [Tom Page]() · [CC BY-SA 2.0]() · Resized · Converted 3. Grindelwald Terminal seen from an Eiger Express cabin [TurkAviator]() · [CC BY-SA 4.0]() · Resized · Converted 4. An Eiger Express cabin passing the snowy rock of the Eiger [Blanky75]() · [CC BY-SA 4.0]() · Resized · Converted 5. The front of Interlaken Ost station and its forecourt [SalomonCeb]() · [CC BY-SA 3.0]() · Resized · Converted