Do you love traveling to extraordinary places? For lots of travelers Switzerland is exactly one of these places, especially when it comes to Interlaken. It’s a wonderful destination surrounded with gigantic mountains and lush greenery that gets visitors’ attention. Placed between two lakes, this city is without any doubt, a place to enjoy nature’s beauty, where you can perform outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking or just sightseeing.
Another reason many tourists love to visit this blissful place is due to its accessibility and easy approach. How to reach Interlaken? There are different ways to get into this admirable land of alpine meadows, towering mountains and dense forests. In this article we’re going to explain to you the different options.
Interlaken by Train
Access to Interlaken is very convenient due to its excellent national and international train connections. There are trains every half an hour to and from Bern, Zürich, Geneva, and Basel. Thanks to this, first-class connections to Swiss airports and European cities such as Paris, Milan and Berlin are guaranteed.
Besides this good accessibility, the following reasons are why visiting Interlaken by train can be the best choice.
Switzerland is known for its fantastic public rail system, which connects the whole of Switzerland with modern trains. Famous for punctuality – like a Swiss watch, you can rely on it completely. With Interlaken as the hub for the Jungfrau region, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, a car is not really necessary. Because all these places are easily accessible by buses and trains for excursions.
And perhaps the main reason is that when you travel by train you are carefree and can fully concentrate on the beautiful scenery. No stress of looking where to go or dealing with traffic. No matter which train connection you take, beautiful landscapes passing by the train window are guaranteed.
With the most direct connection via Bern, you can see the Alps coming closer and closer after the city of Bern. Passes through the city of Thun and then along Lake Thun, which is always a highlight in good weather.
Insider tip:
After the town of Thun, try to sit on the left side (in the direction of travel), then you will have an impressive view over Lake Thun with the Niederhorn and Alpine peaks in the background, as well as the bay of the picturesque village of Spiez.
But also on the right side you can score with beautiful views of the Stockhorn chain or the impressively towering Niesen.
Rapid transit times to Reach Interlaken
| From | by train | by car |
| Bern | 53min | 45min |
| Lucerne | 1.49h | 1h |
| Zurich Airport | 2.10h | 1.40h |
| Geneva Airport | 2.56h | 2.10h |
| Basel Airport | 2.22h | 1.40h |
| Paris (TGV via Basel) | 5.35h | 6.15h |
| Milan (EC via Spiez) | 3.40h | 3.55h |
| Frankfurt Airport (direct connection with ICE / EC) | 5h | 5h |
| Berlin (ICE via Frankfurt) | 9.30h | 10.15h |
| Hamburg (ICE via Basel) | 9.05h | 9.55h |
| Vienna (via Innsbruck – Zurich) | 10h | 9.15h |
Interlaken West or Ost?
There are 2 stations in Interlaken. If you are traveling by intercity from Spiez, the train will stop first at West station. It will then continue to Interlaken Ost. All trains stop at both stations. See where your accommodation is and which one is closer. But the distance between the two is not great, for getting to the center it doesn’t matter where you get off.
Interlaken by Car
Especially if you want to take a road trip through Switzerland, it is good to know that Interlaken is of course also accessible by car. Just like public transport, the road network in Switzerland is perfectly developed and a real pleasure to be on.
Interlaken is signposted from afar and very easy to find, no matter which direction you come from.
If you are driving into Switzerland from abroad, it is good to know that you need a road tax sticker (called an Autobahn Vignette) to use the motorway. Vignettes cost CHF 40 and are valid for one year. They can be bought at fuel stations. When you are driving a rental car from Switzerland, this sticker is usually already attached to the windscreen.
If you are traveling to by car, please note that overnight parking charges can be relatively high. It is therefore advisable to check in advance whether your accommodation offers parking.
Interlaken Parking
Interlaken by Air
If you want to reach Interlaken by air, paragliding is your only option. No, joking aside, Interlaken does not have its own public airport.
If you are traveling by plane, there are several options from which you can reach Interlaken. The slightly smaller Bern-Belp airport is mainly accessible for European flights. International guests fly best to Geneva, Basel or the largest airport in Switzerland, Zurich.
From all these places you can easily reach Interlaken by train or rental car.
But the train connections from Paris, Milan or Frankfurt are also excellent. So it is also an option to fly to these cities and then travel on to Switzerland by train.
Reach Interlaken from Zurich
“How to get from Zurich to Interlaken?” is an often asked question by Interlaken visitors.
Thanks to Switzerland’s good road and rail network, you are spoilt for choice here too. In addition to the train journey, which we will describe in more detail in the next section, there is the option of reaching Interlaken by long-distance bus or car.
With your own or rented car, you are completely free to decide when you want to travel and which route you choose.
The fastest way from Zurich to Interlaken by car is to take the A14 past Lucerne and then the A8 over the Brünig Pass (driving time approx. 1h 47min). If you don’t want to drive over a mountain pass, there is also the option of taking the motorway via Bern and Thun (driving time approx. 2h 9min).
Interlaken from Zurich by Train
Also with the train from Zurich to Interlaken, you have 2 route options which depart twice an hour.
The fastest train connection is via Bern with a journey time of approx. 2h 13min. A train leaves Zurich airport or Zurich main station twice an hour in the direction of Bern. In Bern, you usually have to change to another train, which then takes you directly to Interlaken.
Find your connection here.
The Intercity trains all have 1st and 2nd class and run between 5am and midnight every day. The train ticket costs around CHF 70 per adult in 2nd class with the regular price.
If you have a little more time, you can also travel by train from Zurich via Lucerne and then over the Brünig Pass to Brienz and from there to Interlaken. This route takes longer and you have to change trains more often, but you have more views of the mountain landscapes.
FAQ Interlaken from Zurich
Is there a direct train from Zurich to Interlaken?
No. There is one change of train that leads from Zurich to Interlaken. The distance is approx 2 hours 13 mins.
How far is Interlaken from Zurich?
Interlaken is 57 miles away from Zurich. 2 hour 13 minutes by train or 1 hour 47 minutes by car.
Summary & Final Thoughts
In summary, there are countless ways to get to Interlaken from anywhere in Switzerland, by car or train. It is important to decide whether the flexibility of the car is important, or whether you prefer the carefree journey by train to be able to enjoy the landscape to the fullest. We hope we could help you with your planning and show you how to reach interlaken.
