I loved it. It’s not THE highlight of my two-month Eurotrip, but it’s definitely ONE of the highlights. It is expensive, that’s true, but unless you’re budget is so little that you’re eating nothing but instant noodles and stale bread, then it’s one of those things that’s prolly worth the splurge. It was a cloudy day when I went and I still loved it—the train ride is great (with plenty of photo-ops en route), you get to walk through the ice tunnel, and see the huge glacier that runs down towards the Mediterranean. If it’s still just too expensive, go to the Schilthorn instead, but that ain’t cheap either. Come to think of it, if you’re really on a shoestring budget, skip Switzerland altogether. Beautiful country but not cheap.

I am also looking into a trip to this area of Swizerland. I have been researching the cost of the the lifts and mountain trains. From what I can tell, it seems as though the rail pass provides a discounted fare. You say that the trip to Jungfraujoch is $110 with your pass. Does this also mean that a day of your pass is counted with that fare?

Sorry Crystal I don’t quite understand your question but I’ll try to answer it as best as possible. Heres the price list for Jungfraujoch:

http://www.jungfraub…

The eurail pass entitles you to 25% discount on the original price, so that comes up to $110 from Interlaken. It doesn’t use a day on your eurail pass. I believe when you purchase the ticket, you just flash them the eurail ticket to gain the discount. There is also another discount called a "Good Morning Ticket" in which you catch the first train in the morning that leaves at 6:35a.m and must return by 12:00p.m., noon. (Nov.-Apr. the rules are relaxed: you can take either first/second train and return later than noon, but not sure by what time) according to this webpage:

http://www.jungfraub…

I don’t know how much discount the "Good Morning Ticket" provides. Also, a big question I have in mind: Can eurail pass discount combine with "Good Morning Ticket" discount for even a bigger discount? If this is the case, perhaps I may take the splurge and go. Here are some alternatives but they are just as expensive:

http://europeforvisi…

I am quite certain you can use Eurail discount on Early Morning ticket.

I think Jungfaraujoch is worth the money, but only on a clear day. Some photos from my trip there…

http://www.gimmelwal…

p.s. Schilthorn you can hike (for free!) in summer months or hike at least a portion of the way to save $.

quote:
So Jungfraujoch is a mountain in Switzerland that boats the fact that it is the highest mountain with a rail system. Frommers and the Rick Steve’s guides give it three stars, which is the highest rating, and by there standards, mean that "it is worth getting up for and skipping breakfast."

Uhhh…first of all it’s NOT a mountain. The Jungfrau is the mountain (which translated from German = Virgin)

So it’s expensive, what isn’t. If your really interested do a search on this section of the board. People have written quite extensively about thier experiences both on the mountain in in the region. Alot of good stuff, beats the hell out of Rick the dick or Frommers. Personally, this is one of my favorite areas on the planet, and a visit there should absolutely include the ride up the mountain and a couple of hours at the top taking in the breathtaking scenery, checking out the ice caves etc…If you have an appreciation for engineering, the technical aspects of what it took back in the day were astounding. Kind of on par with the Chunnel, it’s truly an engineering marvel. As far as being the highlight of your trip, I’d wouldn’t go nearly that far. The area is so full of natural beuaty and things to check out that if you are on a tight budget, it won’t ruin your experience. Check out the webcam instead at
http://www.swisspano…
Kinda dark right now.
If you ski, alot of people utilize the glacier for year round sking. Quality kinda sucks but where else can you ski in July?
AS far as telling your friends, "I hiked the swiss mountains", the trip to the Joch won’t iclude much or even any hiking. Bring a wife or girlfriend, and have a tryst in the ice caves. Then you can tell your friends you got laid at the highest point in Europe! Or, you joined the mile high club (actually a couple of or few, you do the math) while on the ground in Switzerland. Or better yet, stage some pictures and lie to your friends telling them you, "climbed" the Jungfrau! That’ll work.
Check out the link here for an early 1900’s account of someones visit..I thought it was pretty cool…
http://www.oldandsol…

I wouldn’t say it’s overrated at all, it’s actually quite spectacular. For me the train ride up was the best part, as I think the views at the top are better at Schiltorn then here. But there is much more to do at the top of the Jungrau then at the top of the Schiltorn.

if it’s $110 from Interlaken, then why not go to Lauterbrunnen for a couple days, hang out there then catch an early morning special. I think it will be much cheaper then $110 since you will be starting in Lauterbrunnen instead of Interlaken and you have the early morning special and you have your Eurail Discount(Lauterbrunnen is where the train starts up the Jungfraujoch).

How often do you get to see the Swiss Alps? I say go for it….

If one has a choice between paying the 100 bucks here or spending a few days in Gimmelwald or Gryon..which one do you take?

quote:
If one has a choice between paying the 100 bucks here or spending a few days in Gimmelwald or Gryon..which one do you take?

Personally I would kick back in Gimmelwald for a few days…you can still see some great scenery just by hiking, and you can hike up to the Schiltorn for free….

I stayed in Lauterbrunnen and did alot of cable cars from there including the one up to Murren and Gimmelwald. Even though it rained the entire time it was just wonderful. Of course there was no sense in spending the money going to the Jungfraujoch because of the weather.
I had bought a flexi Swiss Pass so all the cable cars were included in the pass so I took full advantage of that.

has any body been there during the winter? is the rail operate during the winter.. I will be in Swizz during the winter time, would like to go there , but wondering if it is doable? will it be very cold? thanks

I thought the train was completely worth it, but here’s a hint: bring your own food, and don’t plan on buying any when you get to the mountain, it’s horribly expensive, and there’s no other options if you forget to pack a lunch. DO mail a couple postcards from the highest post office in the world though, it’s a cool idea and isn’t expensive.

I was supposed to go but ended up skipping it because there was a big snowstorm (yes, in the middle of July… it is the mountains after all).

Instead, I did the loop up to Murren and Schlichtorn and Gimmelwald, and then went back down and to Trummelbach falls. That day was a trip highlight and I highly recommend the route to anyone.

i was just there. the whole area is spectacular if you’re into natural beauty. didn’t do the jungfraujoch, but lots of hiking, etc….

one note, if you don’t already have a eurail pass for discounts and plan to stay in the area several days, they have an area railpass. i think it was something like 94 EURO for 6 days of unlimited travel on most of the trains and many of the cablecars in the area (but not the jungfrau train). buying those tickets individually added up fast for me…so this pass may be worth the money if you really want to see much of the area. i forget the name of it, but it was advertised everywhere…on maps/brochures, in train cars, etc…

It is definitely not over rated IMNHO.
Just came back, and IT WAS the highlight of our trip, even after spending 8 days in Paris… But you really have to enjoy nature and beautiful scenery to really appreciate it.

Hey, I am going to Lucern next summer,and will be going up Mt. Pilatus . Then I am heading back to Paris. Should I detour a bit first to Interlaken for the Jungfraujoch ? since i will already be seeing Pilatus, is it worth the extra expense? what do you guys think…

Pilatus was great… I was there years ago, with my family, and we took the cog railway right up to the top. It’s expensive though.

No sense in detouring specifically for Jungfraujoch, though the whole Lauterbrunnen region is spectacular so if you have a chance to spend a few days there, hiking and drinking in the scenery, go for it!

Cool, thanks, I’ll probably go there anyway just to see the town and stuff. I think if I go to Pilatus early and get the railpass discount it’s not too bad.
And in Interlaken, I think it would cost just a bit more than Jungfraujoch to go paragliding one day. I heard this was fun… not sure..anyone tried that?

Somebody asked if the train to Jungfraujoch operates in winter. Yes, it does.

If you are looking to save money, you should go skiing in the Jungfrau region. If you get a skiing pass for the region, you get to journey to the top of Schilthorn at no additional charge (as the pistes start from the top). Also, you can travel as far as the Eigergletscher station (on the way to Jungfraujoch) at no additional charge either – you can ski down from there and it is one thrilling ride! Probably the most beautiful ski run I ever did was from Eigergletscher and was called Black Rock…incredible.

Yes, I think skiing in the shadow of the Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau is amazing and I am going to do that for the 4th time in March.

I have also done the train journey to Jungfraujoch in summer. It’s worthwhile in that it is stunning…but in retrospect I don’t think it’s worthwhile when you consider that it costs twice what an entire day of skiing in the region costs. So if you ever have any inclination of skiing in the Jungfrau area, I’d wait until then. If you’ve done some skiing and you still need to see Jungfraujoch, by all means do so. But you probably won’t want to anymore.

This is probably just me, but my thought is this…the alps are the alps. I spent three days in Switzerland but got fed up by their high prices and lack of budget accomodations…instead, I ended up in Chamonix, France which boasts the highest mountain in western europe, has amazing hikes to lakes and glaciers and is much cheaper than anywhere in switzerland you will find. Skip swiss and head to france.

I’ll be traveling September and October next year, and would love to experience the Alps. If I have maybe four days, what should I do. I like the idea of skiing in the area, as my travelmate is really into snowboarding. Is that possible in October? Where can I find info? I have also thought of going to Interlaken. Will a day trip up a mountain be possible from there? Where will my short time be best spent?

A choice between a few days in Gimmelwald and a trip up the Jungfrau ?Which by the way does not translate virgin. It translates literally young woman.I would take Gimmelwald. You can take the train from Lauterbrunnen up to Wengen and then make your way to Kline Scheideg at the base of the Jungfrau. The hike from the ridge goes right past the Eiger and is incredibly beautiful in the summer and spring. I have also been to Schilthorn twice and it’s a beautiful view if clear. The Berner Oberland is one of the most spectacular areas of the world and should not be missed and it’s doable costwise if you stay in the hostel in Gimmelwald or even at one of the B&Bs like Esther’s Guest House there as well. Great people and fantastic area.

quote:
I’ll be traveling September and October next year, and would love to experience the Alps. If I have maybe four days, what should I do. I like the idea of skiing in the area, as my travelmate is really into snowboarding. Is that possible in October? Where can I find info? I have also thought of going to Interlaken. Will a day trip up a mountain be possible from there? Where will my short time be best spent?

I don’t think there is any worthwhile skiing in October in that region. There is glacier skiing elsewhere in Switzerland – I don’t remember if there is any at Jungfraujoch. If there is, it will be relatively lame (most summer glacier skiing is lame, one does it for the novelty value).

As for Interlaken (sigh)…don’t bother unless you crave a comforting piece of the USA or Japan. Travel a few extra miles into the mountains where Europeans (and even some Swiss) travel.

Interlaken’s tourist operators are brilliant. They have managed to maintain a huge tourist business despite having little in the way of cultural attractions and relatively little in the way of natural attractions. I’ll put it this way – Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Grindelwald, etc. are all "among the mountains". Interlaken is "near the mountains" – it’s on a flat plain between lakes. But I’ve complained at length about Interlaken on many prior occasions and I won’t say any more this time around.

IMHO , you should go, it is not underated.
It is different from Pilatus, which is not as high, but stands alone as a higher peak than the surroundings, whereas at Jungfraujoch (which is a shoulder between two mountains) you get out of the train not at the top but with 5 or so 4000m mountains all around you.
But check the web-cams or weather prospects before you go up. If the valley is foggy/ cloudy, don’t despair – it is often sunny above 2000m.
Look out for the friendly Alpine Choughs – mountain birds related to crows, with thin yellow beaks, bright red legs and a taste for acrobatics (and french fries
There is no worthwhile skiing/boarding there till December. In the Season Grindelwald/First is a good tip, fantastic views of the Eiger from the slopes. More ‘side piste’ for tasting powder than on the Männlichen slopes.

Hiking tip: If there is low cloud or just to check out the valleys before going up to Jungfraujoch get the train to Wilderswil, and go up to Schyngge Platte, then you walk along the ridge (well marked path) to above First, where you get the cable car down to Grindelwald and then the train back to Wilderswil/Interlaken. You can buy a special ticket for this trip.
This is a fantastic hike; incredible views; about 5 hours walking but not tough. No major gain or loss of height. Above First there is a famous mountain lake with the big-three reflected in it. Stunning.
The route is only open June-September.