 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have booked a week in grindelwald at Feb half term and intending to drive. However I can get flights from Bristol to Basel for the same price as the cost of driving. The downside is the flights depart on the Wednesday before and return the Monday after which means I'm struggling to find some additional accommodation for the odd extra days in Grindelwald.
There is however some reasonably priced accommodation I have found down in Interlakken. I'm just wondering if it's actually worth the extra hassle and cost for those extra days when we will have to travel up from the valley in the ski area at lauterbrunnen or grindelwald on those days? Anyone with any experience of being based in Interlakken rather than in resort your advice would be welcome please.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Sounds like you're going to score an extra few days holiday - nice! It takes 34 minutes to get from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald on the train, or there is a ski bus. Interlaken is a nice town - lots of bars and restaurants. Might also be worth trying Lauterbrunnen in the valley below Wengen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Interlaken to Kleine Scheidegg adds about 32mins compared to going up from Lauterbrunnen, what I would consider is using those days to ski over at Murren as going from Grindelwald to Murren takes a bit of time, so long as your accommodation is near Interlaken Ost you are covered by the area ski pass, alternatively there is a bus near the center that goes out to Wilderswil where you can join the train also covered by the pass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
That's good to know thanks. One other thing I'm thinking about in terms of cost is the price of dining. When we drive (to France many time) I load the car with food supplies for the week and just buy fresh veg etc in the hypermarche or local supermarche and if we drive to grindelwald for just the week this is what we'll do again.
If we fly that's obviously out of the question so I will have to either eat out or do a full shop for supplies in Switzerland. I recall from our long weekend there in March it's very expensive to dine out which wasn't an issue for two of us for a special weekend but with two additional teenagers this could break the bank. How expensive generally is food at supermarkets, butchers etc?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Big supermarkets (Co-op and Migros) in Interlaken, and a pretty big one in the new underground shopping mall in Grindelwald. We find prices are OK to be honest - you can't compare it to Tesco where you can get a pizza for a quid, but on the whole the food is good quality and reasonably priced.
Prices at the big supermarkets are the same regardless of the location of the shop, so for example our little Co-op in Wengen has the same prices as the big one in Interlaken.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Thanks Mike that sounds promising then. I'll keep searching and see if I can make the numbers crunch!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@jirac18, prices in Coop and Migros are comparable to Waitrose/Sainsburys premium/free range offerings (with corresponding quality). There are also a lot of Lidl/Aldi about where prices are cheaper - worth going to one of these en route for fruit and veg, cereals, bread, pasta, oil etc if you plan to self cater. Rösti is good as a quick cheap filling meal - it is available in big packs in all the supermarkets - it comes in foil packs and you just fry it and add whatever extras you like. Eating out is expensive though there doesn't seem to be much of a mountain premium - so it feels expensive in the city and not too bad on the mountain  .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Good point. And besides, a car is basically a pain in the back bottom in Switzerland. You'll pay a lot just to park the damn thing for the duration of a holiday unless you have a hotel carpark. Fly and use public transport. Rail transfer tickets are available from http://www.swisspasses.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ive decided to scrub the extra days in Switzerland after all, just booked flights from Bristol to Geneva on Christmas Eve.......total of £198 including luggage return for 4 of us. I'll see where the snow is nearer the time and get cheap accommodation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Tune in to the Jungfrau Region thread from about the 8th Dec for updates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
I am thinking of Grindelwald, its a last minute plan for christmas. I am planning to drive from UK on Eurotunnel how abt snow condition during christmas do I need have snow chains.
And I see in reviews that Grindelwald gongola's are really slow, is that still the same.
Does Grindelwald have tobogganing this time of the year, anyone tried it.
Any idea in how they put up the Christmas, is it quiet or closed or just like Italy and Austria fully open.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@pressi, Pretty much fully open, some shops will be shut Christmas Day but all lifts etc will be open subject to snow, Grindelwald has at least 2 sledge runs that I am aware of, one you take the Bus up to Busalp and from there can go up to the Faulhorn and sledge down, or up First and Sledge down, there are several route variations, you can also sledge down from Kleine Scheidegg and Mannlichen
The Gondolas are not really slow but they are long which means they do take time
You are unlikely to actually need to use chains as the Swiss are very good at keeping the roads clean, but you need them just in case, Grindelwald can get very icy/slushy after fresh snow
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
There used to be a good "Hooters" there 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
