How To Reach Interlaken

Visiting the magical land of Interlaken? Here's the best way to reach Interlaken and other possible routes. Since Interlaken has no commercial airport, you will need to fly to another nearby airport and then make your way into the city. Interlaken is a popular spot for tourists. During the early months of the year, people flock to the city for winter sports and during the summer months, they come for the pleasant weather, stunning sceneries and plenty of summer-activities. So for a city with so much activity all through the year, their transport systems & connections have to be top class, and they are.

Interlaken does not have a commercial airport. The nearest airport is Bern, which is also a small airport without many international connections. It is 45 minutes from Interlaken. This airport is okay for people flying from nearby countries within Europe. For everyone else, Zurich Airport is the best route. There are direct trains to Interlaken from Zurich Airport which take about 2 hours. While travelling from India, there are daily flights to Zurich via multiple airlines.

Railway connections throughout Switzerland are pretty great and Interlaken is no different. It is very well connected to all parts of the country like Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Luzern, Bern etc. The rail system is very convenient to use even for tourists. There are 2 stations at Interlaken, East & West, West being closer to the city centre, though most trains stop at both stations. The best part of travelling by train is the epic landscapes you will pass by.

When travelling from India you will need to fly to Zurich and then take the train to Interlaken. Or if you are travelling from other parts of Europe, you can get trains to Zurich and then change over to an inter-city train for Interlaken.

The mountainous terrain surrounding Interlaken makes for one heck of a road trip! You will pass by some amazing landscapes and if you are travelling by a private vehicle, you will want to stop and take a zillion pictures at every turn! The roads are smooth and wide - so there is nothing to worry about. The road from Zurich to Interlaken is 120 km. The only trouble with driving a rental is figuring out parking at Interlaken, as it can get quite expensive.

Another option is to take the bus. There are bus connections from nearby countries like Italy, France & Germany that take you directly to Interlaken. Local buses within Switzerland are also in plenty, connecting different cities of Switzerland by road.

Interlaken is a small city and it can be easily explored on foot. You could also hire bicycles and explore nearby places. For the rest, the public transport system is easy to use, affordable and recommended. Interlaken OST train station is close to the city centre and you can use it to get to nearby towns. You can use boats to explore Lake Thun and Lake Brienz to explore nearby towns that also share the same shoreline. You can ride the funicular up Mt Harder. You can also hire a taxi for last-minute, unplanned situations.

A romantic way to explore the city is to ride a horse-drawn carriage.