Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 151 Transcript

Must-Know Tips for Visiting Jungfraujoch Top of Europe

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Welcome to the holidays to Switzerland podcast. If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, this is the podcast for you. I’m your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, the founder of holidaystoswitzerland.com, and in each episode, my expert guests and I share practical tips to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. You’ll get helpful advice about traveling around Switzerland and hear about the most popular destinations, as well as some hidden gems, and we’ll introduce you to plenty of wonderful experiences that you can enjoy as part of your Swiss vacation. Each episode is packed with expert tips, itinerary ideas, and inspiration to help make your Swiss vacation planning easy. So let’s dive in.

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode. Have you heard of Jungfraujoch? It’s one of Switzerland’s most popular mountain excursions, and today we’ll be enjoying an unforgettable journey on the famous Jungfrau railway and the Eiger Express cable car.

This episode is another in my live on location video podcasts where I’m joined by expert guests in some of the most beautiful destinations in Switzerland for a virtual tour. We’re meeting today’s guest, Daniel Bott, at Kleine Scheidegg for a ride on the Jungfrau cogwheel train to Eiger Glacier, before descending down to Grindelwald aboard the Eiger Express. Along the way, Daniel shares plenty of helpful tips to help you plan your visit. If you’d like to see the breathtaking scenery that Daniel shares with us today, you’ll find the video version of this episode on YouTube. The link to the Holidays to Switzerland YouTube channel is in the show notes. Now let’s get started on this incredible adventure.

Hello and welcome to another of our live on location video podcasts. We’ve got another very special one today. For many people, the excursion to Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe, is top of their list when they head to Switzerland. We’re going to take a ride on the famous Jungfraubahn today and the amazing Eiger Express from Eiger Glacier back down to Grindelwald. And joining me today for this tour is Daniel Bott from Jungfrau Railways. Hi, Daniel.

Daniel Bott: Hi, Carolyn, how you doing? I’m doing very well.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Thank you. It looks like you’ve got a beautiful day there to show us around. Can you tell everyone, firstly, a bit about Kleine Scheidegg and why it’s an important part of the excursion to Jungfraujoch?

Daniel Bott: Yeah. So I’m here at the Kleine Scheidegg at 2,060 meters, and the Kleine Scheidegg is where the Jungfrau Railways actually starts. So here you come up with the Wengernalpbahn from Grindelwald, or from Wengen or Lauterbrunnen. It’s in between Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, and Grindelwald. So it’s actually geographically like a center point of the area.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so from whichever direction you’re coming, you’ve got to go through Kleine Scheidegg to reach Jungfraujoch.

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. Either to the Kleine Scheidegg or to Eiger Glacier, where we will be later.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, excellent. So, Daniel, can you give us a bit of a look there at the station itself and where the trains come into and where they leave from?

Daniel Bott: Sure. Now, it’s a perfect opportunity, because the train from Grindelwald just arrived. So I’ll take you on a little station tour here on Kleine Scheidegg.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, fantastic.

Daniel Bott: So here you can see, this is the Wengernalpbahn that has just arrived from Grindelwald Grund and station. And it comes here from the Grindelwald side, just down there. You can see the beautiful town of Grindelwald, all the way down there with the Wetterhorn. Up here, you can see the Jungfraujoch. It’s just up there. And this is the station building of Kleine Scheidegg and where we walk now, that is where the trains arrive from Lauterbrunnen. Trains probably come over there, but the train tracks, they are not continuous, so the train for Lauterbrunnen doesn’t continue further.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so everyone has to disembark once they arrive in Kleine Scheidegg?

Daniel Bott: Yes. And you see here, this is the group sign. So this is for the group reservations. And over here, we have the waiting area for the individuals.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Good. Now I know that seat reservations are now mandatory at certain times of the year for the next train or the train we’re going to board, the Jungfraubahn, but I’ll get you to tell us about that once you’re on board. I don’t want you to miss the train. 

Daniel Bott: Don’t worry. It’s not here yet.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, good, good. And of course it will be perfectly on time being a Swiss train.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, sure, it will. But you can see here. So this is the reservation signs for the ones with the reservations. And during the non-peak season, the yellow ones over there, they are for the people without the reservation. Because you can always book a reservation, but it’s only mandatory from May until August.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Right, okay. And people can book those seat reservations on the Jungfrau Railways website, correct?

Daniel Bott: Yes, correct. And they can adjust their reservation until the day before departure.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so when they’re making the reservation, do they make a reservation for both the upward journey and the descent?

Daniel Bott: Yes, for both.

Carolyn Schönafinger: All right. Now I noticed back where you were before there were some turnstiles. So I guess all the tickets these days have a QR code. Do people just have to scan their ticket at that turnstile to go through?

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. So there is a QR code on their either PDF or they can print out a ticket, or if they purchase the ticket just in the station, then they get like a little card that gives them the allowance to pass.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, well, we’ll just wait for the train to come.

Daniel Bott: Yes, it’s a very short change.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so you’re on board. Tell us what we’re looking at right now. What can you see out the window?

Daniel Bott: So, yeah, up there you can see the Jungfraujoch, just… Yeah, straight up there. It’s at 3,500 meters above sea level, the highest railway station in Europe. And yeah, a lot of people come just to visit this beautiful look-up point up there.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, it’s definitely a highlight for many people, that’s for sure. So you’re on board the Jungfraubahn now, which travels from Kleine Scheidegg to Eiger Glacier and then on to Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe. How often do those trains run?

Daniel Bott: Yeah. So these trains run every half an hour. So it’s a very regular train schedule.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Great. And what time of day does that start in the morning? Can people, if they’re early birds, can they set off quite early in the morning?

Daniel Bott: Yes, sure. So I boarded a train this morning at 7:04, in Interlaken. So yeah, there are trains for early birds too.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, well, that’s great. And what about the last descent in the afternoon? What time is that?

Daniel Bott: So the last descent is around a quarter to six, but it depends a little bit on the season.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so definitely, people should keep an eye on the timetable and make sure they don’t miss the last train down the mountain.

Daniel Bott: Exactly. Yes, but I mean, with the new reservation system, everybody needs to book a train so everybody knows when the departure time will be.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, great. Okay, and you said that those reservations are mandatory from the first of May till the 31st of August? Is it?

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. That’s correct.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. And is that for adults and children?

Daniel Bott: Yes, that’s for everyone to have a seat, okay. How long is the ride there from Kleine Scheidegg to Eiger Glacier?

Daniel Bott: So now it takes like 15 minutes till I get to the Eiger Glacier.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, all right. Well, sit back and enjoy the view.

Daniel Bott: Yes, thank you very much.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so if there’s anything you want to point out along the way, feel free.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, so when we are looking back to the Kleine Scheidegg, turn a little bit here up, and the chairlift up here, that’s Lauberhorn that brings you up to the famous Lauberhorn downhill course. So it’s the longest downhill course in the world, and from the second half of January, so after the race, we can, anyone can see…

Carolyn Schönafinger: And I know because I was there at Kleine Scheidegg in January this year, I know it’s popular for winter hiking and sledding and also skiing, isn’t it?

Daniel Bott: Yes, I mean, the great thing in the Jungfrau region is it’s not only about skiing. There is a lot of what to do for non-skiers as well. So as we said, there’s a huge amount of hiking and sledding paths. So it’s a total of, it’s more than 150 kilometers of hiking and sledding paths and trails to also for non-skiers come to our region, enjoy beautiful scenery.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so the train ride, obviously, as we just experienced, from Kleine Scheidegg to Eiger Glacier, is only about five minutes. But if people weren’t hopping off the train there and they were continuing on to Jungfraujoch, how much longer does that part of the trip take?

Daniel Bott: So now from here, it’s 20 minutes, all the way up to the top with a five-minute stop in between. And yes, you see that the train should now leave here from Eiger Glacier station and then continue over here into the tunnel that you can just see over there.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Right? Yep, and the train is in that tunnel pretty much from here all the way to Jungfraujoch? Is that?

Daniel Bott: Yeah, that’s correct. So it will be from here, it will still continue here, through the tunnel, all the way through the Eiger mountain. Then you have a short stop, where you stop at the Ice Mer station, and then you come all the way up to the top.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, wow. And that tunnel, like with the railway, was opened, what, over 130 years ago or something like that? Is it?

Daniel Bott: Not exactly, but it’s like over 100 years already. It opened back in 1912. It’s a lot of years already that we are in operation.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. It’s a real engineering masterpiece, isn’t it, to think that they could dig that tunnel out all those years ago?

Daniel Bott: Yeah. And, I mean, they dug it by hand, and then it’s more than seven kilometers long. I mean, it’s, it’s an amazing…

Carolyn Schönafinger: Sure is, yeah.

Daniel Bott: So now I’m… I got off the train, and I’m making my way to the Eiger Glacier station that was just renewed in December 2020, yeah, just a few years ago. And it makes it all a bit more convenient to change trains. And I will get you also to the Eiger Express. That is the other option to get to the Jungfraujoch.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, great. When you come in from the train station, obviously you can take the stairs or the elevator up to the cable car area.

Daniel Bott: Yes, all our stations are also wheelchair accessible. The only train that is not with a flat entry is the one that we just took from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch. But there we have assistant… we have assistant service, so it’s also no problem. So you see here is this one is one of the new trains that is with a flat entry, where you can just go into the train. So here we are now in the main part of the Eiger Glacier station.

Daniel Bott: So this is the exit where you come from the Eiger Express, come up here, and when you get off, there is a nice little cafe where you can have some coffee and pastries. Then here you have the lovely ladies waiting for you and your reservation. You see, again, here the signs for the different types of reservations.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, yeah, so it’s all very easy to understand.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, and I think quite well signed. And then for those who just want to go for a hike here in the beautiful region, then this is also a very good point to start from the Eiger Glacier station.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And that’s year-round too, isn’t it? As I mentioned before, when I was there in January, we hiked from Eiger Glacier back down to Kleine Scheidegg, but I’ve also done that hiking in the summer as well. So it’s not only summer season when people can go hiking there.

Daniel Bott: Now, as you said, it’s all year-round, the Eiger Express that we take after, and also the trains, they run 365 days a year. So it’s always possible to come here and the hike that you mentioned, it’s really great summer and winter, because in summer you’re passing a lake, it is beautiful to cool down your feet after a longer hike. And in winter, it’s just beautiful to walk through this winter wonderland. Everything’s snow covered.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, and the trails are so well groomed, too. If people think they’re going to be, you know, stepping in mushy snow or anything, they’re not at all, beautifully groomed. And the trails are really easy to walk on. Yeah, exactly. I mean, that’s what we do.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, they are groomed every day, so it’s perfect to hike in normal hiking boots. You can see here also a lot of hiking paths depart from here, from the station, and as you can see, when we move up here, yes, it’s beautiful. I mean, look at that green. It’s couldn’t be more green. And as you can see, so here we are approaching a height where green changes to rocks. So there is where we go towards the Eiger North Face. And then here you have only rocks and ice. But down here, here you can see, now that’s the lake that I mentioned before, and a little like church-style building there. It’s not a church, it’s an electricity station. But yeah, there is a little exhibition on the Eiger North Face in there as well. So it’s quite nice to hike around here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. And we just saw there. Some of the cabins are from the Eiger Express too, which we’re going to be hopping on very soon.

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. That’s the cabins over here. You can see how quiet they just come up the mountain, quite quick and nice, spacious cabins. But I will show you a bit more about that.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Fantastic. 

Daniel Bott: And, yeah, you talked about the hike from Eiger Glacier to… to Kleine Scheidegg. That is one of the easier hikes and quite a shorter one, but it’s beautiful views all over. If you want to do a little bit of a longer one. There is also one from Kleine Scheidegg to Männlichen, which is around the corner there. So that is also very beautiful hike. I would recommend it to do it from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, because then you always look at the panorama.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. And you can only do that in the summer, can’t you, because of the snow coverage in winter?

Daniel Bott: No, you can also do it in winter, but then the line is a bit different. So it’s a bit longer, because you first go downhill all the way down here to the Wengernalpbahn, and then you can take the chairlift up to the Kleine Scheidegg.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Ah, right, okay.

Daniel Bott: But it’s also a beautiful, groomed hike.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, good.

Daniel Bott: And the chairlift is also included in the hiking and sledding passes that we have in winter, right?

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, that’s good to know.

Daniel Bott: So you see also a lot of people. They use the stop here to take some pictures on the way up to the Jungfraujoch, and then they continue to the top.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And what do you recommend in terms of if people are going to travel one way, sort of on the train all the way and then the other way, use the Eiger Express for part of the trip. Do you recommend going up on the train first or down on the train?

Daniel Bott: I think that’s personal preference. Personally, I really like to go up by the Eiger Express, because then you save half an hour on the way up, so you are earlier up on the top, so there are less people when you arrive later. And then I enjoy a nice relaxed train ride down in the afternoon.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Okay, yeah, that’s a good idea, yeah.

Daniel Bott: So if you just look down here, there’s also the restaurant. So there is also a restaurant here on Eiger Glacier where you can have nice Swiss specialties on your day. Visit here. So now I would bring you to the Eiger Express. So now here it’s only stairs, but you could also take the elevator down over here, that is where you come from the platform. When you arrive with the train from the Jungfraujoch, it’s just platform. It’s just here you get off the train, and then it’s a very short connection, again, to the Eiger Express.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Very easy.

Daniel Bott: Very convenient.

Carolyn Schönafinger: So this is the Eiger Express. We’re about to hop on board, and they just run continuously all day.

Daniel Bott: Yes, there it is. This starts in the very morning, at a quarter past seven, and then all day long.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And do people need to book the seat reservations for the Eiger Express?

Daniel Bott: No, they actually only book the seat reservations for the journey from Eiger Glacier to Jungfraujoch, but we always give them the time when they have to take… so if they choose to go up with the Eiger Express, we give them a time when they should board the Eiger Express latest, so that they don’t miss their train.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Right? Okay.

Daniel Bott: And off we go.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Off we go. Yeah. Now this amazing cableway only opened, was it in 2020?

Daniel Bott: Yes, correct. In December 2020, it was our biggest investment into our infrastructure for a very long time.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Certainly is. Very, very smooth. I’m not really a big cable car fan, but I have been in the Eiger Express, and it’s such a smooth ride that you can almost forget that you’re in a cable car.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, it’s a feedback that we get often, especially on people that have a little bit of fear of heights, or if you have a proper fear of heights, and it’s getting… yeah, you really feel bad in heights, then can be a problem. But a lot of people who are not very comfortable with heights, they told me already that it’s a really nice and steady ride on the Eiger Express, and especially when you sit here in the middle row. So there it’s in the center of the cabin. There, it’s very stable, and you almost can’t feel any movement.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, and you’re so busy looking at the beautiful views, anyway you can, yeah, you can forget about how high up in the air you are.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, exactly. I mean, look at these views. You have these beautiful green meadows everywhere. Now. You can also see, again, there are like hiking paths everywhere. So it’s a beautiful area to spend also a few days and just explore hiking all of these paths.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, for sure. And there are a couple of spots whilst you’re in the cable car that you can actually see the train line for the train running from Kleine Scheidegg back to Grindelwald. Can’t you?

Daniel Bott: Yeah, sure. I mean, if you look down here, you see the Kleine Scheidegg, and you can see the train line, how it’s continuing down towards the beautiful village of Grindelwald.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Wow. Now I know this trip takes about 25 minutes, so we’ve got a little bit of time. Maybe we could talk about, for people that aren’t familiar with what they can actually do if they go right on to Jungfraujoch, what are some of the activities there, or the things that they should make sure they do when they head up to Jungfraujoch?

Daniel Bott: Yeah. So if you go to the Jungfraujoch, it’s amazing stuff to discover up there. You have a round tour, so it takes like an hour and a half. If you follow this tour, you will make sure that you don’t miss any of the highlights. Maybe most of you have seen the iconic building of the Jungfraujoch. We call it the Sphinx. So that is one of the highlights to go up there. That’s the highest point at the Jungfraujoch at 3,571 meters. And from there you can see, actually four countries. So you can see on a good, clear day, you can see France and Germany. You can see Switzerland, I mean, many peaks of Switzerland, and then can see all the way to some peaks in Italy. So it’s a really nice view from the Sphinx terrace.

Carolyn Schönafinger: See that amazing Aletsch Glacier as well.

Daniel Bott: Yes, sure. I mean, that’s one of the big points. I mean, the Aletsch Glacier, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jungfrau Aletsch, and also you can step on the snow and the glacier all year round.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And is there snow activities that people can do at certain times of the year?

Daniel Bott: Yeah, in winter, we get so much snow that you can get outside, but you can’t do any activities in the snow there, but in summer. So that means, normally, mid-May until mid-October, we have a snow fun area there. So there is a zip line, there is some snow tubing, some sledding, and if you are eager, you can even try some skiing and snowboarding, but it’s more like a practice slope. It’s not like a real ski slope.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Daniel, I know that the Jungfrau Railways has a product called the Jungfrau Travel Pass, which is very popular for people who are coming and spending a few days in the region. Can you tell us more about that? What it includes and, yeah, anything important that people should know about that particular Travel Pass?

Daniel Bott: Yeah. So the Jungfrau Travel Pass is a perfect ticket if you stay here for three to eight days, I would say, because it’s including all the public transportation in the Jungfrau Region, as well as all of our mountain excursions. So when you look over here, this is Grindelwald First, just over here on the left side. So that is one, and we call it our top of adventure, that is also included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass. Then we have Männlichen, which is just over there, that is also included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass, for sure, the Eiger Express is included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass. There is also the Schynige Platte, which is just above there, and the Harder Kulm, which is just above Interlaken. So this is all included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass. And then if you’ve got enough of the mountains, there is also the boats on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. They are also included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass. So it’s really like your one-stop ticket for a week in the Jungfrau Region.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, sure. And does that cover people to want to go all the way to Jungfraujoch? Or is there a little supplement or something they have to pay?

Daniel Bott: Yes. So as the card is especially for long-stayers, the Jungfraujoch is not automatically included, so it comes with a supplement, which is 63 or 75 Swiss Francs, depending on the season, if it’s low or high season. But yeah, if you see how much a normal trip to Jungfraujoch is, that is quite a nice price.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, definitely. And the pass is now available all year round. Is that right?

Daniel Bott: Yes, that’s correct. It’s available summer and winter. So it’s your pass for the Jungfrau Region.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, great. Okay, and what about if people are coming to the region and they have a Swiss Travel Pass, if they want to do any of those mountain excursions that you’ve mentioned? Do they get a discount?

Daniel Bott: Yes, as everywhere in Switzerland, the Jungfrau Travel Pass is valid on the public transportation part. So all the all the villages… the Swiss Travel Pass holders, it’s like everywhere else in Switzerland. It’s valid to all the villages of the Jungfrau Region. So to Wengen, to Mürren, to Grindelwald, and then from there on, they get a discount on the mountain railways. So they normally get 50% to Schynige Platte, Harder Kulm, and so on, and they get 25% on the trip to the Jungfraujoch.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, excellent, very good.  We’re now approaching Grindelwald. So is that the main terminal building that I can see down there?

Daniel Bott: Yeah, that’s right. So you can see the Grindelwald Terminal building down there. And if you see, it’s quite well fitted into the surroundings. So it’s… we’ll see later how big it is inside. So from the outside, it’s not so much recognizable from from the mountain. But what you can see also is that on the left side here, there is the train station, and that is under the ground. It’s directly connected with the gondola, so it’s very easy to connect from Interlaken. When you come from Interlaken by train, just hop off the train and walk into the terminal building, then you can board the Eiger Express.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, excellent. Now I think you’re going to point out to us when we arrive. But the station that’s connected to the Eiger Express terminal is not the main Grindelwald train station, is it?

Daniel Bott: No, you actually see there’s a train going up here. So that is heading to the main station, because the main station is there in the middle of the village. The terminal is just a little bit down into the valley where you have the two gondolas getting out of the building, but it’s just a two-minute ride from the main station down to the terminal station.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, and perfectly connected timetable as well, because it’s Switzerland.

Daniel Bott: For sure. I mean, it wouldn’t be Switzerland if it wouldn’t be perfectly timed with the train courses and the bus courses as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Exactly.

Daniel Bott: Because in the terminal you have both a train stop and a bus stop. So wherever in Grindelwald you stay, which hotel, you can easily also take a bus that will bring you to the terminal. So that will be the other option. Yeah. Now when we arrive at the station, you will see how quick we are actually, because we are going quite fast for for a gondola, but it feels very steady, so it’s a very nice ride. For those arriving by car, there’s also a car parking over there. So it’s also with… directly connected here, with the station, and then come in here, into the main hall of the terminal. So here you have the cashiers. You can either purchase the ticket here on one of my colleagues on the cashier, or we have our self-service terminals here. But you can also buy your your ticket, and then, for sure, you can purchase it on the website.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, plenty of options, which is great. The cable car to Männlichen also leaves from that terminal, doesn’t it?

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. So you can see just over here, it’s the Männlichen gondola, it leaves from Grindelwald terminal. That is also… the summer season started. Right here, you can always come to the terminal. You have these two options. What you also have here is like a little souvenir shop to bring something home, but also very handy stuff. Because, I mean, who doesn’t forget something on a hiking day? There’s also like a convenience store just here. So if you forgot something, you can just get it as well as a sports shop. So that if you need some hiking gear, I don’t know, like you forgot a jacket or you need some poles for for the hiking, you can also get it here in the terminal. So you see it’s on a very small ground. You can get everything that you need. So you can see it’s just down here. So it’s very easy to find, just go down here, because there’s another nice thing to know and not many people know, and that’s our our lockers. So if you want to take the most out of your stay and you want to go even on your departure day, onto the mountain, there are also lockers in all kinds of sizes where you can just store your luggage and on the way back, you just pick it up before you go back to the train and maybe continue your journey. So you can see there’s even very big ones.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, excellent. And are they… you just pay by credit card for those? Do you?

Daniel Bott: Exactly. You can just do… for show you here, you can just buy one big one. You can choose the number, and then it’s 10 Swiss Francs for the day, for the big ones, and for the smaller ones, it’s just five Swiss Francs.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, yeah, that’s very convenient.

Daniel Bott: See, there is everything what you need from this sports shop. And then we just go down here, come to the terminal Plaza. How we call it. This is in winter you have here some after… like après-ski always here on this place, because the ski slope comes down here, over the bridge. But why I came down here is because here you have the bus stop. So you can see here are local buses. They’re just arriving here, and then it’s very easy to get up to the Jungfrau Railways as well. And the local buses when you’re staying in Grindelwald, they are included in the hotel, and then otherwise they are in the Jungfrau Travel Passes as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so people should allow a few minutes to connect from the train to the cable or the gondola, because it looks like it’s a good distance there.

Daniel Bott: Yeah. I mean, it’s when you look at the schedule, it’s well-timed, so you have enough time to change from the train to the gondola. But, yeah, you should at least count in like five to 10 minutes. Good.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, so this is the Grindelwald Terminal train station.

Daniel Bott: Exactly, yeah. So you see the train from Interlaken just comes up from this side, and then this way goes further to the Grindelwald village station. And down here, that’s just the ramp that I came up. So, yeah, that’s where you go into the terminal building to connect to the Eiger Express or the Männlichen.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Perfect and you’re never in the weather there, either. Like you’ve got protection. So if it does happen to be raining or snowing, even in winter, you’ve got plenty of protection there as you change from one mode of transport to the other.

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. I mean, you’re covered from the weather. But also you can see it’s all wheelchair accessible. So it’s also for people who are not so good on their feet or not good at walking, they can also easily change. I mean, just take a little bit more time, but it’s easy to walk.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Excellent. Okay, so is there anything else that you think we should know about visiting Jungfraujoch or going on the Eiger Express? Any final tips?

Daniel Bott: Oh, I mean, here again the Jungfrau Travel Pass, I would say that’s my biggest tip for you to purchase a Jungfrau Travel Pass. It gives you unlimited travel on the network of the Jungfrau Railways. And you can see there are amazing mountain experiences included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass, and you just pay a small supplement for the Jungfraujoch. So I’m pretty sure with this pass, you would have an amazing time here in the Jungfrau Region. And yes, you can get the Jungfrau Travel Pass on our website, jungfrau.ch. So yeah, that’s the easiest option to get it. Great.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And as we mentioned before, it’s available all year round. So no matter what time of year people are coming to visit, they can buy the pass and get extensive coverage across the whole Jungfrau Region.

Daniel Bott: Yes, exactly. I mean, they just can hop on valley trains as well. It also included. So yeah, they don’t have to think about much.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Fantastic. Well, thanks Daniel for that amazing tour of Kleine Scheidegg and Eiger Glacier and then back down to Grindelwald Terminal. It’s been a really excellent excursion, and I’m sure everyone watching is now even more keen to take that excursion themselves.

Daniel Bott: I hope so. It was my intention to show you around our beautiful region.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, and it’s an excursion that I’m lucky enough to have done quite a few times, and it’s, yeah, one I highly recommend. It’s, as you said, the views are just so incredible. The Eiger Express is so smooth and modern, and the train ride is something spectacular as well.

Daniel Bott: Yeah, I think it’s a network that you can’t find anywhere else in Switzerland. So it’s an amazing area to stay and to experience.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, it sure is. Well. Thank you very much again. And for everyone watching, please make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel. We’ve got lots more of these live on location videos from Switzerland, and we look forward to seeing you next time for our next live on location. Until then, tschüss.

If you haven’t visited the Jungfrau Region before, understanding how to navigate the different modes of transport to reach Jungfraujoch can be confusing, so I hope today’s episode has helped. Unfortunately, time constraints didn’t allow us to travel all the way to Jungfraujoch today, but as you have heard, even if you don’t go all the way to the Top of Europe as it’s known, there is plenty to see and do at both Eiger Glacier and Kleine Scheidegg. For more information about planning a visit to Jungfraujoch, take a look at my detailed guide on holidays to switzerland.com.

I’ll include a link to the article, as well as links to Jungfrau Railways website and my online shop where you can purchase the Jungfrau Travel Pass in the show notes for this episode. The show notes are at holidays to switzerland.com/episode151. Don’t forget you can watch the video of today’s episode on the Holidays to Switzerland YouTube channel, and you should—the scenery is truly spectacular. Thanks for joining me today, until next time, tschüss

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.