Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen: By Train, Car or Tour

The Bernese Oberland Bahn, usually shortened to BOB, runs from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen as a direct service with no change of train. The journey takes 22 minutes on the current Swiss national timetable. That matches the roughly 20 to 22 minute figure and the roughly 32 trains a day noted elsewhere on this site, so you are never waiting long between departures.

Interlaken Ost is the gateway to the whole region and worth arriving at with a few minutes to spare. If you have come into Interlaken early, the Harderbahn funicular to Harder Kulm leaves from the same station and reaches the viewpoint in 10 minutes. There are 200 parking spaces at Interlaken Ost itself if you have hired a car and would rather leave it in town.

One honest note on price: no fixed CHF fare is published on jungfrau.ch or sbb.ch for this specific point-to-point trip. Switzerland prices rail travel through a national distance-based fare system, so the cost depends on where your ticketing journey starts, not on this leg alone. The SBB app or the ticket machine at Interlaken Ost shows the current price for your exact ticket. Any number you see quoted elsewhere is a third-party estimate and should not be treated as a published fare.

At the Lauterbrunnen end, the station has new elevated walkways and wheelchair-accessible underpasses, a ticket machine, lockers, toilets and a kiosk. From the same platforms, the Wengernalp Railway climbs to Wengen and on toward Kleine Scheidegg, while the other side of the valley is reached by cable car toward Mürren. Our Lauterbrunnen train station page lists every facility in detail.

The road from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen runs through Wilderswil and Zweilütschinen before climbing into the valley and ending at Lauterbrunnen's own car park. No drive-time or distance figure is sourced for this run, so we do not print one.

The structural limit is that Wengen and Mürren beyond the valley are car-free. Driving gets you to Lauterbrunnen and no further by road. Everything onward, up the cliffs on either side, happens by train or cable car. If your destination is one of the car-free villages, a car buys you very little over the train, because you would take the same onward connections from Lauterbrunnen station anyway.

Parkhaus Lauterbrunnen is the destination end of the drive. It sits at the railway station, connects directly to it, and is open 24/7 all year. The rate is US$21.90 (CHF 18) per 8-hour block, there are 974 spaces and 10 EV charging points, and payment is accepted by cash, credit card, Twint, the EasyPark app or a QR ticket. You can also book online in advance through the operator's booking system. Our Lauterbrunnen parking page has the full tariff table and practical detail.

If your journey really starts at Zurich Airport rather than Interlaken, see our Zurich airport to Lauterbrunnen guide before deciding to drive. The rail connections from the airport, though involving changes, are often the simpler choice after a long flight.

For a day trip or a short stay, the train wins on almost every count. It is direct, it runs about 32 times a day, and it puts you beside the onward cable cars. Driving only really earns its cost if you are hauling bulky gear, travelling as a family with small children, or continuing by road later in your itinerary. Tours suit travellers who want the leg, the falls and a guide wrapped into one booking without touching a timetable.

If you are still planning the wider trip, our Interlaken page covers the base town, our things to do page fills your hours in the valley, and our day trips page extends the plan beyond it.