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Bern to Wengen by train
How to take the fantastic journey by train from Bern to delightful Wengen
Yes the journey from Basel to Wengen requires taking three different trains, but the two connections are as simple as can be, and the second half of the end-to-end trip is astonishingly beautiful.
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Routes
From Bern to Wengen
Journey Summary
1hr 45min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Interlaken is where the network of mountain railways in the Bernese-Oberland connects with SBB's national rail network.
You will have around 8 mins to make the connection into the train on to Lauterbrunnen at Interlaken Ost station, but the connection is virtually guaranteed, in terms of the arrival and departure times of the trains.
So you can be sure of making this connection, if you book tickets that are valid for the end-to-end journey.
Eight minutes may not be enough time to buy a ticket for the journey on to Wengen (via Lauterbrunnen) from the ticket desks at Interlaken Ost station.
Though if you will be travelling with any type of rail pass, including Swiss Day Passes, you'll need to go into the ticket office, to buy a discounted ticket for the journey on from Lauterbrunen to Wengen.
Then the connection at Lauterbrunen into the train on Wengen is a simple as can be.
1 or 2 x connections per hour
Tickets
Booking Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased online for end-to-end journeys which involve taking a SBB train + the BernerOberlandBahn train on to Lauterbrunnen + the WAB train on to Wengen
‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.
'Supersaver' tickets are cheaper, as the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific.
Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) e of Saver Day Passes (see below) they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.
Using Saver Day Passes:
Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued a Saver Day Pass may save you money, if you can book at least a couple of weeks ahead (usually), so that you can obtain the pass at a discounted price.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, though they are more likely to be a money saver if you will be making a day return trip.
But this journey to Wengen can be an exception.
That's because Saver Day Passes can be used for free travel on the trains between Basel and Lauterbrunnen, but unless they have purchased with a Half-Fare card , they can't be used for the part of the journey between Lauterbrunen and Wengen.
So tickets for the final section of the journey will need to be booked prior to boarding the trains, in the ticket offices at Interlaken Ost or Lauterbrunnen stations.
Though if you will be making a day return trip from Basel to Wengen it is likely that that a Saver Day Pass will be cheaper than booking tickets for the outward and return journeys; despite the need to buy separate tickets for the part of the journey between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen.
Additional Information:
More general info is available on our GUIDE to taking the train to Swiss Ski Resorts.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB | * | |
| Trainline | * | |
| Happy rail | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
This is now route IC 61
The single deck IC trains operated by SBB are typically used for these journeys, but the trains which usually depart Bern at 13:04, 19:04 and 21:07 are ICE trains, which will have commenced their journeys in Germany.
Final Destination: Interlaken Ost
This is a journey that saves the best until last!
There are lovely views over Lake Thun from the left of the train, when facing the direction of travel, between Thun and Spiez stations.
... this video was taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction.Then for the final 15 mins of the journey, after departure from Spiez, the train descends down to travel right by the shore of the Thunersee.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
On this route the best views are on the right as the train passes through the valley after Wilderswill station, but this is a pleasant rather than particularly special journey.
Train 3
Travelling On
Journey Features
For most of the journey from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen the best of the views are on the left; the train runs along the side of a valley wall, so the views over the valley are on that side.
However, we were sat on the right as SMTJ was travelling down to Lauterbrunnen in the opposite dirction , so the images are from that side of the train; and as can be seen the views down the valley towards the beginning and end of the trip are rather fabulous, regardless of which side of the train your seated!
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