Budget/Backpacker Travel Guide: Interlaken
Experience authentic local culture on a shoestring budget with hostels, street food, and public transport
Daily Budget: CHF 75-155 per day ($83-171)
Complete breakdown of costs for budget/backpacker travel in Interlaken
Accommodation
CHF 30-55 per night ($33-60)
Hostel dorm beds are the standard move for budget travelers in Interlaken, and the town has a reasonable selection given how many backpackers pass through on their Alpine circuit. Expect bunk rooms of varying sizes, often with lockers and communal kitchens that let you self-cater and skip expensive restaurant meals entirely. Budget guesthouses on quieter streets occasionally offer private rooms at near-hostel rates if you book ahead rather than rolling in spontaneously.
Browse budget/backpacker accommodation →Food & Dining
CHF 20-40 per day ($22-44)
The big unlock for budget eating in Interlaken is the supermarket hot counter, both major Swiss chains run prepared food sections that smell inviting and cost a fraction of any sit-down option. Bakeries scattered around the center sell sandwiches and pastries that keep you fueled without much damage to the wallet. The occasional kebab or takeaway rounds out dinners without requiring a sit-down experience.
Transportation
CHF 10-20 per day ($11-22)
Interlaken itself is compact enough to walk almost everywhere, which is a meaningful saving in a country where trains are excellent but priced to match. The two main train stations are roughly twenty minutes apart on foot. When you do need trains to reach trailheads or the neighboring lakes, short-hop regional tickets are the tool, though they accumulate quickly across several days of moving around.
Activities
CHF 15-40 per day ($17-44)
There is a surprising amount to do at low or zero cost in Interlaken. Hiking trails fan out in every direction from town, and the ridge paths above the valley give you the kind of wide-open Alpine views, snow-capped summits reflected in the lake surface below, that people pay gondola fares to glimpse. Swimming in Lake Brienz is free, the water running a cold, mineral-clear turquoise that photographs better than most paid attractions. Budget a small amount for the occasional entry fee on days you want something structured.
Currency: CHF Swiss Franc
Money-Saving Tips
Supermarket hot counters and bakeries typically run 50 to 70 percent cheaper than tourist-zone restaurants for meals that are satisfying, worth building into your daily routine rather than treating as a fallback on tight days.
A regional transport pass pays for itself within two or three days of train travel around the lakes and valleys. Buying individual tickets on each journey adds up quickly in Switzerland. Even short hops are priced at Swiss levels. Do the math. Pass wins.
The free hiking trails above Interlaken reach viewpoints that match or exceed what you see from paid gondola stations. You arrive under your own legs. Cowbells drift up through the meadows below. Sweat earns the view. Zero francs.
Shifting your main restaurant meal to lunch rather than dinner commonly saves 30 to 40 percent. Many local restaurants run set lunch menus from the same kitchen. Evening prices jump for identical plates. Eat midday. Pocket the difference.
Advance booking on the Jungfraujoch tends to cost noticeably less than walk-up prices at the station. Early-morning departures typically get clearer skies. Afternoon cloud builds up from the valleys. Book ahead. Rise early.
Accommodation in quieter streets a five-to-ten minute walk from the central tourist corridor prices meaningfully lower than the main drag. Interlaken is compact. The distance has essentially no practical impact on your day. Save cash. Sleep better.
Tap water in Interlaken is cold, clean, and free from public fountains throughout the town. Filling a reusable bottle eliminates a recurring daily expense. That cost accumulates surprisingly fast on a Swiss trip. Drink up. Spend elsewhere.
Common Budget Mistakes to Avoid
Booking Jungfraujoch on an overcast day is the single costliest planning error in Interlaken. The ticket price is substantial regardless of weather. A cloudy summit means paying for a cold train ride inside a mountain. You miss the dazzling ice-and-sky panorama the journey is built around. Check the forecast. Wait for clear skies. Rearrange if needed.
Eating every meal in the central tourist corridor adds a consistent and compounding markup across the entire trip. Restaurants facing the main pedestrian street price for transient passing trade. They do not court return customers. Quality rarely reflects the premium charged. Walk two blocks. Eat better. Pay less.
Arriving in peak summer or mid-winter without advance accommodation bookings regularly means paying 40 to 80 percent above the normal rate for whatever is left. Remaining options at that stage are typically the properties that price high. They know availability is gone everywhere else. Book early. Avoid gouging.