Transportation in Interlaken

Interlaken's transport is built around its two train stations, Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West, which act as the main hubs for every onward connection. Regional trains, lake steamers, and the mountain railways all radiate from these points, so memorize which station your accommodation is closest to. Walking between them takes about 20 minutes. But most hotels sit within a five-minute radius of one or the other. Buses fill the gaps in town and up the side valleys; they're cheap, run on the same ticket system as the trains, and the SBB Mobile app shows real-time departures in English. Skip the hop-on sightseeing buses, they cost multiples of the regular network and follow the same streets. For first-timers, buy a Visitor Card at your hotel reception. It gives free local bus travel and discounts on cable cars. Mountain excursions (Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Harder Kulm) are a splurge compared with valley transport, so check weather webcams the night before, cloudy summits waste both time and money. If you're arriving via Zurich or Geneva airport, the fastest route is a direct train to Interlaken Ost with one easy change at Bern. Trains run at least hourly until late evening. Miss the last connection and the taxi queue outside Bern station is your fallback, agree the fare before you load the bags, as night rates jump sharply.