Getting to Gimmelwald

Directions
No matter where you are coming from, you have to pass through Interlaken first. Though a relatively small town, Interlaken has two train stations--Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost. From the latter the fastest journey to Gimmelwald takes 55 minutes, and trains leave once an hour starting at 6:30am and then at 20 minutes past every hour (7:20am, 8:20am, 9:20am, etc. except 20:20) until 22:20. Round-trip ticket Interlaken Ost--Gimmelwald costs 32.00 Sfr. (26.00 Sfr. with Eurail and free with Swiss Pass).

Fastest way, step-by-step:

1) Take the Interlaken Ost--Lauterbrunnen train. Be careful. This train has two parts. The first half goes to Lauterbrunnen. The second half goes to Grindelwald. The cars are marked. Make sure you board the correct one. You will arrive in Lauterbrunnen 20 minutes later.

2) Take the Lauterbrunnen--Stechelberg bus. Once you get out of the train, cross the tracks and walk about 50-100 meters to your right, where you will find a bus stop. It's the only bus and Stechelberg is the end of the line, so you can't go wrong. The ride is about 12 minutes long, and you will disembark right next to the gondola station. (Note: Try to avoid the 20:20 train out of Interlaken because you will get to Lauterbrunnen when the Lauterbrunnen--Stechelberg bus is not running. There is a bus at 19:50 and 21:50, but nothing in between.) OR
2) Walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. It's about an hour and a half flat walk (longer with a photo camera) to the gondola station and is well worth it, even with a full backpack on one's shoulders. If the weather is nice and the sun is still out it's a good alternative to a bus.

3) Take the gondola to its first stop. 5 minutes ride. Welcome to Gimmelwald! (I should point out that it's possible to hike from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald, though I don't recommend doing it with your full backpack. It's a relatively steep climb up (500 feet gain in elevation), which will take you close to 1.5 hours.)

There may be a reason to take another route. Gimmelwald has no food store, and this route, which passes through M|rren gives you a chance to buy your groceries on your way to Gimmelwald instead of taking a specific hike to M|rren later. The food co-op in M|rren is open until 6 p.m. on weekdays, until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. (Also closed between noon and 1:45 p.m. for lunch). The cost for this route from Interlaken Ost to Gimmelwald is 44 Sfr (33 Sfr. with Eurail and free with Swiss Pass).

Alternative route, step-by-step:

2)Take the new Lauterbrunnen--Gr|tschalp cable car. In 2007, the new cableway replaced the old (built in 1891) funicular. The entrance is right across the Lauterbrunnen train station. You can't miss it. The ride is 4 minutes long, and the cable car runs every half hour for most of the day. The last ride is 19:47.

3) Take the Gr|tschalp--M|rren train The cable car and the train are well connected. They basically share the same mini-station. The train departs 2 minutes after the cable car arrives. The ride to M|rren is 14 minutes long. Grab a seat on the left side for the breathtaking panorama of the Alps.

4) Walk from M|rren to Gimmelwald. About 40 minutes. Downhill. The road is well marked. OR
4) Take the M|rren-Gimmelwald gondola (5 minutes ride). It's about a 10-minute walk from the M|rren train station to the M|rren gondola station. Just follow the signs.

Swiss Federal Railways: timetable and fare information in Switzerland and beyond. Very useful detailed information. Also, check out Swiss Travel System's money-saving options (Swiss Pass, Swiss Card, etc.). Read my review about the best transportation system in the world: The Swiss Don't Miss!

The following table (through November 2009) shows what seems to be the most convenient travel to Gimmelwald from major European cities. As always, travel times are subject to change, and other trains may fit your schedule better. Please consult the Swiss Federal Railways website for details. The via column shows transfers up to Interlaken. Scroll up this page to see detailed directions from Interlaken to Gimmelwald.

All Roads Lead To Gimmelwald
From	Departure	Arrival	Type	via	Duration
Amsterdam	20:31	10:00	Overnight	Basel	13 hours 37 minutes
Barcelona Estacio de Francia	08:45	22:00	Day	Montpellier, Geneva, Bern	13 hours 15 minutes
Berlin	22:20	11:00	Overnight	Basel	12 hours 38 minutes
Brussels	8:25	18:00	Day	Köln, Basel	10 hours 01 minutes
Budapest	18:05	10:00	Overnight	Zürich, Bern	15 hours 55 minutes
Cinque Terre (Monterosso)	10:55	19:00	Day	Milan, Brig, Spiez	8 hours 05 minutes
Dresden	21:15	11:00	Overnight	Basel	13 hours 45 minutes
Florence	08:19	16:00	Day	Spiez	7 hours 41 minutes
Frankfurt	10:05	16:00	Day	Basel	5 hours 55 minutes
Hamburg	19:46	9:00	Overnight	Basel	13 hours 14 minutes
Innsbruck	8:39	16:00	Day	Zurich, Bern	7 hours 21 minutes
Milan	08:25	13:00	Day	Spiez	4 hours 35 minutes
Munich	8:41	17:00	Day	Karlsruhe	8 hours 19 minutes
Paris-Est	08:24	15:00	Day	Basel	6 hours 36 minutes
Rome	19:58	08:00	Overnight	Spiez	12 hours 02 minutes
Salzburg	0:44	09:30	Overnight	Zurich, Bern	9 hours 16 minutes
Venice	08:09	16:00	Day	Milan, Spiez	7 hours 51 minutes
Vienna	21:25	10:00	Overnight	Zurich, Bern	12 hours 35 minutes

The following table shows train travel to Gimmelwald from major Swiss cities/towns. The via column shows transfers up to Interlaken. Scroll up this page to see detailed directions from Interlaken to Gimmelwald. Keep in mind, the last gondola to Gimmelwald is at 23:10 and there is no way to access the village until the first gondola at 6:20 in the morning.

To Gimmelwald within Switzerland
From	Approx. Frequency	via	Approx. Duration
Basel	Every hour	Direct. Sometimes via Spiez or Bern	3 hours 15 minutes
Bern	Every hour	Direct	2 hours
Geneva	Every hour	Bern	4 hours
Lausanne	Every hour	Bern	3 hours 25 minutes
Lucerne	Every hour	Direct	2 hours 50 minutes
Montreux	Every hour	Lausanne, Bern	4 hours
Zermatt	Every hour	Brig, Spiez	4 hours 45 minutes
Zürich	Every hour	Direct. Sometimes via Bern	3 hours 15 minutes

Travelogue (How I stumbled upon Gimmelwald on July 2nd, 2000)