Rick's Favorite Sleeps & Eats: Berner Oberland
Sleeping and Eating in the Berner Oberland
(1.40 SF = about $1, country code: 41)
At higher altitudes, many hotels, restaurants, and shops are closed between Easter and late May. Those traveling by car should note that you can't drive to Gimmelwald, Mürren, Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg, or Obersteinberg — but don't let that stop you from staying up in the mountains. Lauterbrunnen, Stechelberg, Isenfluh, and Interlaken are no problem for drivers.
Sleeping and Eating in Gimmelwald
(4,500 feet, country code: 41)
To inhale the Alps and really hold it in, sleep high in Gimmelwald. Poor but pleasantly stuck in the past, the village has a creaky hotel, happy hostel, decent pension, a couple of B&Bs, and even a website (www.gimmelwald.ch). The only bad news is that the lift costs 7.80 SF each way to get there.
$$ Maria and Olle Eggimann rent two rooms — Gimmelwald's most comfortable — in their quirky but alpine-sleek chalet. Maria and Olle, who job-share the village's only teaching position and raise three kids of their own, offer visitors a rare inside peek at this community (D-110 SF, Db with kitchenette-180 SF for 2 or 3 people, optional breakfast-18 SF, no CC, last check-in 19:30, 3-night minimum for advance reservations; from gondola continue straight for 200 yards along the town's only road, B&B on left, tel. 033-855-3575, oeggimann@bluewin.ch, SE fluently).
$$ Pension Restaurant Gimmelwald offers 13 basic rooms under low, creaky ceilings (D-110 SF, Db-130 SF, T-150 SF, Q-180 SF, 5 SF per person surcharge for 1-night stays). It also has sheetless backpacker beds (25-35 SF in small dorm rooms). The pension has a scenic terrace overlooking the Jungfrau and the hostel (below), and is the village's only restaurant, offering good meals (closed late Oct-Christmas and mid-April-mid-May, non-smoking rooms but restaurant can get smoky, 50 yards from gondola station; reserve by phone, plus obligatory reconfirmation by phone 2-3 days before arrival; tel. 033-855-1730, fax 033-855-1925, pensiongimmelwald@tcnet.ch, Liesi and Mäni).
$ Hotel Mittaghorn, the treasure of Gimmelwald, is run by Walter Mittler, a perfect Swiss gentleman. Walter's hotel is a classic, creaky, alpine-style place with memorable beds, ancient down comforters (short and fat; wear socks and drape the blanket over your feet), and a million-dollar view of the Jungfrau Alps. The loft has a dozen real beds, several sinks, down comforters, and a fire ladder out the back window. The hotel has one shower for 10 rooms (1 SF/5 min). Walter is careful not to let his place get too hectic or big, and he enjoys sensitive Back Door travelers. He runs the hotel with a little help from Rosemarie from the village.
To some, Hotel Mittaghorn is a fire waiting to happen, with a kitchen that would never pass code, lumpy beds, teeny towels, and minimal plumbing, run by an eccentric old grouch. These people enjoy Mürren, Interlaken, or Wengen, and that's where they should sleep. Be warned, you'll see more of my readers than locals here, but it's a fun crowd — an extended family (D-70-80 SF, T-100 SF, Q-125 SF, loft beds-25 SF, 6-SF surcharge per person for 1-night stays except in loft, all with breakfast, no CC, closed Nov-March, tel. 033-855-1658, www.ricksteves.com/mittaghorn). Reserve by telephone only, then reconfirm by phone the day before your arrival. Walter usually offers his guests a simple 15-SF dinner. Hotel Mittaghorn is at the top of Gimmelwald, a five-minute climb up the steps from the village intersection.
$ Mountain Hostel is a beehive of activity, as clean as its guests, cheap, and friendly. Phone ahead, or to secure one of its 50 dorm beds the same day, call after 9:30 and leave your name. The hostel has low ceilings, a self-service kitchen, a mini-grocery, a free pool table, and healthy plumbing. It's mostly a college-age crowd; families and older travelers will probably feel more comfortable elsewhere. Petra Brunner has lined the porch with flowers. This relaxed hostel survives with the help of its guests. Read the signs (please clean the kitchen), respect Petra's rules, and leave it tidier than you found it. The place is one of those rare spots where a congenial atmosphere spontaneously combusts, and spaghetti becomes communal as it cooks (20 SF per bed in 6- to 15-bed rooms, sheets included, showers-1 SF, no breakfast, hostel membership not required, no CC, Internet access-12 SF/hour, laundry-5 SF/load, 20 yards from lift station, tel. & fax 033-855-1704, www.mountainhostel.com, mountainhostel@tcnet.ch).
$ Esther's Guesthouse, overlooking the main intersection of the village, is like an upscale mini-hostel with five clean, basic, and comfortable rooms sharing two bathrooms and a great kitchen (S-40 SF, D-80-95 SF, T-100-120 SF, Q-150 SF, no CC, 2-night stays preferred, make your own breakfast or pay 12 SF and Esther will make it for you, non-smoking, tel. 033-855-5488, fax 033-855-5492, www.esthersguesthouse.ch, info@esthersguesthouse.ch, some English spoken).
$ Schlaf im Stroh ("Sleep in Straw") offers exactly that, in an actual barn. After the cows head for higher ground in the summer, the friendly von Allmen family hoses out their barn and fills it with straw and budget travelers. Blankets are free, but bring your own sheet, sleep sack, or sleeping bag. No beds, no bunks, no mattresses, no kidding (21 SF, 10 SF for kids up to 10, thereafter kids pay their age plus 1 SF, no CC, includes breakfast and a modern bathroom, showers-2 SF, open mid-June-mid-Oct, depending on grass and snow levels, almost never full; from lift, continue straight through intersection, barn marked "1995" on right, run by Esther with same contact info as above).
Eating in Gimmelwald
Pension Gimmelwald, the only restaurant in town, serves a hearty breakfast buffet for 13.50 SF, fine lunches, and good dinners (10-20 SF), featuring cheese fondue, a tasty Rösti, local organic produce, homemade pies, and spherical brownies (daily 7:30-23:00). The hostel has a decent members' kitchen, but serves no food. Hotel Mittaghorn serves dinner only to its guests (15 SF). Consider packing in a picnic meal from the larger towns. If you need a few groceries and want to skip the hike to Mürren, you can buy the essentials — noodles, spaghetti sauce, and candy bars — at the Mountain Hostel's reception desk.
The local farmers sell their produce. Esther (at the main intersection of the village) sells cheese, sausage, bread, and Gimmelwald's best yogurt — but only until the cows go up in June.
Sleeping in Mürren
(5,500 feet, country code: 41)
Mürren — pleasant as an alpine resort can be — is traffic-free and filled with bakeries, cafés, souvenirs, old-timers with walking sticks, GE employees enjoying incentive trips, and Japanese tourists making movies of each other with a Fujichrome backdrop. Its chalets are prefab-rustic. Sitting on a ledge 2,000 feet above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, surrounded by a fortissimo chorus of mountains, the town has all the comforts of home (for a price) without the pretentiousness of more famous resorts. With help from a gondola, train, and funicular, hiking options are endless from Mürren. Mürren has an ATM (by the Co-op grocery), and there are lockers at both the train and gondola stations (located a 10-min walk apart, on opposite ends of town).
Mürren's TI can help you find a room, give hiking advice, and change money (July-Sept Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00 & 13:00-18:30, Thu until 20:30, Sat 13:00-18:30, Sun 13:00-17:30, less off-season, above the village, follow signs to Sportzentrum, tel. 033-856-8686, www.wengen-muerren.ch). The slick Sportzentrum (Sports Center) that houses the TI offers a world of indoor activities (13 SF to use pool and whirlpool; 8 SF for Gimmelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Interlaken hotel guests; free for guests at most Mürren hotels — ask your hotelier for a voucher, pool open Mon-Sat 14:00-18:45, Thu until 20:15, closed Sun, May, and Nov-mid-Dec).
You can rent mountain bikes and hiking boots at Stäger Sport (bikes-25 SF/4 hrs, 35 SF/day, boots-12 SF/day, daily 9:00-17:00, closed May and Nov, across from TI/Sportzentrum, tel. 033-855-2355, www.staegersport.ch). You can use the Internet at the TI (see above, 5 SF/20 min) or at Eiger Guesthouse (12 SF/hr, daily 8:00-23:00, tel. 033-856-5460, across from train station). Top Apartments will do your laundry by request (25 SF per load, unreliable hours: Mon-Sat 9:00-11:00 & 15:00-17:00, closed Sun, behind and across from Hotel Bellevue, look for blue triangle, call first to drop off in morning, tel. 033-855-3706).
Prices for accommodations are often higher during the ski season. Many hotels and restaurants close in spring, roughly from Easter to late May, and any time between late September and mid-December.
$$$ Hotel Alpina is a simple, modern place with 24 comfortable rooms and a concrete feeling — a good thing, given its cliff-edge position (Sb-75-95 SF, Db-140-170 SF, Tb-180-210 SF, Qb-210-240 SF with awesome Jungfrau views and balconies, 4-5 person apartments-250-300 SF, exit left from station, walk 2 min downhill, tel. 033-855-1361, fax 033-855-1049, www.muerren.ch/alpina, alpina@muerren.ch, Taugwalder family).
$$$ Hotel Bellevue has a homey lounge, great view terrace, hunter-themed "Jägerstübli" restaurant, and 17 good rooms at fair rates, most with balconies and views. The more expensive rooms are newly renovated and larger (Sb-95-125 SF, Db-170-210 SF, Internet access, tel. 033-855-1401, fax 033-855-1490, www.muerren.ch/bellevue, bellevue-crystal@bluewin.ch, run by friendly and hardworking Ruth and Othmar Suter).
$$$ Hotel Jungfrau offers 29 modern and comfortable rooms (Sb-95-110 SF, Db-190-210 SF with view, Sb-90-110 SF, Db-170-200 SF without, elevator, near TI/Sportzentrum, tel. 033-855-4545, fax 033-855-4549, www.hoteljungfrau.ch, mail@hoteljungfrau.ch).
$$$ Hotel Blumental has 16 older but nicely furnished rooms and a fun, woodsy game/TV lounge (Sb-75-80 SF, Db-150-170 SF, non-smoking rooms but smoky lobby, attached restaurant, tel. 033-855-1826, fax 033-855-3686, www.muerren.ch/blumental, blumental@muerren.ch, von Allmen family).
$$$ Hotel Alpenruh is yuppie-rustic and overpriced, but it's the only hotel in Mürren open year-round. The 26 comfortable rooms come with views and some balconies (Sb-105-140 SF, Db-180-260 SF, Tb-225-315 SF, prices vary with season, elevator, attached restaurant, free sauna, tanning bed-10 SF/20 min, free vouchers for breakfast atop Schilthorn, atop Allmendhubel, or at hotel, 10 yards from gondola station, tel. 033-856-8800, fax 033-856-8888, www.muerren.ch/alpenruh, alpenruh@schilthorn.ch).
$$ Eiger Guesthouse offers 14 good budget rooms. This is a friendly, creaky, easygoing home away from home (S-60-65 SF, Sb-80-85 SF, D-100-110 SF, Db-130-140 SF, 39-45-SF beds in 2- and 4-bunk rooms, with sheets and breakfast, Internet access, closed Nov and for one month after Easter, across from train station, tel. 033-856-5460, fax 033-856-5461, www.muerren.ch/eigerguesthouse, eigerguesthouse@muerren.ch, well run by Scotsman Alan and Swiss Véronique). The restaurant serves good, reasonably priced dinners. Its poolroom — with public Internet access — is a popular local hangout.
$$ Haus Mönch, a basic, blocky lodge run by Hotel Jungfrau, offers 20 woodsy, well-worn but fine rooms, plus good Jungfrau views (Db-140-144 SF, Tb-180 SF, near TI and Sportzentrum, tel. 033-855-4545, fax 033-855-4549, www.hoteljungfrau.ch, mail@hoteljungfrau.ch).
$ Chalet Fontana, run by charming Englishwoman Denise Fussell, is a rare budget option in Mürren, with simple, crispy-clean, and comfortable rooms (35-45 SF per person in small doubles or triples with breakfast, 5 SF cheaper without breakfast, 1 apartment with kitchenette-50 SF per person, third and fourth person-10 SF each, no CC, closed Nov-April, across street from Stägerstübli restaurant in town center, tel. 033-855-4385, mobile 078-642-3485, chaletfontana@muerren.ch). If no one's home, check at the Ed Abegglen shop next door (tel. 033-855-1245, off-season only).
$ Chalet Helvetia, run by friendly Frau Hunziker, offers a homey, clean two-bedroom apartment with bathroom, kitchen, separate entrance, and balcony for 40 SF per person (up to 5 people, no breakfast, 2-night minimum preferred, higher price for 1-night stays, a few blocks below cable car station on path to Gimmelwald, look for red Zimmer sign on right, tel. 033-855-4169, mobile 079-234-7867, kurthunziker105@msn.com).
Eating in Mürren
For a rare bit of ruggedness, eat at the Stägerstübli (15-30-SF lunches and dinners, daily 11:30-22:00). Kandahar Snack Bar has fun, creative, and inexpensive light meals; a good selection of coffees, teas, and pastries; and impressive views (take-out available, run by lively Canadian Lesley, daily 10:00-18:00, at the Sportzentrum). The reasonable Edelweiss self-serve restaurant wins the "best view" award (daily 10:30-18:00, next to Hotel Alpina). The recommended Eiger Guesthouse and Hotel Bellevue also have good restaurants (see "Sleeping in Mürren," above). For picnic fixings, shop at Co-op (Mon-Fri 8:00-12:00 & 13:45-18:30, Sat until 16:00, closed Sun).
Sleeping in Wengen
(4,200 feet, country code: 41)
Wengen, a bigger, fancier Mürren on the other side of the valley, has plenty of grand hotels, many shops, tennis courts, mini-golf, and terrific views. Minor celebrities (such as Graham Greene) come here to disappear. This traffic-free resort is an easy train ride above Lauterbrunnen and halfway up to Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen, and offers more activities for those needing distraction from the scenery. Hiking is better from Mürren and Gimmelwald. The TI is one block from the station; go up to the main drag, turn left, and look ahead on the left (June-Sept and Dec-mid-April daily 9:00-18:00; mid-April-May and Oct-Nov Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, closed Sat-Sun; Internet access-5 SF/20 min; tel. 033-855-1414, www.wengen-muerren.ch).
Sleeping above the Station
$$$ Hotel Berghaus, in a quiet area a five-minute walk from the main street, offers 19 rooms above a fine restaurant specializing in fish (Sb-82-117 SF, Db-164-234 SF, 5 percent cheaper with this book and cash, elevator, guests can use pool at Park Hotel for free, call on phone at station hotel board for free pick-up, or walk up street across from Bernerhof Hotel, bear right and then left at fork, 200 yards more past church on the left, tel. 033-855-2151, fax 033-855-3820, www.wengen.com/hotel/berghaus, berghaus@wengen.com, Fontana family).
$$$ Hotel Schönegg is a centrally-located splurge, right on Wengen's main drag (Sb-100-110 SF, Db-200-220 SF; higher July-Aug: Sb-115-125 SF, Db-230-250 SF; non-smoking rooms, all rooms have balconies and great views, cozy family room with fireplace, Internet access, good restaurant with big terrace, look for big yellow hotel on main drag near TI, tel. 033-855-3422, fax 033-855-4233, www.hotel-schoenegg.ch, schoenegg@tcnet.ch, Herr und Frau Berthod).
$$$ Hotel Eiger, next to the train station, is older but clean (Sb-102-125 SF, Db-204-250 SF, all rooms have balconies, tel. 033-856-0505, fax 033-856-0506, www.eiger-wengen.ch, hotel@eiger-wengen.ch).
Sleeping below the Station
The first two listings are bright, cheery, family-friendly, and five minutes below the station: leave the station toward the Co-op store, turn right and go under the rail bridge, bear right (paved path) at the fork, and follow the road down and around.
$$ Bären Hotel, run by friendly Therese and Willy Brunner, offers 14 tidy rooms with perky bright-orange bathrooms (Sb-60-90 SF, Db-120-160 SF, Tb-180-210 SF, dinner-20 SF more, family rooms, tel. 033-855-1419, fax 033-855-1525, www.baeren-wengen.ch, info@baeren-wengen.ch).
$$ Familienhotel Edelweiss has 25 bright rooms, lots of fun public spaces, a Christian emphasis, and a jittery Chihuahua named Speedy (Sb-65-75 SF, Db-130-150 SF, non-smoking, each room has balcony or TV, great family rooms, elevator, TV lounge, game room, meeting room, kids' playroom, tel. 033-855-2388, fax 033-855-4288, www.vch.ch/edelweiss, edelweiss@vch.ch, Bärtschi family).
$$ Clare and Andy's Chalet (Trogihalten) offers three rustic, low-ceilinged rooms (1-room studio: Sb-52 SF, Db-80 SF; 2-room suite: Sb/Db-98 SF, Tb-131 SF, Qb-172 SF; 4-room flat: Tb-147 SF, Qb-176 SF, breakfast-15 SF, dinner by request-30 SF, 4-night minimum preferred, prices higher for shorter stays, no CC, all rooms with balconies, leave station to the left and follow paved path next to Bernerhof Hotel downhill, soon after path becomes gravel look ahead and to the right, tel. & fax 033-855-1712, http://home.sunrise.ch/aregez, regez.chalet.wengen@spectraweb.ch, Clare's English, Andy's Swiss).
Sleeping in Lauterbrunnen
(2,600 feet, country code: 41)
Lauterbrunnen — with a train station, funicular, bank, shops, and lots of hotels — is the valley's commercial center. This is the jumping-off point for Jungfrau and Schilthorn adventures. It's idyllic, in spite of the busy road and big buildings. Stop by the friendly TI to check the weather forecast, use the Internet (5 SF/20 min), and to buy any regional train or lift tickets you need (June-Aug Mon-Sat 10:00-12:00 & 15:00-18:30, Sun 15:00-18:30, less off-season, 1 block up from station, tel. 033-856-8568, www.wengen-muerren.ch). You can rent mountain bikes at Imboden Bike on the main street (25 SF/4 hrs, 35 SF/day, full-suspension — reserve ahead — 45 SF/half-day, 65 SF/full day, daily 8:00-18:30, tel. 033-855-2114). The Valley Hostel on the main street also runs an Internet café (12 SF/hr) and a small launderette (10 SF/load, don't open dryer door until machine is finished or you'll have to pay another 5 SF to start it again; both daily 8:00-22:00, less Nov-April, tel. 033-855-2008).
$$ Hotel Staubbach, a big Old World place — one of the first hotels in the valley (1890) — is being lovingly restored by hardworking American Craig and his Swiss wife, Corinne. Its 30 plain, comfortable rooms are family-friendly, there's a kids' play area, and the parking is free. Many rooms have great views. They keep their prices down by providing room-cleaning only after every third night (S-50 SF, Ss-60 SF, Sb-90 SF, D-80 SF, Db-110 SF, figure 40 SF per person in family rooms sleeping up to 6, 10 SF extra per room for 1-night stays, elevator, 4 blocks up from station on the left, tel. 033-855-5454, fax 033-855-5484, www.staubbach.ch, hotel@staubbach.ch).
$ Valley Hostel is practical, friendly, and comfortable, offering inexpensive beds for quieter travelers of all ages, with a pleasant garden and the welcoming Abegglen family: Martha, Alfred, Stefan, and Fränzi (D with bunk beds-52 SF, twin D-60 SF, beds in larger family-friendly rooms-23 SF each, no breakfast but kitchen is available, no CC, most rooms have balconies, cheese fondue on request for guests 18:00-19:30 — 16 SF per person, non-smoking, Internet access, laundry, 2 blocks up from train station, tel. & fax 033-855-2008, www.valleyhostel.ch, info@valleyhostel.ch).
$ Chalet im Rohr, a creaky, old, woody place, has oodles of character and 26-SF beds in big one- to four-bed rooms (2 SF discount after second night, no breakfast, common kitchen-0.50 SF per person, no CC, closed for 3 weeks after Easter, below church on main drag, tel. & fax 033-855-2182).
$ Matratzenlager Stocki is rustic and humble, with the cheapest beds in town (14 SF with sheets in easygoing little 30-bed coed dorm with kitchen, closed Nov-Dec; across river from station, go below station to parking and take last right before garage, walk on path and then turn left over bridge, walk up and to the right 200 yards; tel. 033-855-1754).
$ Camping: Two campgrounds just south of town provide 15- to 35-SF beds (in dorms and 2-, 4-, and 6-bed bungalows, no sheets, kitchen facilities, no CC, big English-speaking tour groups): Mountain Holiday Park-Camping Jungfrau, romantically situated beyond Staubbach Falls, is huge and well-organized by Hans (tel. 033-856-2010, fax 033-856-2020, www.camping-jungfrau.ch). It also has fancier cabins (24 SF per person). Schützenbach Retreat, on the left just past Lauterbrunnen toward Stechelberg, is simpler (tel. 033-855-1268, www.schutzenbach-retreat.ch).
Eating in Lauterbrunnen
Hotel Restaurant Jungfrau, along the main street on the right-hand side, offers a wide range of specialities served by a friendly staff (tel. 033-855-3434, run by Brigitte Melliger). At Hotel Restaurant Oberland, the Nolan family takes pride in serving tasty meals (daily 11:30-16:00 & 17:30-21:00, tel. 033-855-1241).
Sleeping in Interlaken
(country code: 41)
I'd head for Gimmelwald, or at least Lauterbrunnen (20 min by train or car). Interlaken is not the Alps. But if you must stay...
$$$ Hotel Lotschberg, with a sun terrace and 21 wonderful rooms, is run by English-speaking Susi and Fritz and is the best real hotel value in town. Happy to dispense information, these gregarious folks pride themselves on a personal touch that sets them apart from other hotels. Fritz also organizes guided adventures (Sb-92-110 SF, Db-129-155 SF, big Db-162-190 SF, extra bed-25 SF, family deals, cheaper prices are for Nov-May, non-smoking, elevator, Internet access-14 SF/hr, laundry service-9 SF/load, bike rental, honeymoon/romance decoration-40 SF or 60 SF with champagne, discounted parasailing for guests if you "Fly with Fritz"; 3-min walk from West station: cross the square in front of Migros store, then take first right, and then first left, to General Guisanstrasse 31; tel. 033-822-2545, fax 033-822-2579, www.lotschberg.ch, hotel@lotschberg.ch).
$$ Sunny Days B&B, run by Dave (British) and Brigit (Swiss), has nine colorful, cheery rooms ideal for families. Reserve ahead — this popular place books up early (Sb-98-110 SF, Db-110-155 SF, extra adult in room-45 SF, each additional child under 16 costs 38 SF extra, discounts for longer stays Nov-March, great breakfast, Internet access-16 SF/hr, laundry service-18 SF/load; exit left out of West station and take first bridge to your left, after crossing bridges turn left on peaceful Helvetiastrasse and go 3 blocks to #29; tel. 033-822-8343, fax 033-823-8343, www.sunnydays.ch, mail@sunnydays.ch).
$$ Guest House Susi's B&B is Hotel Lotschberg's no-frills, cash-only annex, run by Fritz and Susi, offering nicely-furnished, cozy rooms (Sb-72-90 SF, Db-98-125 SF, apartments with kitchenettes for 2 people-100 SF; for 4-5 people-180 SF, cheaper prices Nov-May, no CC, same phone and fax as Hotel Lotschberg above, www.bnb-interlaken.ch, susis@bnb-interlaken.ch).
$$ Hotel Aarburg offers 13 plain, peaceful rooms in a beautifully located but run-down old building a 10-minute walk from the West station (Sb-80 SF, Db-130 SF, next to launderette at Beatenbergstrasse 1, tel. 033-822-2615, fax 033-822-6397, hotel-aarburg@tcnet.ch).
$ Villa Margaretha, run by perky, English-speaking Frau Kunz-Joerin, offers the best cheap beds in town. It's a big Victorian house with a garden on a quiet residential street. Keep your room tidy and you'll have a friend for life (D-86 SF, T-129 SF, Q-172 SF, the 3 rooms share a big bathroom, 2-night minimum, apartment-156-162 SF with a 1-week minimum, closed Oct-April, no CC, no breakfast served but dishes and kitchenette available, lots of rules to abide by; walk up small street directly in front of West station's parking lot entrance, go 3 blocks and look to your right for Aarmühlestrasse 13, tel. 033-822-1813).
$ Backpackers' Villa (Sonnenhof) Interlaken is a creative guest house run by a Methodist church group. It's fun, youthful, and great for families, without the frat-party ambience of Balmer's (below). Rooms are comfortable and half come with Jungfrau-view balconies (D-88 SF, T-120 SF, Q-144 SF, dorm beds in 5- to 7-bed rooms with lockers and sheets-32 SF per person, 5 SF more per person for rooms with toilets and Jungfrau-view balconies, includes breakfast, kitchen, garden, movies, small game room, Internet access-10 SF/hr, laundry-10 SF/load, bike rental, no curfew, open all day, check-in 16:00-22:00, 10-min walk from either station, across big grassy field from TI, Alpenstrasse 16, tel. 033-826-7171, fax 033-826-7172, www.villa.ch, backpackers@villa.ch).
$ Balmer's Herberge is many people's idea of backpacker heaven. This Interlaken institution comes with movies, table tennis, a launderette (8 SF/load), bar, restaurant, swapping library, Internet access (20 SF/hr), tiny grocery, bike rental, currency exchange, excursions, a shuttle-bus service (which meets important arriving trains), and a friendly, hardworking staff. This little Nebraska is home for those who miss their fraternity. It can be a mob scene, especially on summer weekends (dorm beds-24 SF, S-40 SF; D, T, or Q-30-34 SF per person, includes sheets and breakfast, non-smoking, open year-round, easy Internet reservations recommended 5 days in advance, Hauptstrasse 23, in Matten, 15-min walk from either Interlaken station, tel. 033-822-1961, fax 033-823-3261, www.balmers.com, balmers@tcnet.ch).
$ Happy Inn Lodge has 16 cheap rooms above a lively, noisy restaurant a five-minute walk from the West station (S-30-40 SF, D-60-80 SF, bunk in 4-8 bed dorms-24-30 SF, breakfast-8 SF, Rosenstrasse 17, tel. 033-822-3225, fax 033-822-3268, www.happyinn.com, info@happyinn.com).
Excerpted from the 2004 edition of "Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland" guidebook, available from our Travel Store.