Interlaken with teens high summer : 3 nights what should we/can do and visit ?

[Rollonsummer1]

Realistically using Interlaken as our hub what should we aim for and is there anywhere to swim etc ?

Interlaken to Grindelwald terminal. Eiger express cablecar to eigergletscher. Walk down to kleine scheidegg. Train to wengen then train to lauterbrunnen then back to interlaken. This is a good round trip.

I would agree with helpful person, their suggestion is a good one, the walk from Eigergletcher to Kleine Scheidegg is prob 45min-1hr walk flat/downhill.

An alternative would be Interlaken to Wengen on the train, cable car to mannlichen, walk to Kleine Scheidegg (1.5-2 hours flat walk), then train down to Grindelwald then on to Interlaken.

Another alternative would be train to lauterbrunnen, funicular to murren station then walk along to murren village, flat easy walk less than an hour

Any of these 3 will give you great views of big mountains, the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau.

I'd do one of those options one day.
Explore Interlaken on your arrival and departure days, could probably fit in a lake swim.

Then raft down the Aire from Uttigen to Bern the other day. Go in the morning, picnic lunch on the riverside, then explore Bern, dinner in Bern then train home to Interlaken

However both days with train/cable cars/boats will be reasonably expensive. If you could only do 1 big ticket day I'd do either helpful persons suggestion or my 1st one.

Whatever you do you will see mountains, it just depends how far away they are!

@xyzandabc that's amazing thank you

Sorry I missed this again fabulous advice thank you !
I was only thinking pilates as it's so close to Lucerne and we may stay there one night .

You used to be able to get a Swiss Pass with it things were half price or even free. Definitely try to do some walking even if it is in the valley. If you use the cable cars ect you will need proper shoes or trainers at the top especially if there is snow up there.

@xyzandabc was the rafting expensive and safe
My two can swim but are not great swimmers however that sounds absolutely amazing to do

I was coming on to suggest this family rafting tour with these people:
https://www.outdoor.ch/en/outdoor-adventure/family-rafting

They also offer the drift down the Aare (at quite a price I see!), but the family rafting down to Brienz was good for us. Just 2.5 hours all up (including small transfers to and from Interlaken) and you get to get out and swim a bit once you get to lake Brienz. Spoke perfect English and perfectly safe, as you can stay in the boat if you prefer. We did get out and hold on to the raft in some of the quieter bits, but no obligation to do so.

Just be aware of altitude sickness. I felt queasy (sp?) and had a headache the whole time I was at Murren. Which isn't even as high as the Jungfrau.

So if your DC seem a bit out of sorts, or you do, it might be altitude sickness.

I can't believe it our easy jet flight from Basel has been cancelled.

So we won't have time to make it to Interlaken now.
.can anyone kindly advise on a good day trip possibly day and a half from Lucerne instead please !

Ideally mountains thanks....

Where are you flying into now or is your trip curtailed. Interlaken is no further than Lucerne. You can still reach Interlaken from Lucerne by train, Meiringen/Aareschlucht, Engelberg (Titlis is a glacier with rotating cablecar and snow activities like tubing at top), Rigi has combination of trains and easy walks and Pilatus as you mentioned before. The transport museum is rated although I was not keen. Boat trip on the lake to see the origins of the William Tell legend.

Or a trip up the Stanserhorn which overlooks lake Lucerne.

DS and a friend went interrailling after A levels and the place they loved the most out of all their time in Europe was Interlaken. They did Via Ferrata a couple of days and were in awe of the whole experience, so if your teens are adventurous I highly recommend it as it'll give them a huge sense of achievement.

@LIZS thanks ! From Basel it's a bit further to interlaken and we will probably have a car.

Flying into and out of basl but also finishing up on Europa park

@Rozendantz what is via ferret?

What we may do now I've had so much advice and did so much planning I think we may do another trip spefically to that area .

Via Ferrata is a climbing course, ladders, high ropes, ropes up the rock face, usually navigated with a guide. There is a foot bridge across a drop at top of Titlis otherwise. If you are navigating back to Basel/Europapark from Lucerne you could drive one way there presumably via Zurich and loop back via Interlaken/Bern. It might take a little longer but more interesting than retracing the same route.

OP, look into Interrailing. A world of railways opens up for you, especially good for scenic Switzerland!

It's a rock-climbing route set up with metal cables/ bolts/ladders that keep you attached to the mountain. You're attached via a steel cable, but you'll essentially be walking around the rock face via metal bars attached to mountain...you get amazing views!

@TwentyFourHoursToTulsa I did and it's actually quite expensive but I know Switzerland is.

@LIZS thanks so much for all your help on my thread.
Our flight times were never good so now we arrive in Basel at 6pm.
So want to get somewhere nice fast but we won't have the first day really. That leave the next day as one proper day to see mountains .
The following day we leave to go to dolmar or Strasbourg for one day and night then Europa park.
I'm wondering about doing a mountain from Lucerne or and getting a scenic train to somewhere like grindewald ?
Driving back via somewhere is a good idea thanks.
But it's a whistle stop tour.
I think next year now and fly onto somewhere better and dona proper week.ive found a decent looking youth hostel in Interlaken that will help also

I think Grindelwald from Lucerne is probably too far for a day trip, By the time you got there you would not have much time to enjoy it. Engelberg is about an hour by train or car and an easier drive. Scenic valley, compact alpine resort, has a cheese making monastery, ,cablecars up the mountains and a small lake partway up to walk around with cafes. There are the usual alpine activities there. If you wanted a summer toboggan run that is on the Brunni peak opposite the Titlis, for example You could drive Europa park direct, it is not that far.

@LIZS just had a look and that seems perfect ! Easy drive is a bonus also.

It looks like there is more to do in Titus than Pilatus also.

Thank you

Do you think it would be a day trip ? Half a day ?

Yes this is good!

Have a fondue for dinner :)

Just seen about your flight - definitely go by train from St Pancras. You can do it in one long day but you might choose a night in Paris or Cologne or somewhere else to break it up.

You could spend all day there easily.

@LIZS perfect thank you .😍