Wengen or Grindelwald? Probably Kleine Scheidegg area Feb 22

[Teds77]

Having rebooked Easyjet flights for the second time.... I'm currently looking at Wengen or Grindelwald for half term Feb 22.

Twins who will be 9 by then and who have skied once before. One manages blues the other who can snowplough... One adult happy on reds, other adult who can survive reds but prefers blues!

Looks like there are some ski schools who operate in the Kleine Scheidegg beginner area and that looks equally accessible from Grindelwald or Wengen. We'll just self-cater and somewhere that can be cancelled without cost is key!

Any thoughts on whether one makes the better base?

Keen to be able to do some sledging/tobogganing. Don't need any après ski. And the better adult skier usually gets to go skiing with his brother once a year so doesn't need to be able to do too much serious skiing. Thanks!

Ummm...... you do know all international travel is banned right?

@BigWoollyJumpers

Ummm...... you do know all international travel is banned right?

She said it was for 2022!

Sorry I don't know Switzerland for skiing so can't help OP

Oooops...... sorry. I thoguth Feb 22nd, as in half term .

If only, hey?!

Yes - please rest assured that the local park is about as far as we are planning to go this half term!!

Not terribly helpful, sorry once again. I do know that both are equally accessible to KS, as we holiday there in the Summer. It's a really easy area to get around. I would say Grindelwald has more choice of accommodation, and more places to eat though, more of a family resort than Wengen.

We've been to Wengen many times as have family there. How will you be getting there? If flying then no bother. If driving (which we normally do as there are 5 of us and it's much cheaper than flying) then bear in mind Wengen is car free. You have to park in Lauterbrunnen and get the train up to Wengen, so think about carrying all your bags on a train when packing the car. Would also recommend booking a place in the Lauterbrunnen car park in advance.

Grindelwald is a bigger town, Wengen more a large village. Wengen has one coop supermarket and a smaller independent food store, that's it. I imagine Grindelwald has more than that.

As for skiing, both are fairly equal, they use the same ski area and runs and your lift pass covers the whole area. If you're just there for a week, just get the local Grindelwald Wengen ski pass, you don't need the whole Jungfrau region. Though I think by next year the new high speed A bahn I think it's called will be running from Grindelwald which will be great for getting up the mountain from that side but will obviously attract more people. Day trippers coming by car tend to use Grindelwald more anyway. Again this might be changing with the new high speed A bahn but at the moment when you get near the bottom on the Grindelwald side, you have to pole through a caravan park then a little walk to the train. Which is a pain, whereas Wengen you can ski right to the cable car pretty much, or a little walk to the train but not far.

Either way Switzerland is expensive, even just eating out at a pizza place your prob talking £20-30 a head. It is stunningly beautiful though. Also Feb half term is heavingly busy, standing room only on the trains up to Klein's scheidegg in the mornings and 30/40min plus wait for the cable car unless you can get up and on there before ski classes start, so pre 9am.

There are toboggan runs down both Wengen and Grindelwald sides, an ice rink in Wengen which is cheap. I don't know so much about facilities in Grindelwald.

If you choose Wengen, use the Wengen Ski school, they meet in the village centre or at the train station depending on the level. Saves you having to trek up to Klein Scheidegg every morning. I don't know where Grindelwald ski school operate from.

Just reread my post, when I say Wengen has 1 supermarket and 1 independent store, I just meant in terms of food shops. They do have plenty of other shops! Just not ones to buy self catering food from. There is a full high street so tourist shop, pharmacy, ski gear shops, photo place, restaurants etc etc

We love the area but tbh it's not great for beginners. It is a long trip by train up to Kleine Scheidegg from either resort, slightly longer from Grindelwald. There is a nice long blue from there towards Brandegg in front of the Eiger but otherwise mainly red. There is probably more, easier skiing on the Grindelwald First side and Mannlichen offers a wider variety of pistes. Grindelwald is also a larger village with more facilities.

I have been corrected, the new highspeed link from Grindlewald is the V Bahn, not the A Bahn, I knew the letter was a pointy letter, just got it upside down!

Thank you - loads of info to mull over. It sounds like it might not be the most perfect spot so will keep thinking! We love trains so train to the slopes sounds like fun but maybe reality different. Also, we don’t need to ski, ski, ski - a few hours on a few decent runs and then an afternoon of cards or something like an ice rink/sledging suits us.

I’d really recommend Engelberg for family skiing. Really varied levels of challenge so suitable for all. Great south facing sunny slopes. Easily accessible, loads of accommodation...

Where do you fly into? From Zurich in 2 hours you could be in Lenzerheide which has excellent family skiing (and now links to Arosa so the area is big) much easier to get up the mountain at the start of the day. I don’t think it’s well k own out of Switzerland but everyone will speak English and I think cheaper than Bernese Oberland as less of tourist price hike.

Ps Grindelwald definitely easier access than Wengen, also to ski back end of day

We live in Zurich and have a place in Obersaxen. Hidden gem....120km of slopes, cheap, never busy.