1st day, Zurich to Lauterbrunnen

To find train fares: https://www.sbb.ch/en 

The route below shows a train directly from Flughafen to Bern, but we ended up having to change trains in Zurich HB, Bern, Spiez, and Interlaken Ost, making it 5 trains in total.  We had 4 roller bags, 5 backpacks and a shoulder bag that we had to lug up and down stairs with as few as 6 minutes to get between one train and the next.  I had heard that the views from the train were great, but that didn't start until Spiez, which was gorgeous and it only got better from there.

Zurich - Sat arrive at airport, take many trains to Lauterbrunnen Hotel Staubbach https://www.staubbach.com/en/summer/  CHF 42.40/person

 

At the airport simply follow the "Bahn / Train" signs. The railway station is one level below ground, tracks one more. Short walk from customs exit 2, slightly longer from customs exit 1. All covered, short open but covered passage between customs exit 2 and the "Shopping Centre" where railway station is located (with in addition tramway and bus station exit). Escalators and lifts for changing levels.

Migros shop is at very short distance to the railway station on ground level - sells all kind of food and non-food (but no alcoholic beverages nor tobacco products). Next to Migros is bakery Steiner (I stopped buying bread from Migros). There is a smaller Coop shop next to the railway station counter and ticket machines - Coop is selling also alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. Arriving passengers can use duty free shop, just keep boarding pass. We did stop at Migros for sandwiches and chocolate.  Very convenient and fun to see all the Swiss products.

Don't use Google maps for information on facilities in a building - use for instance interactive map at https://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/en/passengers/practical/guidance/interactive-map zoom in "Airport shopping" and select right hand side L0 and L-1.

Migros grocery story and BioLocal get great ratings, Foodland's India, Asian, and Green get poor ratings.  People complain about how long it takes to get coffee at Steiner.  BioLocal has organic salads, sandwiches and stews.  One review said hot vegetable roll is good.  Steiner has sandwiches.  "Wall of chocolate" at Migros:

Some trains serve food.  There is a menu online for train food.  We never saw a cafe car on the trains. These are the entrees: 

Restaurants near hotel for dinner: 

Hotel Restaurant Oberland recommends reservations by email   https://www.hoteloberland.ch/restaurant/ They are open for lunch 12-2:30 and dinner 6p-10p.  Sounds too late for people who have not slept since Thursday.  Trip Advisor has very good reviews of Hotel Restaurant Oberland.  Someone said best Rosti.  Some else said they ate at 3 restaurants in Lauterbrunnen and this is the one they liked best.  

https://www.weidstuebli.swiss/ has pizza and a no meat burger, 8 min walk, 600 m.  

Food Point Kebap has falafel and halal food, but no website.  5 min walk.  

Restaurant Schuetzen 3 minute walk only gets 3.7 stars, but the complaints weren't for stuff I would worry about:  They have a veggie tart: https://restaurantschuetzen.com/

We ended up at Hotel Silberhorne for dinner.  The service was very slow even for Swiss standards and none of us was enthusiastic about our dinner. https://www.silberhorn.com/media/filer/2024/speisekarte_augst_12824.pdf  Mydaughter had curried tofu which just ran with oil when pressed with a fork.  I got Breaded pork escalope with french fries, which was fine, one of us tried Bernese plate smoked ham, bacon, boiled beef, wiener sausage, saucisson, sourcrout & boiled potatoes which was also fine.

Places to stay: 

Hotel Staubbach 4 people in 2 adjoining rooms with private bath in Lauterbrunnen, $370/night.  30 minutes from Interlaken (22 min train ride, 8 minute walk).  Zurich airport to Interlaken is 2:17-3:09 depending on train timing.  Ends up $389.29 with CHF13.60 in tax.  

This hotel had our BEST view of the whole trip.  The outside of the hotel looks a bit worn, but as I'm not sleeping on the shingles, it didn't matter to me.  The breakfast was great.  There is no a/c in the hotel (the same as most places we stayed in the area, and our room had glass doors instead of windows so we had to sleep with the door open to keep it cool enough.  There is a church close by which rings its bell very enthusiastically, but fortunately it only does so during the daylight hours and did not disturb our sleep.

Anything under $300/night is a hostel.  The Guesthouse by the Hey Hotel is $315/night, but no a/c and people complain of either room with a window that doesn't open, or a window that opens onto the street where the restaurant stand and chat and smoke late into the evening.  The Hey Hotel next door is $360/night, no hotel, but people reviewed it much more highly. 

Hotel Interlaken has no rooms available for 2 or 4 people on 8/3.  

Apartment 27 says 8.0 stars over 100 reviews, but I read a lot about dirty table, moldy bathroom and dirty plates. 

Studio Albert, Interlaken $400.  People said no a/c, had to leave balcony door open.  Hosts let them leave luggage before check in and after check out.  

https://www.booking.com/hotel/ch/studio-albert-interlaken.html?aid=351485&label=metakayak-linkdsk-coreus-hotel-9101227_los-01_bw-091_curr-USD_nrm-01_gstadt-04_gstkid-00_lang-en-us_sat-0_dow-sat_aff-0_mcid-10_clkid-dOnYtCnds4TpStfliKV1OQ&sid=24294db7431a52909df33347cbe09572&all_sr_blocks=910122701_362196240_4_0_0;checkin=2024-08-03;checkout=2024-08-04;dest_id=-2552548;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=4;group_children=0;hapos=1;highlighted_blocks=910122701_362196240_4_0_0;hpos=1;matching_block_id=910122701_362196240_4_0_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=4;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA%2CA%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=910122701_362196240_4_0_0__35900;srepoch=1714781990;srpvid=7219024717510072;type=total;ucfs=1&

Crystal Interlaken has two rooms, each with a/c (some of their rooms don't have a/c) $276/each.

Hotel Falken, in Wengen, 47 min from Interlaken, room for 4 with a/c is $527. Jungfruajoch is 1:30 away.  

Apartment Laura, Wilderswil $493.  Private bath, 5 min walk from train and grocery.