2/24/2026 · 7 min read
One of the biggest surprises in Switzerland is how unnecessary a rental car can be in the Bernese Highlands. In many mountain regions, a car feels essential. Here, it often adds friction.
The rail network is precise, scenic, and deeply integrated into daily life. From Lake Thun bases like Spiez, Thun, Faulensee, or Einigen, you sit on the main Bern Interlaken corridor with easy onward links into the Jungfrau region.
From Spiez, Interlaken is about 20 minutes, Lauterbrunnen roughly one hour, Grindelwald around 90 minutes, and Jungfraujoch a bit over two hours. Transfers are intentional, stations are clean, and wayfinding is reliable.
The train rides themselves are part of the experience: lakes into valleys, valleys into alpine terrain, and villages shifting with elevation. Driving removes that continuity.
Parking is another cost. Mountain towns can be constrained and congested in peak season, and fees accumulate quickly. Train travel removes parking stress, fuel spend, narrow-road pressure, and navigation overhead.
A car can still make sense for remote rural combinations, specific photography logistics, or complete schedule independence. But for Jungfraujoch, hiking, paragliding, and lake-town itineraries, rail is usually sufficient and often superior.