Swiss Alps Travel Guide 2026: Zermatt, Interlaken & Jungfrau Region

Switzerland is expensive — and worth every franc. Here is how to experience the Swiss Alps without the luxury hotel price tag, and what is actually worth paying for.

Swiss Alps Travel Guide 2026: Zermatt, Interlaken & Jungfrau Region

Switzerland costs roughly twice what Germany or Austria costs for the same standard of accommodation, food, and transport. This is not an exaggeration. A hostel dorm bed in Zermatt runs CHF 60–80 ($65–88). A mid-range dinner for two is CHF 100–150. A single-day train pass to Jungfraujoch — the highest railway station in Europe — costs CHF 208.

And yet Switzerland remains one of the world's most popular travel destinations because the product justifies the price. There is nowhere in the world where the concentration of genuinely world-class mountain scenery, infrastructure, and clean efficiency matches what Switzerland delivers.

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Zermatt and the Matterhorn

Zermatt is the definition of a mountain town done right — no cars permitted (electric vehicles only), 360km of ski runs in winter, glacial hiking in summer, and the Matterhorn rising at the end of every street like a pyramid erected by a civilization that wanted to make the Alps legible.

Gornergrat Rack Railway: The most popular way up the mountain — 33 minutes from Zermatt to 3,089m, with the Matterhorn directly ahead. Buy the earliest possible train (7:24am) and you will have the summit viewpoint largely to yourself.

Five Lakes Walk: The most rewarding summer hike in the Zermatt area. A 10km loop linking five alpine lakes, each reflecting the Matterhorn from a different angle. Download the Swisstopo app for navigation.

Accommodation: Zermatt is expensive. Save with guesthouses in the village rather than hotel chains. Or stay in Täsch (10 minutes by train, car parking available) and commute in.

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Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region

Interlaken sits between two turquoise lakes at the gateway to the Bernese Oberland — the triple-summit massif of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau that defines the Swiss Alps in most imaginations.

Jungfraujoch ("Top of Europe"): At 3,454m, the highest train station in Europe. The journey up through the mountain (trains pass through tunnels carved into the Eiger) takes 90 minutes from Interlaken. Book in advance and go on a clear day; the panorama over the Aletsch Glacier (the longest in the Alps, UNESCO listed) is extraordinary. Cost is significant (CHF 208 second class) but justified.

Grindelwald: The most scenic base village in the Jungfrau region. The First cliff walk and the Bachalpsee alpine lake hike are highlights. Less expensive than Zermatt.

Lauterbrunnen Valley: The valley of 72 waterfalls. The main village sits at the base of sheer 300m cliffs with Staubbach Falls cascading from them. Above, via cogwheel train, is Wengen (car-free village, excellent skiing) and Mürren (even more dramatic, even more car-free).

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Lucerne

For city-based Switzerland with Alps access, Lucerne hits a sweet spot — smaller than Zurich, more atmospheric, with the Chapel Bridge (1333, Europe's oldest covered wooden bridge), the Old Town, and a boat ride on Lake Lucerne all within walking distance of each other.

Mt. Pilatus: 50-minute lake steamer from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, then the world's steepest rack railway to 2,122m. Return via aerial cable car. A full-day circuit that covers every dramatic Swiss transport mode in one loop.

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Budget Tips

The Swiss rail system is world-class and the Swiss Travel Pass (unlimited trains, buses, boats, and some mountain railways) is the most efficient way to move around. A 3-day pass runs CHF 232. At CHF 8 per train journey, it pays for itself quickly.

Supermarkets (Migros and Coop) charge restaurant prices elsewhere but Swiss prices — excellent prepared foods, good wine, good bread. Buy lunch provisions and have one proper sit-down meal per day.

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